Faith transforms into grace

Romans 5:1-11; 1/26/2025; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

Introduction

Starting from Chapter 5, Paul leaves the Old Testament and returns to the New Testament to talk about faith and the relationship between faith and believers. This is the origin of the transformation of faith into grace.  Let’s look at the first point: Continue reading “JANUARY 26, 2025 FAITH TRANSFORMS INTO GRACE” →

Abraham’s Faith

Romans 4:17-25; 1/19/2025; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

Introduction

Abraham is called the father of faith. When he was ninety-nine years old, God changed his name and said: “I have made you the father of many nations” In the original text, there is the word “because” before this sentence. So, because of what? I will talk about it next, let’s look at the first point:

Faith has to do with the source

The source mentioned　in the Bible is of course related to God’s creation, do you agree? First, make nothing into something. This is what sets our faith apart! There is no other God who brings nothing into being except the God in whom we believe. “God said, Let there be light, and there was light.” Jesus Christ became human and manifested his divinity through signs and wonders. The disciples were also curious, why did even the wind and waves obey His words? Paul juxtaposes resurrection with creation to explain the reason for faith. If God’s creation is very long ago, then the resurrection of Christ is not too far away from us. Many of us who are still alive have personally experienced the Lord’s healings and exorcisms, resurrection and ascension to heaven. I, Paul, also experienced the great light of God on the Damascus Road. The Lord even appeared to me in the light. These were signs and wonders that had never happened before in ancient times!
Secondly, because there is a holy covenant. In the introduction, I said the word “because”, why? God said to Abraham: “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. (Gen. 17:4)” From then on, even his name was changed from Abram to Abraham. From the sublime Father to the Father of many nations and the Father of all peoples. Abraham was called the father of faith because he wanted to keep a covenant with God. What covenant should he keep? God said: “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, (Gen. 17:1)” Jesus also said in the Sermon on the Mount: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48).” Being perfect before God refers to whether our heart toward God is perfect, that is, toward God Exclusive, unique, and first.
Finally, there is hope in despair. Lazarus was dead and had been in the tomb for four days. Jesus went and said he was just sleeping. Do you believe it? Paul preached all night in Troas, Asia, when a young man named Eutychus fell asleep and fell to his death from the third floor. Paul went down, laid his body on him, and he lived (Acts 20:4-7). The same was true when Abraham was a hundred years old and had a child, and Sarah had even stopped menstruating. But God said, you will have a son at this time next year, and they all believed it. Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead and lived before God, Satan, and the world. This is the hope that God’s children live, that is, “When there is no hope, there is still hope through faith! Let’s look at the second point:

Faith is connected to the promise

The expression of the relationship between God and man is the covenant, and the essence of the covenant is God’s promise. God’s promises are rewards for those who look to the Lord who is our Author and Finisher and who follow Him. First, resurrection is the greatest promise. Since ancient times, the road to death from the cradle to the grave has been the common destiny of mankind. At that time, the Jews, including the Pharisees, had a hard time crossing the cognitive line between life and death. People are accustomed to death, accept death, identify with death, and finally surrender to death. Therefore, we reject life, resurrection, and eternal life in terms of psychological cognition. The Jews did not understand and were unwilling to understand the promise of resurrection in the Old Testament. The same goes for people from ancient times to the present. On the premise of denying God’s promises, they do not accept the gospel and reject the truth of resurrection. Little did they know that Christ Jesus’ sacrifice of his life on the cross and his resurrection from the dead three days later are the greatest proof.
Second, life is a testimony of the promise. John testified about the Lord and said: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)” The Word became flesh, which is the Word of God made in human form. He is the living Word of God. The word Tao in Greek is translated as Logos, which cannot simply be translated as logic. The English “Word” is not comprehensive, because God’s words in the Bible express the presence of God’s power and the connotation of life testimony. Jesus Christ is the living Word, so John continues: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (John 1:18)”
Finally, the promise is to fulfill the righteousness of faith. God’s promises are essentially responses to man’s faith, and what they express is God’s righteousness. Abraham believed God, and God was credited to him as righteousness. Likewise, the descendants of Abraham, including those of us who believe in God, are also included in God’s righteousness. The matter of being imputed righteousness is God’s promise. In other words, we can believe in God today because God promised to choose us in Christ and place us in the great circle of His gospel before the creation of the world. Believing in Jesus and gaining eternal life is something that God sees as right. This is the righteousness of God, and it is worthy of us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, and it is a matter of course. Let’s look at the third point

Faith is tied to grace

Abraham believed in God, and God counted him as righteousness. This was not an empty talk, but a proper and real promise, and a promise full of grace. First, the promise of grace. God’s promises to Abraham were rich and long-lasting, and His faithfulness was vast. Roughly speaking, there are five covenants and thirteen promises: (1) Becoming a great nation; (2) Becoming a great blessing; (3) Becoming a great name; (4) Blessing others; (5) Those who bless will be blessed ; (6) All races will be blessed; (7) Descendants will be numerous; (8) Be the father of many nations; (9) Grant kingdoms; (10) Grant kings; (11) Grant land for inheritance; (12) Be firm forever Covenant; (13) To be God’s people. These promises are all expressed in the form of covenants, and the scriptures all appear in Genesis (Genesis 12:1-4, 13:14-17, 15:1-20, 17:1-21, 22:1 – 19).
Secondly, the bearing of faith. In fact, both Abraham and Sarah were weak in faith, right? Sarah said to her husband, God has made me barren. What to do? Go and sleep with my maid Hagar! The angel came and announced: “But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year. (Gen. 17:21)” Abraham was confused and thought, can a centenarian still have a child? Sarah was ninety years old, could she still have children? Two thousand years have passed, but God said through Paul: “His faith is still not weak!” What I want to say is, even if we only have a little faith, it is so precious to God and valued by Him!
Finally, the connection to justification. It was because of this faith that God justified Abraham. Judging from the path of faith throughout Abraham’s life, he left a testimony before God related to justification. What God’s eyes saw was Abraham “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he 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. (Romans 4:20-22)” This is also an encouragement and comfort to us! Even if our faith is weak, our testimony is not strong, and our life is weak. However, even if there is any merit in us, He will regard it as precious and take it as evidence of justification.

Conclusion

Well, thank the Lord! Abraham’s faith is related to the source of faith, to God’s promises, and to God’s grace. I hope that God’s grace and peace will be with all those who believe in Him, now and forever!

Let us pray……

Romans 4:17-25
17 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.
18 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.”
19 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[b] of Sarah’s womb.
20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,
24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.