The David Spoon Experience 4-30-24 part 2

1) We return to the delightful elements of Romans, which is, in many ways, the backbone of the New Testament following the gospels. Romans chapter 4, verse 3, states that from God's perspective, Abraham had no basis for pride. This is crucial for all of us to understand. If every breath we take is a gift from God, then there is nothing we could ever do that would make God owe us anything. God owes nobody anything, and this has always been and will always be the case.

2) The key to understanding this theologically is that Abraham had no basis for pride because he believed God, and God declared him righteous. The first thing to note is that he didn't just believe in God, but he believed God. This teaches us that Abraham's faith was active. The second element is that God, from this belief, declared Abraham righteous. It wasn't that Abraham deserved it. It's that God was pleased with Abraham's faith and allowed his faith to be used as a form of righteousness attributed to Abraham.

3) To further this proof, verse 4 states that when people work, their wages are not a gift. This simply means that when you go to work and punch the clock, you're owed. Ultimately, workers earn what they receive. But this is not how the Declaration of Righteousness works with God. The Declaration of Righteousness is granted as a gift.

4) Verse five reiterates the truth by stating that people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their works. There is a declaration of righteousness that God grants to a person when they operate in faith. It is not because the person deserves it. Again, it is because God is pleased with the person's response to God - that they believe God, trust God, count on God, and lean upon the Lord. It is this vehicle of faith that pleases God, and from that pleasure comes His unearned declaration of righteousness. Thank you, Lord.