<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Romans 4;1-3<div><br></div><div><b>1. &nbsp;What then shall we say about Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?</b></div><div><b>2. &nbsp;For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.</b></div><div><b>3. &nbsp;For what does the scripture say? &nbsp;“Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”</b></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;<u>If</u>,&nbsp;anyone <i><u>could</u></i>&nbsp;keep the law perfectly, his works would make him equal to Jesus but only&nbsp;in his works, <u>not</u>&nbsp;in his nature.</div><div><br></div><div>For Jesus was conceived of God by the Holy Spirit. &nbsp;He had no earthly biological father. &nbsp;Therefore, Jesus did not have an&nbsp;inherited sin<span>&nbsp;nature, as Abraham and all flesh do. &nbsp;Even if every work of Abraham was perfect, he would still be condemned before God by the sin of&nbsp;his ancient father Adam.&nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>We stand before God the Father doubly condemned,&nbsp;by both&nbsp;our failure to keep the law and also&nbsp;by our inherited condition. &nbsp;<i>“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”</i></span></div><div><span>(Psalm 51;5)</span></div><div><br></div><div>This makes the mercy and grace of God shown to us by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and our being <i>“born anew” </i>(John 3;3&amp;5) all the more wondrous!</div><div><br></div><div><i>“But to all who received him,&nbsp;</i>(Jesus Christ)<i>&nbsp;who believed on his name, he gave power to become children of God; </i><u>who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>(John 1;12&amp;13)</div><div><br></div><div>Through our baptism into Christ, even our sin nature is no longer reckoned against us. &nbsp;As children of God,</div><div>we who are born anew&nbsp;of the water and the Spirit have been given&nbsp;a <u>new nature</u>,&nbsp;the spirit of Sonship.&nbsp;&nbsp;We,&nbsp;with Abraham are reckoned as righteous children of God, both according to the works of Christ AND according to His own&nbsp;holy&nbsp;conception in the Virgin’s womb&nbsp;by the power of the Holy Spirit. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>This is the greatness of the gift of&nbsp;faith, and&nbsp;what it means to be reckoned as&nbsp;righteous&nbsp;<i>in Christ,</i>&nbsp;and to have <i>Christ in us</i>!</div><div><br></div><div>Therefore, Scripture demands, <i>“Let him who boasts, boast <u>in the Lord.</u>” &nbsp;</i>(2 Corinthians 10;17, see also Jeremiah 9;23&amp;24)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant that our knowledge of You and your mercies to us in Christ, grow to believe we are redeemed by both Christ atoning sacrifice AND His own holy sinless&nbsp;conception by the power of the Spirit.</div><div>In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,&nbsp;</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, everyday, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak” in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Romans 4;1-3
1.  What then shall we say about Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?2.  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.3.  For what does the scripture say?  “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”

 If, anyone could keep the law perfectly, his works would make him equal to Jesus but only in his works, not in his nature.
For Jesus was conceived of God by the Holy Spirit.  He had no earthly biological father.  Therefore, Jesus did not have an inherited sin nature, as Abraham and all flesh do.  Even if every work of Abraham was perfect, he would still be condemned before God by the sin of his ancient father Adam. 
We stand before God the Father doubly condemned, by both our failure to keep the law and also by our inherited condition.  “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”(Psalm 51;5)
This makes the mercy and grace of God shown to us by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and our being “born anew” (John 3;3&5) all the more wondrous!
“But to all who received him, (Jesus Christ) who believed on his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”  (John 1;12&13)
Through our baptism into Christ, even our sin nature is no longer reckoned against us.  As children of God,we who are born anew of the water and the Spirit have been given a new nature, the spirit of Sonship.  We, with Abraham are reckoned as righteous children of God, both according to the works of Christ AND according to His own holy conception in the Virgin’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit.  
This is the greatness of the gift of faith, and what it means to be reckoned as righteous in Christ, and to have Christ in us!
Therefore, Scripture demands, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  (2 Corinthians 10;17, see also Jeremiah 9;23&24)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant that our knowledge of You and your mercies to us in Christ, grow to believe we are redeemed by both Christ atoning sacrifice AND His own holy sinless conception by the power of the Spirit.In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love, Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, everyday, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak” in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation and we are His.”



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