Faith Like Abraham

“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” - Romans 4:20-21I’m the type of person who tries to fix most things on my own. Car maintenance? Changing oil, changing brakes, and general “wrenching” doesn’t scare me so long as I have the time. General plumbing and electrical work? No problem! But ask me to replace a head gasket, rebuild a transmission, or change an electrical panel, and I’m going to need to call someone who can diagnose and fix the problem.In the same way, while I am tempted to think that I can fix myself, the reality is that I cannot. As we continue in our series through Romans, Paul expands on his thoughts about how we can get right with God, and he uses the Old Testament patriarch Abraham as the example. While God had made a promise to provide him ancestors that numbered the stars, Abraham knew he couldn’t do that himself (though at times he tried). In the end, he trusted in God and believed “against all hope” that God would have the power to do what was promised.What Paul is reminding us of is the fact that the strength of our hope and faith does not start with us; it starts with what we hope for and what we have faith in. It’s God who made a promise, and God who keeps His promises. He doesn’t need our help! In the same way, it wasn't circumcision or the law that helped Abraham; it was who he put his faith in!And as we will see as we approach Easter, what this passage points us to is the fact that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead invites us to put our faith in Him. Jesus was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Our faith and hope didn’t make that happen; God did! Yet when we put our faith and hope in Jesus, we are embracing what God has promised and fulfilled.As we gather together this week for worship, my prayer is that we will put our faith in the One who has the power to raise us!Grace & Peace,Pastor Aaron