Peter Barnes | Romans 4:17b-21
SERMON NOTES
ABRAHAM’S FAITH AND MINE: THE SEED TO COME
(Romans 4:17b-21)
Our faith is like Abraham’s (4:23-24a).
1. Faith rests on God’s hope against all human hope.
– 4:17b-19. In the words of Charles Wesley:
In hope, against all human hope,
Self-desperate, I believe;
Thy quickening word shall raise me up,
Thou shalt Thy Spirit give.
Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees,
And looks to that alone;
Laughs at impossibilities,
And cries, It shall be done!
2. Faith rests on God’s Word.
– 4:18; this goes back to Genesis 15
– Matt.10:8 is for the apostles, not us, or at least not in the same way. This can be difficult. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells of Andrew Murray in South Africa who went on a preaching tour with his nephew even though the young man had tuberculosis. Murray had faith that the young man would be all right, but in fact he died. Faith is not believing what you think is true but what God says is true.
3. Faith grows into assurance.
– 4:20-21; Gen.17:17 seems to be against this, but Paul is speaking in general terms.