LIVING BY FAITH - Romans 4:18-25 Living The Gospel Everyday – Part 3 01/26/2025 1. Faith Trusts God’s Promises Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Romans 4:18 NIV Key Greek Word: • Pistis (πίστις) — Faith: A confident trust or belief in God and His promises. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NIV • Trusting God means holding to His word even when emotions and logic say otherwise. 2. Faith Relies on God’s Power, Not Ours Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. Romans 4:19-21 NIV Key Greek Word: • Adynatos (ἀδύνατος) — Powerless: Refers to the state of being incapable or unable to achieve something. • Faith doesn’t deny reality but relies on God’s ability to overcome it. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20 NIV 3. Faith is Credited as Righteousness This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.’ The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Romans 4:22-24 NIV Key Greek Word: • Logizomai (λογίζομαι) — Credited: A financial term meaning to reckon, count, or impute something to someone’s account. “…a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.” Galatians 2:16 NIV 4. Living it every day 1. Trust in God’s Promises Daily 2. Acknowledge Your Weakness 3. Rely on God’s Power in Trials 4. Share the Gospel “For we live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV Are you living by faith or by sight? Think About It 1. What specific promise of God are you struggling to trust right now? 2. Are there areas in your life where you are relying on your own strength instead of God’s power? 3. How does knowing your faith is “credited” as righteousness impact your relationship with God? 4. What step can you take this week to demonstrate your trust in God’s promises? 5. How can your faith encourage someone else to trust in God?