by Pastor Rich Carlson

The issue of saving faith is heavily embedded in Paul’s letter. I guess the Romans really needed a clearer picture of the same lesson I need to learn—faith in Christ saves me, and nothing else. Paul used an Old Testament illustration to make the point in this chapter—maybe for those who think the first part of the Bible was about works and the last part about faith. Abraham believed and he was counted righteous by faith (see Rom. 4:3).

Paul relates the story about God promising to make of Abraham a great nation (see 4:17, 18). It was a nice promise, but age and barrenness made it an act of faith to believe. There is a sequence in this chapter that caught my eye:
• "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed" (4:18).
• "Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead" (4:19).
• "He did not waiver" (4:20).
• "[He] was strengthened in his faith" (4:20).
• "[He] gave glory to God" (4:20).
• "[He was] fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised" (4:21).

This to me is faith in action. Sometimes I limit God by figuring out most of a problem and then trusting Him with the leftovers. I learned from this passage that even when—or maybe especially when—I see no hope, that is when I can best learn the lessons of hope. Maybe faith best comes when I don’t have any logical reason to hope! If I think I am doing anything to earn my salvation, I really have not learned to trust and hope in the Lord. To quote the Gospel song, "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling."

I may be a nice guy but any "niceness" that I am using to earn salvation defeats faith and hope. I am a sinner. Sin causes death. But the "gift of God is eternal life" (Romans 6:23).

I can waiver in one of two ways:
• thinking I am good and that this should earn me something in God’s eyes,
• or, thinking I am worthless.

Both are wavering from God’s ideal for me. I dare not waiver from the fact that, to quote another Gospel song, "my hope is build on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness."

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. “God Is Faithful” is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.