Romans Chapter 4 versus 22 to 25.

Therefore, also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

Now not for his sake only was it written that it was reckoned him, but for our sake also,

to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the

dead, he who was delivered up because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification. I for one am so thankful that God has raised up songwriters in every age.

That's a great song we just sang. The truth of that song is what I've been trying to

preach for the last year and a half. And if you don't get it from me please get it from this song.

That is a great song.

And may it become one of the signature songs of our life together.

My name is graven on his hands.

My name is written on his heart.

I know that while in heaven he stands, no tongue can bid me thence depart.

I had intended to speak for one week on this text and now I'm going to spend two weeks on it because on further reflection I just saw so much and

knew that the Lord's supper was this morning and I wanted to be in sync with what

God would do there.

So let me tell you what's coming next week and then zero in on the simple thing and glorious thing for this morning.

Here are my questions that I want to try to tackle next week.

Why is faith credited to Abraham and to us as righteousness. In other words, the word

therefore at the beginning of verse 22, therefore it was credited to him as righteousness. Why? What's the therefore referring back to and how does it follow that because of it faith is credited to Abraham as righteousness.

Second question, what sort of faith is credited as righteousness?

If we're looking back to Abraham as our model... credited as

our model. Was it the first act of faith in the Ur of the Chalde's when God came to

...