Pruning Me
  • Home
    • Personal Pruning Intro
  • Articles By Title
  • Bible Studies
    • MATTHEW >
      • Matthew 1
      • Matthew 2
      • Matthew 3
      • Matthew 4
      • Matthew 5
      • Matthew 6
      • Matthew 7
      • Matthew 8
      • Matthew 9
      • Matthew 10
      • Matthew 11
      • Matthew 12
      • Matthew 13
      • Matthew 14
      • Matthew 15
      • Matthew 16
      • Matthew 17
      • Matthew 18
      • Matthew 19
      • Matthew 20
      • Matthew 21
      • Matthew 22
      • Matthew 23
      • Matthew 24
      • Matthew 25
      • Matthew 26
      • Matthew 27
      • Matthew 28
    • MARK >
      • Mark 1
      • Mark 2
      • Mark 3
      • Mark 4
      • Mark 5
      • Mark 6
      • Mark 7
      • Mark 8
      • Mark 9
      • Mark 10
      • Mark 11
      • Mark 12
      • Mark 13
      • Mark 14
      • Mark 15
      • Mark 16
    • LUKE >
      • Luke 1
      • Luke 2
      • Luke 3
      • Luke 4
      • Luke 5
      • Luke 6
      • Luke 7
      • Luke 8
      • Luke 9
      • Luke 10
      • Luke 11
      • Luke 12
      • Luke 13
      • Luke 15
      • Luke 16
      • Luke 17
      • Luke 14
      • Luke 18
      • Luke 19
      • Luke 20
      • Luke 21
      • Luke 22
      • Luke 23
      • Luke 24
    • JOHN >
      • John 1
      • John 2
      • John 3
    • ROMANS >
      • Romans 1
      • Romans 2
      • Romans 3
      • Romans 4
      • Romans 5
      • Romans 6
      • Romans 7
      • Romans 8
      • Romans 9
      • Romans 10
      • Romans 11
      • Romans 12
      • Romans 13
      • Romans 14
      • Romans 15
      • Romans 16
    • 1 CORINTHIANS >
      • 1 Corinthians 1
      • 1 Corinthians 2
      • 1 Corinthians 3
      • 1 Corinthians 4
      • 1 Corinthians 5
      • 1 Corinthians 6
      • 1 Corinthians 7
      • 1 Corinthians 8
      • 1 Corinthians 9
      • 1 Corinthians 10
      • 1 Corinthians 11
      • 1 Corinthians 12
      • 1 Corinthians 13
      • 1 Corinthians 14
      • 1 Corinthians 15
      • 1 Corinthians 16
    • 2 CORINTHIANS >
      • 2 Corinthians 1
      • 2 Corinthians 2
      • 2 Corinthians 3
      • 2 Corinthians 4
      • 2 Corinthians 5
      • 2 Corinthians 6
      • 2 Corinthians 7
      • 2 Corinthians 8
      • 2 Corinthians 9
      • 2 Corinthians 10
      • 2 Corinthians 11
      • 2 Corinthians 12
      • 2 Corinthians 13
    • GALATIANS >
      • Galatians 1
      • Galatians 2
      • Galatians 3
      • Galatians 4
      • Galatians 5
      • Galatians 6
    • EPHESIANS >
      • Ephesians 1
      • Ephesians 2
      • Ephesians 3
      • Ephesians 4
      • Ephesians 5
      • Ephesians 6
    • PHILIPPIANS >
      • Philippians 1
      • Philippians 2
      • Philippians 3
      • Philippians 4
    • COLOSSIANS >
      • Colossians 1
      • Colossians 2
      • Colossians 3
      • Colossians 4
    • 1 THESSALONIANS >
      • 1 Thessalonians 1 & 2
      • 1 Thessalonians 3 & 4
      • 1 Thessalonians 5
    • 2 THESSALONIANS >
      • 2 Thessalonians 1
      • 2 Thessalonians 2
      • 2 Thessalonians 3
    • 1 TIMOTHY >
      • 1 Timothy 1
      • 1 Timothy 2
      • 1 Timothy 3
      • 1 Timothy 4
      • 1 Timothy 5
      • 1 Timothy 6
    • 2 TIMOTHY >
      • 2 Timothy 1
      • 2 Timothy 2
      • 2 Timothy 3
      • 2 Timothy 4
    • TITUS >
      • Titus 1
      • Titus 2
      • Titus 3
    • PHILEMON >
      • Philemon 1
    • HEBREWS >
      • Hebrews 1
      • Hebrews 2
      • Hebrews 3
      • Hebrews 4
      • Hebrews 5
      • Hebrews 6
      • Hebrews 7
      • Hebrews 8
      • Hebrews 9
      • Hebrews 10
      • Hebrews 11
      • Hebrews 12
      • Hebrews 13
    • JAMES >
      • James 1
      • James 2
      • James 3
      • James 4
      • James 5
    • 1 PETER >
      • 1 Peter 1
      • 1 Peter 2
      • 1 Peter 3
      • 1 Peter 4
      • 1 Peter 5
    • 2 PETER >
      • 2 Peter 1
      • 2 Peter 2
      • 2 Peter 3
    • 1 JOHN >
      • 1 John 1
      • 1 John 2
      • 1 John 3
      • 1 John 4
      • 1 John 5
    • 2 JOHN >
      • 2 John 1
    • 3 JOHN >
      • 3 John 1
    • JUDE >
      • Jude 1
    • REVELATION >
      • Revelation 1
      • Revelation 2
      • Revelation 3
      • Revelation 4
      • Revelation 5
      • Revelation 6
      • Revelation 7
      • Revelation 8
      • Revelation 9
      • Revelation 10
      • Revelation 11
      • Revelation 12
      • Revelation 13
      • Revelation 14
      • Revelation 15
      • Revelation 16
      • Revelation 17
      • Revelation 18
      • Revelation 19
      • Revelation 20
      • Revelation 21
      • Revelation 22
  • About Me
  • Receiving Christ
  • Contact Me

ROMANS

Chapter 4

read chapter

MY THOUGHTS:

Abraham was chosen for the example here, that one is not justified by works, but rather through faith because he was a Jew by ancestry and was respected by all.  It is true that Abraham, if judged based on his good works, would prove to be righteous, because he had reason to boast of his good deeds. I like how Paul uses an example that we can relate with about works and wages.  If salvation were based on works, then God would 'owe' us salvation based on our good works. It would be like an employer paying someone their wages. However, God makes it clear in the story of Abraham that it is not by works but by faith.  After God told Abraham that his descendants would be innumerable, Genesis 15:6 says, "Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness."  The faith that Abraham had in God saying his descendants would be innumerable is magnificent, because Abraham was almost 100 years old, and Sarah was close to the same age and had never been able to conceive of a child throughout her 'younger years'.  How would an old, barren woman be able to conceive? Because that was the promise of God to them, and God's plan prevailed through His power.  God's covenant with Abraham is in Genesis 17:4-8: "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a  multitude of nations. No longer shall your name by called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.  I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God."

    Read verses 16-25, I think they speak for themselves:

      That is why is depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace an be the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written "I have made you the father of many nations"- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, " So shall your offspring be."  He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."  But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.


~Leanne~

go to chapter 5

    QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Submit
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.