"[Abraham] grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God" - an exhortation to my own heart & to Mr. Depraved's

Dear Mr. Depraved (and other readers)

So today I picked up "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich B! Hopefully you'll read it soon if you haven't already so we can gush about it together!

& hey, this made me laugh alots-

http://stuffchristianslike.net/2008/05/240-kirk-cameron/

stuff Christians like can be a lil' iffy, but often amusing...

Here's my main thought for this letter--

Romans 4:13-25:

"For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

16That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." 23But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."

WHAT.

Here's my stream-of-consciousness as I journaled about this passage-

"Abraham: not justified by works, but by faith-- Rich Mullins, "Screen Door" - 'Faith comes from God & every word that He breathes"

Only because of the PROMISE that GOD made Abraham was able to put his faith into sometime- because God's promise & covenant were true (*ARE TRUE NOW)

-So even in our faith it's still all glory to God & like it says in 4:20 - our faith can only become stronger if we acknowledge all glory to God.

The only reason faith is even possible & of worth is because God gives us true promises & hope to put our faith in.

Wow x a gazillion.

So, Mr. (totally) Depraved, grow strong in your faith in giving all glory to God & Jesus & His blood, as this sinful-apart-from-Christ Ms. (totally) Depraved does the same, by His grace.

[Soli Deo Gloria]