Day One Romans 4:1-5 Faith in a God Who Forgives Sinners
Pray: Invite God into your time and ask Him to speak to you, then read the passage.
4Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?2If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way.3For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
4When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned.5But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. – Romans 4:1-5 (NLT)
Discover: Use the Discover section of your Recalibrate journal to write down your answers to the following observation and interpretation questions.
- What Old Testament hero does Paul present to prove his point that righteousness is by faith, not by deeds or work?
- Why don’t our deeds makes us righteous (verse 2)?
- What analogy does Paul use in verses 4-5 to further drive home his point?
Respond: Use the Respond section of your Recalibrate journal to answer the following application prompts.
- What does this passage teach me about God?
- How does this aspect of His character change my view of self and others?
- What should I do in response and when?
For Further Reading
Abraham “could see, woven through the law of commandments, the provisions of forgiving and justifying grace. And he knew he needed this grace because of his sins.” – Quote from John Piper in this article.
For Families with Kids at Home:
Just like Abraham, God doesn’t love us because of what we do, but He counts us as righteous when we believe in Him! Take time to reiterate to your kids today that God’s love doesn’t depend on what they do, but we’re called to have faith like Abraham, which God loves to see!
*If you don't have a Recalibrate journal, you can use any journal available to you to write down your responses.
**TPCC does not necessarily endorse all For Further Reading/Learning sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.