Extreme paraphrase of Romans 4

What did Abraham discover about being made right with God?

People are counted righteous not because of something they have worked hard on or labored for, as something they finally earn after achieving a status, goal, or performance level, but because of believing what is true, believing in the person who is true – The God Who Forgives Sinners.

David in the book of psalms wrote of the happiness of those who have come to learn and know this: What joy for the forgiven disobedient, whose sins have been cleared and the forgotten forever, never again to be brought back to mind or mention.

There may be signs or expressions in our lives that are evidence of the faith we walk in but they are not how righteousness was achieved or obtained. All blessings that came to Abraham were never given based on his performance or obedience — they were never based on his behavior or discipline. Living a life based on rules always calls forth punishment, not promises.

God’s blessings and faithfulness to Abraham were entirely, 100% free gifts. We are all certain to receive them too — not dependent on our performance or our obedience to dead stipulations and regulations. But on our belief in what God has done; what he achieved through his behavior, the impossible on our behalf.

God makes dead things alive and creates newness from nothing.

Hope thrives when there remains no longer any evidence to support it. God’s word is the foundation and capstone of Hope’s continues existence.

When everything looks as if God’s word is unable to perform itself, there exists the crux of Abraham’s –and all believers –faith. When the situation looks the most impossible, there and then, faith is the most sensible thing to hold onto. And in the face of no natural reasoning possible, expect the impossible performance of God to show up and make itself manifest.

In fact, in this moment especially, do not waiver in your belief in God, yet let your faith grow all the stronger in the assurances of the Lord, becoming even more convinced God is able to do anything, such as raising his crucified son from death. Our sin resulted in his punishment (now extinguished); his resurrection is our now our life in which we live.