Part 1 - Gives Life to the Dead
Romans 4:16,17: (NASB)
"For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law (Jewish ancestry), but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,"
“(as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.”
Have you ever heard someone say, “Why that christian fella thinks he’s so holy!” “What’s makes him so righteous?” I’ll tell you what makes a person righteous – believing God, that’s what! When we carefully study the life of Abraham, we see that everything miraculous that occurred in his life took place after “years” of living by faith. In today’s lesson, I would like to draw your attention, in particular, to the spiritual law/principle of ‘Calling those things which do not exist, as though they did.” God spoke His Word to Abraham, and Abraham BELIEVED God. Romans 4:3 says that by believing what God said, it was accredited to Abraham as righteousness.
The bible tells us that we are saved, only by grace, through FAITH. Faith in God means that you wholeheartedly BELIEVE what God says. The most important, and easiest way, that we get to know what God says, is by reading and listening to His Word. God’s Word tells us that we have all sinned and that none are righteous, without Christ.(Romans 3:11,22) You can’t be righteous by yourself. You can’t be saved because you believe that there is a God. You can only be saved when you believe what God says and then act upon it.
God says that we are saved by His grace.(Ephesians 2:8) Being saved is actually somewhat multi-fold. We are saved when we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for our sins on the cross, that He arose (3) days later, and as a result of believing, we accept Jesus into our heart. To be saved, we renounce satan, sin, dethrone our own self-will and give Him our life.(Romans 10:9,10) Acts 8:37 says it this way: “If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he (the Ethiopian eunuch) answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Only the blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin.(1st John 1:7)
Here in North America, anybody who wants a bible, can get one. I mean ANYBODY! You can read God’s Word for free on the internet. Inexpensive paperback bibles are available for low prices at most nearly any bookstore. Bibles are placed in most nearly every hotel and hospital room, by the Gideons. Churches of all denominations often have inexpensive bibles available for free or a small donation. Most cable companies and satellite TV providers carry Christian programming. So then, we’re not going to have lack of availability or ‘lack of knowledge’ as an excuse for not knowing God’s Word.
The truth is, the sinful nature of man is at enmity with the Spirit of God, and human nature wants to live sinfully.(Romans 8:7) Human nature, left to its own devices, wants unbridled sex with multiple partners, greedy gain and wealth, popularity, and the sense of being in “control of one’s own destiny”. Human nature thirsts for excitement; it seeks out gambling, alcohol, drugs, violence, and other kinds of addictive properties. Humans have an innate need to feel “fulfillment”, and in the world, that fulfillment is falsely realized in sin.
Now the good part.
When a person is born-again in their spirit, and becomes “saved”, they have passed from spiritual death into LIFE in Jesus Christ.(John 5:24) We are comprised of (3) elements: spirit, soul, and body. Obviously, if you’re reading this, you are physically alive – this is your body. Your soul is the part of you that comprises your emotional and mental faculties; the part of you that is capable of feeling, rationalizing, learning, making decisions, and choosing actions. Your spirit is the part of you which is even less obvious and most misunderstood. More misunderstood than your soul.
Many people use the terms soul and spirit interchangeably; however this is incorrect. Hebrews 4:12 states that the Word of God is able to separate soul from spirit: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
We can observe the results of someone’s soul realm by how they act, what they say, what they do, etcetera. Most people don’t understand that they are actually a spirit, contained within a physical body, having a soul to feel and think with. That’s because many people don’t have a born-again spirit. Their spirit remains dead in sin. Jesus said "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."(John 3:3)
Once a person repents of being a sinner, receives Jesus into his/her heart, and becomes born-again, that person “spiritually” becomes a citizen of Heaven (Ephesians 2:6) and literally becomes a blood-bought child of God.(1st John 5:1) This translates into belonging to, and being in oneness with, the very creator of life. His Spirit (The Holy Spirit) now LIVES in you; and His Word is the word of your Heavenly Father! The devil no longer owns you, and you are one with God Almighty. You are now in the spiritual position to live by God’s Word, speak God’s Word, and experience the life-giving and creative power of God’s Word! When you BELIEVE God’s Word, you are agreeing with the creative power that created EVERYTHING that exists.
It’s important that anyone whom is not yet born-again has the opportunity to hear (or read) the truth. It is important that those whom are born-again have a solid understanding of what being “saved” really means.
Born-again = “God, who gives life to the dead” (Let's remember that when you are not yet born-again, you are spiritually dead.)
Part 2 of this message will be posted over the next day or two. That’s when we’ll take a look at “calling into being (physical existence) that which does not (apparently) exist.”
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