Connect How will your understanding of God’s grace shape your interactions with others this week?
Warm-Up
- Have you had to ‘fact check’ anything recently? Where do most people go to ‘fact check’ things?
- As Christians, what is the standard and ultimate measure of what we are to believe and discern?
- What helps you discern God’s will and ways as you go to God’s Word?
Read Romans 4:1-15
- What is Paul hoping to achieve by referring to Abraham as an example of ‘justification by faith’?
- What part of Scripture is Paul quoting in verse 3? What was the context?
- What does it mean by ‘it was credited to him as righteousness’? How is that true for us?
- What is the difference between a gift and a wage? How is salvation a gift? Why might we resist it?
- What are the three possible sources of justification that Paul rules out? Can you rule each one out?
- What is faith? How would you define what faith is — and what it isn’t — to someone who is not a Christian?
- In what way does believing in God involve a transfer of trust away from ourselves and to God? Are there any areas in your life, or times, in which you have found this particularly challenging?
Read Romans 4:16-25
- Why do you think it is often in the most trying of times that we grow in our faith? When is a time you’ve had to trust in God’s character and promises even amidst circumstances that could cause you to doubt?
- What are the dangers of thinking that we can contribute to our own salvation even in the smallest of ways? How can we be on guard against this as individuals and as a church?
- Did the quality of Abraham’s trust in God ever waver? Why was Abraham’s (and our) justification not dependent on the quality of our trust but the one in whom we trust?
- In what way was Abraham ‘fully persuaded’ that God could and would do all that he promised? How can we share the same assurance of God’s promises?
- What are the rhythms of our life that can help us to be reminded and grow in our confidence in God?
- Who can be made righteous by faith? How is our faith like Abraham’s? How is it different?
- How does resting in justification by faith free you from needing to justify yourself before others?
- How would a growing trust in Jesus be reflected practically in different aspects of your life?
- When it comes to justification, how does it matter that Jesus was raised from the dead?
Apply When is a time in your life in which you’ve had to trust in God’s character and promises even amidst circumstances that could have caused you to doubt? Pray for an opportunity to share that story with someone.
