Old Testament Scripture Reading: Genesis 15:1 – 7 (KJV)
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Gen 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Gen 15:7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Romans 4:1 – 8 (KJV)
Rom 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transforming Power Statements:
1) The book of the Law given to Moses contains the model of how God has always chosen to “justify” fallen people who believe in Him; which is by faith alone, not by works; although it also models how the ones who are possessors of “Saving Faith” are also the ones who allow the gift of faith to produce “God-Honoring Action” in their lives as the believer begins to act in accordance with their knowledge of faith which has been given to them by God their Father.
2) There is no conflict with the teaching of the “Old Testament Doctrine of salvation by faith alone” and the New Testament teaching that Salvation is the “Gift of God” that no one should boast! (Ephesians 2:8 – 10) but there is total agreement throughout both Testaments which have been revealed by the actions of Jesus the Messiah, Who also trained His own Disciples to preach the good news of God and to fear no other but God!
3) The major difference between the saved and the lost is that the saved by the Spirit of God have learned that God alone is worthy to be worshiped and feared; and that it is only by faith in His provision of His Only Begotten Son Jesus the Messiah that we are declared to be holy, therefore, He alone gets all the glory; whereas the lost believe that their own works are the means by which salvation is granted, which is contrary to both Old and New Testament teaching.