Romans 4:13-17

“For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” vs. 13

Paul loved the story of Abraham and Sarah, the two old folks who had been promised an impossible son. In his understanding this tale turned the message of the Torah upside down and opened the way for a revolutionary understanding of God’s grace. Humanity’s relationship to God was not dependent on the Law or our obedience to it. Instead, all of salvation rested on God’s mercy and steadfast love. 

Abraham and Sarah had done nothing to deserve the inheritance that was given them. All they had done was grow old, and they hadn’t even done that in any particularly admirable fashion. But they did believe in God’s promise, and in the end it was their faith that bore fruit.

It’s that same promise that sustains us in our lifelong faithfulness to the good news of God that has come to us through Jesus. While most of us at least make some attempt at living an exemplary life, we are well aware that we will likely fall woefully short. But faith is something we can hang on to through thick and thin–it can even survive times of doubt and inaction. And when crunch time comes, and we turn again to that persistent trust, it will be there to give us the peace that surpasses all understanding! Praise God!

Thought for the Day: How has my faith ebbed and flowed?