Discussion Question: Belief & Righteousness

[Jamie]

Read Genesis 15:1-6 & Romans 4 – From these passages, what do you learn about faith, righteousness, and justification (“being declared righteous”)?

[Anonymous]

I think faith is “visualizing what God intends to do in a given situation and acting in harmony with it.” Abram was not simply Presumptuous with the Lord. He knew, faith brings action. That is why I believe it was “counted it to him for righteousness.” The application is written clearly for us in Romans 4:23-25 “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.”

[bstadle1]

Maybe faith is most seen in us believing God’s promises (going back to one of the other questions for the week). God has made many promises in Christ to us, in fact we have been given all things in Christ. Because we are now like Christ in our Spirit, we are freed to not only be righteous, but live God’s righteousness. “Without faith it is impossible to please God,” Why…? one reason may be that it is truly impossible to live righteously without faith. Our Spirit is lead by faith, while our flesh is lead by reason. Faith in what? God? I think it is not faith in God, but faith in what God has already done and has promised to continue to do. Do we believe God at his WORD, or just in Him as God? I believe one leads us towards freedom in life and the other can have little or no affect on our actions.

[Jamie]

Good stuff Ben! Many people believe that God exists. But few submit their lives to Him and trust Him through obedience. It is maddening to think that we, who have so little control and power, want to control things so often instead of trusting a God who has unlimited control and power.

[Author]

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