Romans 3-5
Observation: Apparently being credited righteousness is the same thing as forgiveness. When you compare the start of Romans 4 with the quote from David it is clear that when God forgives us He is crediting us with righteousness and vice versa.
Question: Why would we rejoice in affliction? The answer seems to be that affliction causes us to endure or persevere, when we persevere God changes our character, when God changes our character we have hope because it is evidence that God is really at work in us and thus we are saved.
Application: Abraham hoped against hope. How can I maintain hope regardless of circumstances because I know who God is?
Prayer: God, I praise You that though You would be just to punish my sin, You chose to offer me forgiveness even at the cost of Jesus’ blood. I praise You for being the One who justifies me and yet for being just to punish my sin in Jesus as I rightfully deserved.
One Comment
In Romans Chapter 5:15-17, Paul writes about the “Free Gift” of God that forgives us of our Sins through Jesus Christ. Our material lifestyle has a problem with the concept of free. We get offers daily for free things, but the shipping and handling charges make it not really free. We think that something that is free is inferior to the same thing that we have to pay a large amount of money for. So we have a difficult time dealing with the free gift of salvation, insisting on attaching strings of baptism, church attendance, acceptable behavior, and tithing. God’s only requirement is we have faith in His son, something we can give freely. Why is it so hard?