FAMILY FAITH TALK â Romans 4:1-8
1:10 JOURNEY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE 1.
What was your first job and what did you do with the money you earned?
2.
Read Romans 4:1-8. What did you hear in the sermon that made an impression on you as a new, significant, or helpful insight?
3.
Why would the examples of Abraham and David be so important to Jewish people? What is the main point Paul is emphasizing by appealing to Abraham and David?
4.
In this passage, what is “counted” for us and what is “not counted” against us?
5.
What does it matter to you—practically or emotionally—whether a right relationship with God is a gift to be received or a prize to be earned?
6.
Read Genesis 15:1-6. What is the specific promise Abraham believes? What do you observe about Abraham in this passage? About God?
7.
How would you define faith? How does Romans 4 help you understand it better?
8.
In what area of your life do you need to take a lesson from Abraham and focus not on “working” but “trusting”?
9.
Read David’s prayer in Psalm 32:1-5. What’s the effect of trying to cover your own sin? What’s the effect of God covering it? On what basis can God cover our sin?
Sunday, March 22, 2015 • Summit Evangelical Free Church, Alta, IA • Pastor Doug Corlew Series: The Righteous Shall Live By Faith (Romans), Message #10
COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS ROMANS 4:1-8 Justified by faith, not works? What would Abraham and David say about this?
1. _____________________________________________ (v 1-3)
2. _____________________________________________ (v 4-5)
10. In what ways do you experience the blessing of forgiveness (v 6-8)? 11. What keeps you from experiencing the blessing of forgiveness?
FAMILY FAITH TALK — Romans 4:1-8 Questions progress from targeting younger children (#1-2) to teens (#5-6).
1. Read about Abraham from a children’s story Bible. 2. What parts of his life show faith? 3. What was one of the best gifts you ever received? What work did you do to get that gift? 4. What is the gift God has given? How do we receive it? 5. What does “Blessed” mean? (vs. 7 & 8) 6. How did David experience God’s forgiveness?
3. _____________________________________________ (v 6-8)
Monday, March 23
Read Romans 4:1-8
Thursday, March 26
Read Romans 4:6-8
“Having explained God’s way of salvation by the gift of grace through faith in 3:21-31, Paul proves what he has been teaching by two Old Testament examples: Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, and King David… Two times before this, Paul has indicated that salvation through the gift of God’s righteousness, apart from the law, had been announced beforehand in the Old Testament (1:2; 3:21). Now he shows that it is not only something that had been previously announced, but was also the only way anyone either in the Old Testament period or the dawning New Testament era has been saved. Paul begins with Abraham, and it is clear why he does so. Abraham was the acknowledged father of the Jewish people and, with the exception of Jesus Himself, the most important person in the Bible. Abraham is a giant in Scripture… If Paul can show that Abraham, the father of all the faithful, came into a right relationship with God by faith and not by any amount of human good works, his case is proved. Then the gospel he is expounding is the true gospel; there can be no other. If he cannot prove this, the case is lost and so is Christianity.”
“David was the greatest of Israel’s kings as well as the one who best embodied the nation’s devotional spirit and longings… But David is important in the development of Paul’s argument in another way also. The words Paul quotes are cast in a negative form, as contrasted with the words about Abraham, which are positive. Abraham was ‘credited’ with righteousness—a positive wording of the justification principle. David speaks of the principle negatively, even using the same terminology (‘credited’ means ‘counted’), saying, ‘Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.’ David’s testimony speaks powerfully to our contemporaries, because as I know from my counseling, nearly everyone carries about the burdens of past sinful actions… David knew the terrible burden of sin as a result of his transgressions. He had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then he arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in order to cover up his sins. He ‘covered’ it over, true. But the guilt of the act was still there. Why? Because David’s cover-up was only a form of self-justification, and no one is able properly to justify himself.”
2 Chronicles 20:7 Isaiah 41:8 James 2:23
2 Samuel 12:1-14
Matthew 1:1-2, 6, 17 Luke 1:54-55, 68-74
Tuesday, March 24
Romans 1:2; 3:21
Read Romans 4:1-5
Psalm 32:1-11
Friday, March 27
Read Romans 4:6-8
“Where do we start in considering the case of Father Abraham? The place at which to begin—the same place we ourselves must begin, if we would be saved—is with the acknowledgement that there was nothing in Abraham that could ever have commended him to God. Abraham was not saved by his own ability or good works, but by a gift of God. God did not look down from heaven to see whether He could find someone with a little bit of goodness (even a little bit of human faith, on the basis of which it would be possible to save that person—and then find Abraham. It is not as if God said, ‘Oh, this is wonderful! In the midst of this corrupt and sinful race, I have discovered at least one individual who wants to serve me. I see Abraham and his goodness. I think I can make something of him.’ It was not like that at all. How could it be? For, as Paul has just written, ‘There is no one who does good, not even one’ (3:10-12). If Abraham had no natural good in him, it is certain that he was not saved by human goodness. How then was he saved? By God’s gift of righteousness to him, which he received by faith.”
“Are you suffering from guilt for some past action? Does your mind return again and again to the wrong you have done? Is guilt an ever-present companion? If so, you need to experience what David knew as a result of God’s grace in reference to his sin. He says three things about it: 1) His sin was forgiven… The word speaks of separation and it teaches that God is willing to separate the sinner’s transgression and guilt from the sinner. We are unable to do that ourselves, but God does, placing the sin upon Jesus Christ, where it is punished... 2) His sin was covered… David’s covering was merely a hiding or denying of his sin. God’s covering was a true punishing of sin. It is because sin has actually and truly been punished in Christ that you and I, if we come to Christ, can find release from sin’s burden... 3) His sin was not counted against him. This is a bookkeeping term, the point being that God would not list the sins of those He was saving in their own ledgers. We would probably say, ‘Happy is the person to whom God has given a clean slate.’ Or, ‘How wonderful to be able to start again with no marks against me.’”
Joshua 24:2-3 Genesis 12:10-20; 16:1-15
Psalm 103:12; 130:3-4 Jeremiah 31:34
Deuteronomy 9:1-6
Wednesday, March 25
2 Timothy 1:8-10
Read Romans 4:1-5
“Genesis 15:6 says, ‘Abram (Abraham) believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.’ What did God tell him, and what did Abraham believe as the result of that disclosure? When we look at the context in Genesis we see a number of possibilities… But Galatians 3 provides a well-developed answer to our question… Abraham did know of Christ and he looked forward to His coming and trusted Him as his Savior from sin. Paul makes three points that support this: 1) Abraham believed the gospel… what really gripped his mind and heart was the spiritual promise of salvation for all nations… 2) Abraham’s faith concerned redemption… No doubt Abraham did not know as much as those who have lived after the time of Jesus Christ… but Abraham looked forward to some work of God in delivering the fallen human race from sin’s slavery. 3) Abraham believed in the coming of Jesus Christ specifically… Abraham did not know His name of course. But he was looking forward to the coming of this one individual, and it was through the channel of his faith in Jesus that God declared him to be a justified person.”
John 8:56
Galatians 3:1-18
Saturday, March 28
Micah 7:18-20 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Hebrews 9:28 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18
Read Romans 4:9-21
As you prepare for next Sunday’s message, meditate on the faithfulness of God to Abraham and to all who trust in Him.
Hebrews 11:8-19 Devotional Thoughts by: James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000) ROMANS, An Expositional Commentary, Vol 1: Justification by Faith (Rom 1-4); Baker 1991
What was your first job and what did you do with the money you earned?
2.
Read Romans 4:1-8. What did you hear in the sermon that made an impression on you as a new, significant, or helpful insight?
3.
Why would the examples of Abraham and David be so important to Jewish people? What is the main point Paul is emphasizing by appealing to Abraham and David?
4.
In this passage, what is “counted” for us and what is “not counted” against us?
5.
What does it matter to you—practically or emotionally—whether a right relationship with God is a gift to be received or a prize to be earned?
6.
Read Genesis 15:1-6. What is the specific promise Abraham believes? What do you observe about Abraham in this passage? About God?
7.
How would you define faith? How does Romans 4 help you understand it better?
8.
In what area of your life do you need to take a lesson from Abraham and focus not on “working” but “trusting”?
9.
Read David’s prayer in Psalm 32:1-5. What’s the effect of trying to cover your own sin? What’s the effect of God covering it? On what basis can God cover our sin?
Sunday, March 22, 2015 • Summit Evangelical Free Church, Alta, IA • Pastor Doug Corlew Series: The Righteous Shall Live By Faith (Romans), Message #10
COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS ROMANS 4:1-8 Justified by faith, not works? What would Abraham and David say about this?
1. _____________________________________________ (v 1-3)
2. _____________________________________________ (v 4-5)
10. In what ways do you experience the blessing of forgiveness (v 6-8)? 11. What keeps you from experiencing the blessing of forgiveness?
FAMILY FAITH TALK — Romans 4:1-8 Questions progress from targeting younger children (#1-2) to teens (#5-6).
1. Read about Abraham from a children’s story Bible. 2. What parts of his life show faith? 3. What was one of the best gifts you ever received? What work did you do to get that gift? 4. What is the gift God has given? How do we receive it? 5. What does “Blessed” mean? (vs. 7 & 8) 6. How did David experience God’s forgiveness?
3. _____________________________________________ (v 6-8)
Monday, March 23
Read Romans 4:1-8
Thursday, March 26
Read Romans 4:6-8
“Having explained God’s way of salvation by the gift of grace through faith in 3:21-31, Paul proves what he has been teaching by two Old Testament examples: Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, and King David… Two times before this, Paul has indicated that salvation through the gift of God’s righteousness, apart from the law, had been announced beforehand in the Old Testament (1:2; 3:21). Now he shows that it is not only something that had been previously announced, but was also the only way anyone either in the Old Testament period or the dawning New Testament era has been saved. Paul begins with Abraham, and it is clear why he does so. Abraham was the acknowledged father of the Jewish people and, with the exception of Jesus Himself, the most important person in the Bible. Abraham is a giant in Scripture… If Paul can show that Abraham, the father of all the faithful, came into a right relationship with God by faith and not by any amount of human good works, his case is proved. Then the gospel he is expounding is the true gospel; there can be no other. If he cannot prove this, the case is lost and so is Christianity.”
“David was the greatest of Israel’s kings as well as the one who best embodied the nation’s devotional spirit and longings… But David is important in the development of Paul’s argument in another way also. The words Paul quotes are cast in a negative form, as contrasted with the words about Abraham, which are positive. Abraham was ‘credited’ with righteousness—a positive wording of the justification principle. David speaks of the principle negatively, even using the same terminology (‘credited’ means ‘counted’), saying, ‘Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.’ David’s testimony speaks powerfully to our contemporaries, because as I know from my counseling, nearly everyone carries about the burdens of past sinful actions… David knew the terrible burden of sin as a result of his transgressions. He had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then he arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in order to cover up his sins. He ‘covered’ it over, true. But the guilt of the act was still there. Why? Because David’s cover-up was only a form of self-justification, and no one is able properly to justify himself.”
2 Chronicles 20:7 Isaiah 41:8 James 2:23
2 Samuel 12:1-14
Matthew 1:1-2, 6, 17 Luke 1:54-55, 68-74
Tuesday, March 24
Romans 1:2; 3:21
Read Romans 4:1-5
Psalm 32:1-11
Friday, March 27
Read Romans 4:6-8
“Where do we start in considering the case of Father Abraham? The place at which to begin—the same place we ourselves must begin, if we would be saved—is with the acknowledgement that there was nothing in Abraham that could ever have commended him to God. Abraham was not saved by his own ability or good works, but by a gift of God. God did not look down from heaven to see whether He could find someone with a little bit of goodness (even a little bit of human faith, on the basis of which it would be possible to save that person—and then find Abraham. It is not as if God said, ‘Oh, this is wonderful! In the midst of this corrupt and sinful race, I have discovered at least one individual who wants to serve me. I see Abraham and his goodness. I think I can make something of him.’ It was not like that at all. How could it be? For, as Paul has just written, ‘There is no one who does good, not even one’ (3:10-12). If Abraham had no natural good in him, it is certain that he was not saved by human goodness. How then was he saved? By God’s gift of righteousness to him, which he received by faith.”
“Are you suffering from guilt for some past action? Does your mind return again and again to the wrong you have done? Is guilt an ever-present companion? If so, you need to experience what David knew as a result of God’s grace in reference to his sin. He says three things about it: 1) His sin was forgiven… The word speaks of separation and it teaches that God is willing to separate the sinner’s transgression and guilt from the sinner. We are unable to do that ourselves, but God does, placing the sin upon Jesus Christ, where it is punished... 2) His sin was covered… David’s covering was merely a hiding or denying of his sin. God’s covering was a true punishing of sin. It is because sin has actually and truly been punished in Christ that you and I, if we come to Christ, can find release from sin’s burden... 3) His sin was not counted against him. This is a bookkeeping term, the point being that God would not list the sins of those He was saving in their own ledgers. We would probably say, ‘Happy is the person to whom God has given a clean slate.’ Or, ‘How wonderful to be able to start again with no marks against me.’”
Joshua 24:2-3 Genesis 12:10-20; 16:1-15
Psalm 103:12; 130:3-4 Jeremiah 31:34
Deuteronomy 9:1-6
Wednesday, March 25
2 Timothy 1:8-10
Read Romans 4:1-5
“Genesis 15:6 says, ‘Abram (Abraham) believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.’ What did God tell him, and what did Abraham believe as the result of that disclosure? When we look at the context in Genesis we see a number of possibilities… But Galatians 3 provides a well-developed answer to our question… Abraham did know of Christ and he looked forward to His coming and trusted Him as his Savior from sin. Paul makes three points that support this: 1) Abraham believed the gospel… what really gripped his mind and heart was the spiritual promise of salvation for all nations… 2) Abraham’s faith concerned redemption… No doubt Abraham did not know as much as those who have lived after the time of Jesus Christ… but Abraham looked forward to some work of God in delivering the fallen human race from sin’s slavery. 3) Abraham believed in the coming of Jesus Christ specifically… Abraham did not know His name of course. But he was looking forward to the coming of this one individual, and it was through the channel of his faith in Jesus that God declared him to be a justified person.”
John 8:56
Galatians 3:1-18
Saturday, March 28
Micah 7:18-20 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Hebrews 9:28 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18
Read Romans 4:9-21
As you prepare for next Sunday’s message, meditate on the faithfulness of God to Abraham and to all who trust in Him.
Hebrews 11:8-19 Devotional Thoughts by: James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000) ROMANS, An Expositional Commentary, Vol 1: Justification by Faith (Rom 1-4); Baker 1991
