THURSDAY, APRIL 7
Scripture: Romans 4:13-15

Romans 4:13-15 says, “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.” The promises that God gave Abraham were not to him or his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Abraham believed the promise and it was accounted to him as righteousness. What this passage goes on to tell us is, if we earn it then it is not an issue of faith. The law was given so we could understand righteousness. The law does not guarantee our promises so we can say to God, ‘We earned this, so where is it?’ That was never the purpose for the law. The purpose for the law was to reveal righteousness. But faith, apart from the law, granted or accrued righteousness to Abraham for one purpose. God loved everyone so much, He wanted to make a way for all those who had failed and violated the law. He wanted to make a way for people to overcome their failures by grace, through faith, so they could be accounted as righteous and therefore come into the Kingdom. These principles should dramatically impact our understanding of our standing before God. And as a result, they should dramatically impact the words we choose to speak. The law is an enemy. Righteousness is not of the law. Righteousness is by faith. The law only reveals righteousness and reveals every place we miss it. But in God’s love and grace, by faith we stand in His grace and in His Kingdom we choose to believe His promises. And just like Abraham it is accounted to us as righteousness.