ROMANS 4 - TRUE FAITH

 

Romans 4

explains how God saves people—not by works, but by faith, using Abraham and David as primary examples.

it teaches us that:

-       We are declared righteous by faith, not works

-        We are saved by grace, not human achievement

-       We receive the promises because God is faithful, not because we are perfect

Faith starts where human strength ends.

1. Faith Is Trusting fully

vv 4:1–3 – “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

• Abraham was not justified by his works, heritage, or moral record.
• God declared him righteous because he believed, not because he performed.
• Biblical faith = taking God at His word even when circumstances make no sense.
  
  Faith does not wait for evidence to appear; it moves based on who God is.
  
  WHERE IN YOUR LIFE IS GOD ASKING YOU TO “BELIEVE BEFORE SEEING”?

2. Faith Received not earned

vv 4:4–8 – Paul contrasts the wages of works with the gift of grace.

• Works demand payment; grace gives righteousness freely.
• David calls the blessed person the one whose sins are “forgiven” and “covered” (Ps. 32).
• If salvation depended on works, heaven would be a wage—not a miracle.
  
  Stop striving to earn God’s approval; Christ already secured it.
  
  ARE YOU LIVING LIKE A WORKER TRYING TO EARN WAGES… OR LIKE A CHILD RECEIVING GRACE?

 

3. Faith is hope for God’s promises

vv 4:18–21 – Abraham “hoped against hope” and believed God’s promise.

• He faced the facts: his age, Sarah’s barrenness.
• But he chose to believe the greater fact: God is able to do what He promised.
• God’s promises are inherited by faith, not by human performance (v. 13–16).
  
  Faith is not denying reality—it is believing God’s power in the middle of reality.
  
  WHAT PROMISE OF GOD DO YOU NEED TO STAND ON AGAIN, EVEN WHEN EVERYTHING SAYS “IMPOSSIBLE”?

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father,
We thank You for Your Word today—Your truth that reminds us that righteousness is not earned, but received by faith, just as Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness. Lord, help us walk in this same faith: a faith that trusts Your promises even when circumstances look impossible, a faith that rests not in our works but in Your grace, and a faith that gives You all the glory. Strengthen our hearts this week to believe You deeply, obey You joyfully, and testify boldly of what You have done. Seal this message in our spirits, and let Your Word bear fruit in our lives.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.