Covenant

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Genesis 15; Romans 4

Paul gives a three-point sermon in Romans 4

1. ​God justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5). God makes bad people good. No one is declared righteous by observing the law. Like Abraham, we believe God, and God counts that faith as righteousness.
2. God gives life to the dead (Romans 4:17). God makes dead people alive. He's always brought what exists out of nothing, starting with creation.
3. God delivers what he promises (Romans 4:21). We must be careful to discern whether or not a promise is for us (in which case look for words like "always," "whoever," "anyone," etc.) or for a specific person at a specific time. God does what he's has said he will do, but he will do it in his time. 

Questions for personal reflection and/or group discussion

1. How does a biblical covenant differ from our modern-day concept of a contract, and why are those distinctions important for us today?
2. Are there things in your life that, if you were honest, you are depending on to gain your favor with God (your background, your knowledge, your abilities, your habits, your character, your job, how you spend your free time, what you have accomplished in your life, what you don't do, etc.)?
3. Have the promises that you most cling to really been given to you, or were they given to someone else in a specific time and place? How can you know the difference?