The past few days, my journey through reading the Bible has brought me into Romans. Of course, I had to slog my way through Romans 1 and its concise collection of clobber verses. (Raise your hand if you're gay... we know what "clobber verses" means, LOL!!) I studied them hard, though... not just taking them at face value... and have come to a new understanding of those verses. It's all about CONTEXT. Don't get worked up over one verse or set of verses; read thoroughly what comes BEFORE those verses as well as what comes AFTER. Taking a broader perspective is like opening a bigger window... letting in more sunlight, so you can see things more clearly. But that is all I'm going to say about that right now.
Today, my reading was in Romans 4. Romans 4 talks a lot about faith, and I would like to share with you what I have gotten out of that chapter this morning.
Point One: Faith is something you RECEIVE, not something you ACHIEVE.
Standing out to me the most was the concept of our being counted as righteous because of our faith.
Note that Abraham was counted as righteous BECAUSE OF his faith.
Abraham didn't say, 'Hey, well look at me! Look at how much faith I have! I must be one pretty awesome dude!"
Because that would be PRIDE. And pride is not an ingredient, if you will, of faith.
Faith is not earned. So no one can be proud of faith as an accomplishment or as an achievement.
Faith is a GIFT. Forgiveness is a gift. So, you see, it all begins and loops right back around to God.God is amazing.
Point Two: Not quantity, but QUALITY.
Jesus said we only need faith the size of a mustard seed to tell a mountain to move... and the mountain will move!
That has always given me pause; the size aspect, I guess. And I suppose I've wondered, "Well man, don't I at least have that tiny amount of faith?"
This morning, it occurred to me... God's measurement is not based on our perceptions or large or small; God's measurement is based on COMPLETENESS.
Size, then, is irrelevant. You need COMPLETE faith. Be it the size of a mustard seed or the size of an RV; your faith simply must be COMPLETE... then, from there.. well, Jesus said it best: "Nothing will be impossible for you."
Point Three: Faith brings forgiveness, freedom and a fresh start.
So, this faith that we did not earn... this faith that can be any size as long as it is complete... this total GIFT from God... is the key to the door of FORGIVENESS and all the amazing things that follow!
Let's hear that a different way:
See? Without working for it. Let me take some pressure off of you... it is not your job to be "good enough" to earn forgiveness. Being good enough or doing enough good things... well, the concept is nice, but that's not your job. That is not required of you. God's love to you is a free gift. All you have to do is...
Believe.
Here's the rest of what David said:
All the mistakes you've made, either by commission or by omission... all the wrongs that have taken place in your life... can be washed away. Think of it as having your record expunged. And you don't have to earn it. All the guilt you carry around? All the shame people have put on you, or you have put on yourself? It can be GONE.
You don't have to "make up for it" or "take your consequences." Freedom is just that; FREE.
All you have to do is ask for it. "God, please forgive me. Please set me free. Please give me a fresh start."
No matter who you are, where you are, how you live, what you've done... no matter ANYTHING. Seriously.
Isn't that the best, ever? God's got you. God is bigger than any mess you might have gotten yourself into. God knows your heart; what you REALLY meant; what you truly want in life.
And God is waiting to give all that to you. For free. All you need to do is BELIEVE. All you have to do is ask.
All you need is faith. And if you don't feel like you have any faith, just be honest with God. "God, I don't have faith. Please give me faith."
Watch what happens.
