Originally Posted by
Char-Gar
You are correct, I was working up a study of Romans today and Paul asserts that Abraham was Justified (made righteous) by his radical faith/trust. Even though he and his wife Sarah were of an advanced age, he trusted/believed in God to make him the father of a huge multi-cultural family. It was his faith/trust that caused this.
Among other things (salvation from the consequences of sin by faith/true in Jesus as God's true Messiah), Jesus was the mechanism through which God fullfilled his promise to Abraham, i.e. create large multi-cultural family around the world. Paul referenced this huge global family as a "new humanity". A new humanity and not another species which, is a biological term and not a theological concept.
This new humanity, like Abraham was justified (made righteous) again by faith/trust, but this time in Jesus as Lord and savior. Note, that being made just/righteous does not make Christian any less human, but God does not hold their guilt against them. They are not innocent, but are declared to be innocent by God's soverign will. This is what we call "grace", i.e. God's unmerited favor.
Romans is a fantastic piece of Biblical literature and most certainly Paul's longest and most through treatise on the Christian faith. I truly enjoy teaching Romans and am blessed all over again, every time I do the prep.
From first to last, a postive relationship with God is keyed by faith/trust. This is the constant. Desires to have proof before faith/trust wil be granted is antithetical to Biblical faith. Have faith/trust and then a person will have all the proof and more that is needed. People who reqire proof first, sadly will never experience the joys of being God's child on this earth and in the life to come.