Sharon RP Church

This passage records Judah's family line. The genealogy preserves the real history of God's covenant people and the line from which Jesus, the Lion of Judah, came. Study and transcript: https://sharonrpc.org/devotions/1-chronicles-4-1-23-identity-in-christ

God loved us while we were yet sinners, and He's done everything necessary to reconcile us with Himself — even though we were weak and sinful. God's love for you is counter-intuitive, not like human feelings of love. He proved His love for us by sending His own Son to die for us. We have a friend in Jesus. We don't have to wait till we're "good enough"; we are reconciled to God through the righteousness of our Savior. In Christ, we are turned from enemies to friends!

If you are in Christ, God is with you, no matter what you may be going through. The only way we're made right with God is by Jesus Who saves us. If we want God's face to shine upon us and bestow the peace that only He can give, then it must be by faith. We have access to God's favor, and it didn't cost us any thing, even though it cost Jesus everything. God gives us challenges and tribulations — not to harm us, but to help us become stronger and grow in character. And He gives us a hope that does not disappoint. He has given us the Holy Spirit to be with us and work this hope in us. Is Jesus your only hope? Rejoice in the grace that comes through Him!

There have been hard times in all of our lives when we have wondered, "Where is God?" And even though God's presence is a central theme in the Book of Exodus, where do we see Him here in this first chapter? His apparent absence drives us to go looking for Him, and we do see Him here in several ways. God was busy fulfilling His coverant promises that He gave in the Book of Genesis to His covenant people. He caused His people to multiply, despite the Egyptians' satanic attempt to stop His plan of redemption. He was also fulfilling His original plans for His Creation, which He has not given up on, despite our rebellion against Him. In addition, He was blessing His people with many children, even though that was a motivator of the Egyptians' hatred for them. He was working with ordinary midwives in the ordinary circumstances of bearing children to bring about His purposes. The Lord may seem absent sometimes, but He was there for the Hebrews and He is still there for us now. He has never abandoned us, He has redeemed us through Jesus' perfect sacrifice on the cross, and He still blesses us. Nothing at all can ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ!

The good news of the Gospel is that God has made a way for sinners to be justified. If we are in Christ, we can rejoice in this! Neither Jews nor Gentiles can be justified by their works. God is just, and He will punish sin. If we think we have no sin, we will see no need for a Savior. The only hope for us is in Jesus alone. God freely justifies us — declares us to be legally righteous — in Christ. And our justification by faith is confirmed by the example of Abraham's faith: he believed God's promise, and it was accounted to him for righteousness — even before he was circumcised. Do you believe in Jesus as your only hope? Are you following in the footsteps of Abraham? The Lord saves sinners like us and justifies us by faith alone!

God gave Abraham promise after promise, and Abraham and Sarah believed that He Himself would fulfill them. But it was not just written for Abraham's sake that faith is imputed as righteousness; it was written for us also. This passage contains the two great truths of the Gospel. 1) Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins. Our lives were redeemed by His blood. His atoning death was the manifestation of the Father's love for us. 2) Jesus was raised again for our justification. This was the proof that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father; and because of His righteousness, we can stand justified before God. Do you believe that Jesus was put to death for your offenses, and that He rose again and still lives, and that the righteousness you desparately need can only be found in Him? Do you believe this? If so, then it is accounted to you for righteousness – the same as it was for Abraham!

The God Who makes promises to us will fulfill those promises. He has never done this because His people have been perfect law-keepers, but rather, because He is gracious. Abraham had faith in God's promises; he believed what God said – that he would become the father of many nations. He believed so firmly in God's promise that he knew God would raise his son of promise from the dead if necessary. Sometimes we will face impossible things in life, but God will still make good on His promises in His Word. Do you believe that He will do so, because He is good and true?

Faith or works? Promise or law? In Romans 4:13–15, Paul explains that God's promises are never earned through law-keeping—they are received by faith. Looking to Abraham as the great example of faith, this sermon shows that God did not make Abraham an heir because of his obedience, but because he believed God's promise. What happens if we try to earn God's favor? Paul gives a sobering answer: if the inheritance comes by the law, then faith is emptied of its meaning, and the promise is made void. The law exposes sin and brings wrath, but it cannot produce the righteousness that God requires. Instead, God freely gives His promises through faith in Jesus Christ. The inheritance of the kingdom, forgiveness of sins, and peace with God are gifts of grace—not wages earned by our performance. If you've ever struggled with assurance, felt like you weren't "good enough," or wondered how you could ever stand before a holy God, this passage points away from yourself and toward the finished work of Christ.

Who are Abraham's children? Are you one of them? How do you know? Paul wants us to look at Abraham. He initially tried to make God's plan happen by his own works. But righteousness was accounted to him, and he was justified by faith – before he was even circumcised. By the same faith that Abraham had, that is how we are justified too. He is the spiritual father of both Jews and Gentiles. Our salvation is never by works. God is not waiting for us to become perfect before we can be His children. We have a perfect Savior! Walk by faith, trust Christ, and have peace!

God has made a way for sinners like us to be made right with Him. That way is Jesus. All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. But God counts us as righteous apart from our own works. We don't get to brag unless our boast is in Christ. We are blessed to have our sins covered in the blood of Jesus. Do you see yourself as guilty before God? Blessed and happy are those who enjoy peace in their soul because God gives them a perfect righteousness that is not their own. Our only hope is to cling to Jesus — there's no other way to the Father.