Following In the Footsteps of Faith

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Following In the Footsteps of Faith</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id507.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Difference Faith Makes"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id502.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Serving The Least of These"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"Following In the Footsteps of Faith," </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Rom+4" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Romans 4</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, February 5-6, 2005</B></div> <bR> <div>      Churches are filled with people who think they are all right with God and God is all right with them, not because of anything God has done, but because of what they do, how they live, which in their view is "pretty good." </div> <div>      How can we be made "all right" with God? How can we be accepted by God into his family? Do we try to make sure our good works outweigh our bad deeds? Do we pay a small or large penalty ourselves? Do we promise to do better next time?</div> <div>      Romans 4<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT>offers messages to three groups of people, based on the example of Abraham.</div> <bR> <div> <B>1) Those depending on their works (vss. 1-5, 12, 16-25)</B>: </div> <div>      You must give up your efforts to earn God's favor and receive his gift of forgiveness.</div> <div>      Abraham is the father of those who walk in the footsteps of faith (vs. 12). Abraham would have been revered by those arguing that keeping the law was the way to receive salvation. But Paul argued differently, convincingly. We sometimes think faith and grace is a new thing with the New Testament, that people were "saved" on the basis of keeping the law in the OT. Not true!</div> <div>      "When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award-yet receives such a gift anyway-that is a good picture of God's unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God." [G.W. Knight, (Bible.org)].</div> <div>      We are credited with righteousness through Jesus' sacrifice for us (vss. 23-25). He did the work, we get the benefit!</div> <bR> <div> <B>2) Those who are aware of their sinfulness  (vss. 6-8):</B> </div> <div>      Accept God's forgiveness, which is freely available to you, no matter how you have violated his law.</div> <div>      David, also, was highly revered, and he is used by Paul as an example of faith. David lived under the Law of Moses, but his salvation did not come because he kept the law of Moses (he didn't). Even when one sins, and sins greatly, it does not cancel his or her justification.</div> <div>      "There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in Madrid newspaper. The ad read: 'Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.' On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers." [Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, p. 13 (Bible.org)]. If you have never received forgiveness of your sins from Jesus Christ, know that it is available to you today, without cost. Because he paid the cost on your behalf.</div> <bR> <div> <B>3) Those who are walking by faith, as sinners saved by grace(vss. 6-8, 23-25):</B> </div> <div>      Worship and serve God, because he has made salvation freely available through Jesus Christ.</div> <div>      This is what Communion is all about. Our response of worship and service to the God who loves us by giving salvation and forgiveness through Jesus.</div> <div>      A couple married for 15 years began having more than usual disagreements. They wanted to make their marriage work and agreed on an idea the wife had. For one month they planned to drop a slip in a "Fault" box. The boxes would provide a place to let the other know about daily irritations. The wife was diligent in her efforts and approach: "leaving the jelly top off the jar," "wet towels on the shower floor," "dirty socks not in hamper," on and on until the end of the month. After dinner, at the end of the month, they exchanged boxes. The husband reflected on what he had done wrong. Then the wife opened her box and began reading. They were all the same, the message on each slip was, "I love you!" (Bible.org.) That's kind of not fair, and couple's need to talk about their differences and issues. But for us, we can blame and criticize others, we can blame and criticize God, but when we trust in him, he doesn't present us with a list of our failures, he presents us with his love, again and again.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2005, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>