By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sermon Text: Romans 4:13-25
Sermon Theme
God’s promises to Abraham are absolutely incredible and are all received by faith. These promises are permanent. They assure us of God’s righteousness and of our being brought into God’s own family. The promises are based on God and in no way on us, and certainly not on the law of Moses. This law only identifies the depths of our sin. These promises are precise because they come from God by grace through faith. Faith is not an effort on our part, but rather a gift of God. Finally, God’s promises are perfect. They achieve God’s goal for us (which may not be our goal for ourselves). God’s promises are unfailing. This is not an empty hope. God’s promises give us confidence and assurance in a broken world.
Sermon Outline
- Permanent. God’s promises are not like ours. Our promises are little more than wishes or vague hopes. God promises us new life in Christ. These promises are unconditional and permanent. This is not a matter of our own effort or of trying to keep God’s law. God’s promises seemed absurd even to Abraham. Yet, in an uncertain world, we can always depend on God’s unbreakable promises.
- Precise. There is nothing vague about God’s promises. God has promised that Abraham and his descendents would inherit the world. We are to be members of God’s own family. God’s promises are received through faith. This means trusting God’s promises and not trusting ourselves at all. Everything we have from God is a gift, including our capacity to trust him.
- Perfect The purpose of God’s promises is to make us perfect. For Paul, being perfect means being complete or mature in our faith in Christ. Abraham could not fully understand God. Neither can we. Hoping against hope, he trusted in God even when trusting seemed absurd. His perfection in faith came about through his becoming “fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” God does not promise us success or ease in this life. He does promise us forgiveness and freedom, confidence and hope, in Christ. There is nothing doubtful about God’s promises.
Questions for Us
- Do we have difficulty accepting the idea that God’s promises are unconditional and are not based on us?
- Abraham and Sarah laughed at God’s promise of a son because it was so incredible. Are there ways in which we discount God’s promises because they seem so unbelievable?
- Do we struggle in our faith because we sometimes expect things from God that he has not really promised? What has God actually promised us in Christ?
- What are some of the ways in which we can become “fully convinced” that God is able to do what he has promised?
