Reading through Romans 4 and 5 is all about “faith” versus “works.” I believe this has important ramifications for our mindset as Christians. Do we obey God because we love him? Or, do we love God by obeying him? Does faith come first, or action? The answer to that question is often “both.”
Today, the beginning of Chapter 4 points out that:
Romans 4:3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
This was before Jesus’ time and in the Old Testament. God sets the precedent for honoring belief before action.
Romans 4:9-10 We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
Circumcision, back then, was the act of “setting apart” or the marked action of responding to God in faith. Abraham was justified by God even before this. Christians don’t need to “do ministry” or “serve the church” in order to be justified by God. But faith and action always go hand in hand. Abraham moved himself to action (left Ur and traveled away) because he believed in God, and this was credited to him as righteousness.
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