- If God accepts me, then I’m not haunted by my past, because He knows everything there is to know about me.
- If God accepts me, then I can stop comparing myself to other people as a way to feel better and more acceptable
- If God accepts me, then the pressure’s off and I don’t have to spend my life trying to prove myself.
- If God accepts me, I don’t have to chase success and accomplishments, always wondering—Am I enough?
- If God accepts me, then I don’t have to keep people at a distance, because I’m afraid of being hurt.
- If God accepts me, then shame doesn’t have to define me.
- If God accepts me, that I don’t have to pretend or perform in hopes of other people liking me.
- If God accepts me, then I’m free to accept others, which is a beautiful thing
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7
Justification: Being made right with God.
1.We are made right by faith, not by what we do.
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3
What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Romans 4:1-3
2. We are not made right by our best effort
Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness…” Romans 4:4-5 \ not “they tried hard
Example Romans vs 4: :7 “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
•vs9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
•10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
Promises in Romans worth saying “yes” to:
- Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I believe it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” If you believe it, say Amen.
- Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Amen!)
- Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Amen!)
- Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Amen!)
- Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”. (Amen!)
- Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. (Amen!)
- Romans 8:38, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Amen)
- Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” And it is credited to you, to me as righteousness, not because of what we’ve done, but because we believe what God has said.( AMEN )