Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Rom.4:17 As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations."{Genesis 17:5} This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were. 4:18 Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So will your seed be."{Genesis 15:5} 4:19 Without being weakened in faith, he didn't consider his own body, already having been worn out, (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. 4:20 Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn't waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God, 4:21 and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 4:22 Therefore it also was "reckoned to him for righteousness."{Genesis 15:6} 4:23 Now it was not written that it was accounted to him for his sake alone, 4:24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead, 4:25 who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.

How beautiful is righteousness from faith? It is so beautiful that God provided us the impossible grand story of Abraham's remarkable life. Here Paul ties two very important points together for us which is our love for God, i.e., faith, and His justification of us by our trust in him. What human does not justify those that love them and puts faith in their words? Abraham walked on water, putting trust in the unseen, he knew Jehovah God like a Father, he knew his goodness and love, so unlike many of the Jews that knew God from law, Abraham knew God from his heart. To think at 100-years old God would provide him a seed, a beloved child, is remarkable when his wife was past child bearing years, to think God would call from nothing creating an entire nation from Abraham, was indeed a love for God that is worthy of recording, but why such a powerful story when Paul is speaking here about our own justification from sin in Christ Jesus?

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns!

Many take justification as one more legal act, but is it, or is it God's love for us? Does God call from the dead, that is, something that cannot produce life - eternal life, living? Not only living, but producing nations of righteous people, children from a barren woman us found in sin? Yes, he does, but still there more, and what is that? It is that those loving truth and Spirit know by their thoughts and actions, they are not worthy, they have to go beyond self with all their strength believing like Abraham that God is good, he is their Father, and because we love him, he will do what is righteous, and good towards us, but not only us every living thing under heavens, and in heaven.

1John 3:19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him, 3:20 because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

Romans 6:14 For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.

Romans 4:8 Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin."{Psalm 32:1-2}

This is the power of faith, hoping beyond all hope, knowing God is real, and his promises will not fail us. Although, heaven and earth be shaken yet once more our love of God is a foundation that will not be shaken removing the highest, and greatest mountain before us and for us. This is Paul's summation in this part of his letter where he has argued legally the law now he translates for us legal reasoning into the kingdom of Christ love, the power of loving God, and how it moves God to justify us from sins that cannot be removed without our death. Than Paul says the judgments of God are removed, the very law of God was fulfilled in Christ Jesus, something unheard of! A nation removing its primary laws for its citizen so they are no longer are judged in their flesh, but accepted as son's of the living God without sin, and why? Faith! Yes, faith like Abraham; what undeserved kind word from our Father!

Romans 8:10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Galatians 3:22 But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice{"atoning sacrifice" is from the Greek "hilasmos," an appeasing, propitiating, or the means of appeasement or propitiation--the sacrifice that turns away God's wrath because of our sin.} for our sins.

See also: www.nu-truth.com