23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
The Object of Our Faith
Abraham believed the words that were spoken to him. We have a different challenge. We are to believe in Jesus. The focus here is on the new life. We are to believe in the resurrection. Hid death took the punishment for breaking God’s law. His life has purchased for us a guiltless existence. Is that our reality?
I know that I live sometimes as though I were still under the law. I live as though I were weighed down by judgement. This shows a lack of belief. To think once more on Jesus’ death and resurrection reminds me of what has been purchased and the source of my faith brings hope.
Prayer
May my faith not be abstract. May it be in the person of Jesus. May I believe in his death and resurrection. May I live the new life he has purchased.
Questions
- What is to be the object of our faith?
- What was the object of Abraham’s faith?
- How should a life of faith be distinctive?
- What is the object of unbelievers’ faith?
- Is it possible to have saving faith apart from Jesus?
Plymothian 
1. What is to be the object of our faith? Christ, His Word
2. What was the object of Abraham’s faith? God, His Word/promises
3. How should a life of faith be distinctive? A life of Christian faith should be distinctive because the person is no longer trusting in themselves but rather looking to Christ and following Him
4. What is the object of unbelievers’ faith? Themselves, maybe false gods
5. Is it possible to have saving faith apart from Jesus? No, even those who had saving faith before the death and resurrection of Christ were looking forward to God’s promise of Christ
1. Jesus
2. God’s promise (which unbeknownst to him was fulfilled in Jesus)
3. A life of faith isn’t lived as if under the law; the believer trusts in God and not in his own works
4. Possibly other gods, but usually also themselves
5. No (except possibly, in the same unbeknownst way that Abraham had faith)
I’m not sure that the object of Abraham’s faith was necessarily just the words of the promise because no one is justified apart from Christ, even in the Old Testament. Jesus Himself is the perfect Word of God, meaning that the revelation of God in His Word is His giving of Himself. Trusting God’s word is trusting Him because the speaker is giving Himself to His people in His words. I think that the object of faith has not changed, but the level of revelation and knowledge of the object of our faith, namely Christ Jesus, has indeed changed. We are now well aware of who we are justified in. Abraham’s salvation was not apart from Christ. He was truly just as justified as we are.
1. Jesus Christ
2. The promise of God.
4. Many people place their faith on other people, different gods and even themselves.
5. No. All faith is ultimately based on redemption of Christ.
What is to be the object of our faith?
Jesus Christ
What was the object of Abraham’s faith?
Yahweh and his promise/covenant
How should a life of faith be distinctive?
What is the object of unbelievers’ faith?
Self
Is it possible to have saving faith apart from Jesus?
No
We are declared righteous because of our belief in Christ. So much of Romans focuses on this!!! We are justified by faith alone. Part of me almost wishes, at times, that I could earn justification by my works–I want to have control and work at my salvation. But I can’t. My salvation is from faith. I can do nothing to save myself. It’s humbling to know I must rely entirely on Christ, and also great comfort on the days when my sin overwhelms me.
Praise God for sending us Jesus Christ who died for my sins!
It is so easy to caught up into thinking that I am such a sinner of life. However, the truth is that we are “forgiven” sinners. May we buy into this truth and stand firm in this world. May we proclaim with confidence of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us.
“I know that I live sometimes as though I were still under the law. I live as though I were weighed down by judgment. This shows a lack of belief.” I really resonate with this. I am one who can go through periods where I feel like I am weighed down by judgment. I sometimes feel like I need to earn the approval of God while at the same time knowing that I can do nothing to earn it. It is by God’s grace alone and I know that but constantly need to be reminded of that.
1. Jesus Christ
2. God’s Covenant Promises
3. It should be a life that is centered on Christ that includes a trust, resting and action, in Him to complete His work in us.
4. I think it is attempting to either save one self or convince one self that you really are not that messed up.
5. No, it is only through Jesus that we are saved.
5. No, it is not possible to have saving faith without Jesus Christ. Every worldview determines to answer the same question, “How might I be saved?” Of course this looks differently for every worldview. For materialists, salvation is found through possessing several things – being materially wealthy. For New Agers, salvation is found through enlightenment. The list goes on. It is our responsibility as believers to help unbelievers see the true reality – there is a God who sent His own Son to die for them so that He might be in relationship with them. Heaven and Hell are real. There is no other name (Jesus) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
I often live as though I were still under the law, but in that way I am discrediting what Christ has done, and try to set my works above his sacrifice. I hope to live more and more in his grace, with eternal gratefulness and love for him.
It is important for us to live in light of what Christ has done for us. We must not live under the reign of our “old self,” but we must accept the gift God has given us and live as He wants us to live. We have been made righteous, and we must live as righteous children of our Father.
1. Jesus Christ
2. God’s promises
3. It should reflect the heart of God and should be aiming toward being more and more like Christ.
4. Unbeliever’s place their faith in anything that they think will make them happy.
5. It’s impossibly to have saving faith apart from Christ because the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the only way to salvation.