Is it well with your soul?

It Is Well With My Soul…..But It’s NOT What It Feels Like

It Is Well With My Soul…..But It’s NOT What It Feels Like: Romans 4:18-21

How do you handle life when there is no control over your circumstance?

“Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be. And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”

(Romans 4:18-21, ASV)

“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.”

(Romans 4:1-3, ASV)

“Internal Narrator”

Question:

Is your life narrated by your feelings or by your faith?

Romans 4 is narrated by God’s grace and mercy and God sees Abraham’s faith from that perspective.

Now don’t miss this good news…..If you are under God’s grace, God sees you from a different perspective.

Romans 4:18a “Against all hope…”

Tensions of faith: Denial and Despair

Denial

•Ignore

  • •blame
  • •runaway
  • •go back to old lifestyle
  • •distorted faith

Despair

•hopelessness

  • •give up
  • ••absence of faith

He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

Romans 4:20 

How did Abraham grow stronger in his faith?

Faith over feelings!!

Denial- You can’t get over what you don’t own.

Whatever you don’t unpack today will be baggage for tomorrow.

Despair-You will stay under if you don’t get over. 

Faith can’t fix what you won’t face. 

Because Abraham faced denial and despair with an unwavering trust in God, his eternal story is narrated out of faith not feelings.

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith,  … That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring- not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the Father of us all,

Romans 4:13, 16 

And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Galatians 3:29