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Pastor Lud Golz
Pastor Lud Golz

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  Home | Transcript Archive | March | March 25, 2011

Friday, March 25, 2011

“God is not ashamed to be called their God” (Hebrews 11:16).   

There is one final observation I would like for us to focus on in relation to the action of faith as found in Romans 3:21-6:23. We’ve noted that the action of faith is in contrast to the action of human effort or works. We’ve also seen that the hope that initiates faith is a hope in God, not a hope in human nature. 
 
Once our focus is on God as the provider, the action of faith is understood as reaching out to receive what God has provided as a gift. When we receive this gift of eternal life the Holy Spirit makes us new on the inside and prompts us to wholeheartedly obey the truth. 
 
Having said that doesn’t mean we are not tempted to revert to relying on human effort. It is a common tendency. So we need to be encouraged according to Romans 6:11 to count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. The word translated “count” has the idea of reckoning, computing or taking into account.  Faith is not a leap into the dark unknown. Faith grows out of a process in which we take into account what is true. 
 
If I am honest about what Paul said in the first section of this book, I would accept the truth that I am hopelessly lost if left to myself. Knowing that, I will gladly listen to what God has promised to provide for my salvation from sin and its consequences. Taking into account that God has provided righteousness as a gift I would be foolish not to receive it by faith. 
 
When I have received God’s gift Paul says I should consciously count on what this means to me personally. In other words, the action of faith is to count on my belonging to God. 
 
I am His and He is mine. Are you counting on the security of this kind of a relationship with God?
 

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