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­Looking forward to today's teaching which will be part six in a series I've titled; "Grace Works." Lord willing, we'll finally complete chapter four. ­Last week, we failed in our attempt to get through to verse 25, however, in retrospect, I'm glad that we didn't rush through these last four verses. ­Actually, verses 18­25 should be studied together by virtue of how the Apostle Paul ever so brilliantly uses the example of Abraham and Sarah.

­It's almost as if Paul is calling Abraham to the witness stand to testify how that God was, and always is, true to His Word in keeping His promise. ­What was the promise? God promised Abraham something that in the arena of the natural, would have been utterly and absolutely impossible. ­He miraculously gave them a son biologically, and He waited until Sarah was at the perfect child bearing age of ninety years old before doing it.

­Are you in an impossible situation? Perhaps the Holy Spirit will have permission to encourage your heart with Abraham and Sarah's testimony. ­He was the recipient of a miracle from God, that came by the changing grace of God, and became the catalyst for his unwavering faith in God. ­Absent God's changing grace, Abraham wouldn't have had unwavering faith. It was that faith that logged him into the account of God's grace.

­You'll forgive the use of the technology illustration, but I see God's changing grace as the user ID, and our unwavering faith as the password. ­When you log into your account, you first need the name on your account. After that is entered you enter your password to access your account. ­We'll see this next week, Lord willing, when we begin Romans chapter five. Paul describes the gaining of access by faith into the grace of God.

Romans 5:1­2 NIV (1) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

­We can gain access by faith, into this grace, and the moment we do, we too will believe that God can and will do the impossible in our lives. ­This is how grace works, and this is the way grace works. When grace works, then faith works also, and when it does, it changes everything. ­This explains why Paul writes this of Abraham. Grace changes me from unbelief to belief, from faithless to faithful, and from hopeless to hopeful.

­So, if that's "how" grace works, and if that's the "way" grace works, then all I need now is the "why" grace works. Verses 22­25 gives us the why.

9. Grace works when I hope in Christ's resurrection (Verses 22­25) ­v22­23 Paul cites Abraham's unwavering faith as the reason why it was credited to him as righteousness, and that it wasn't written for him alone. ­v24­25 It's also for us who believe in Him Who raised Jesus from the dead, delivered to death for our sins, and raised to life for our justification.

­Have you ever wondered why the graphic details of Old Testament saints sins are conspicuously absent from the New Testament scriptures. ­Not only are they not present, any mention of them is always in the context of their great faith like that of Abraham here in our study of Romans. ­Why? The reason is because of the resurrection, and the subsequent justification that comes as a result. Sin isn't just covered, it's removed.

­It's only when I understand that the finished work of the cross vis­a­vis the resurrection of Jesus Christ, explains why grace changes everything. ­That's the power of, the resurrection of, the Savior of, the world. To say it's a game changer, or even a life changer, is really an understatement. ­It would be the resurrection of Isaac, a type of the resurrection of Christ, that would change how everything works, making it grace that works.

­Grace so changed Abraham, that he believed by faith, God had the power to resurrect Isaac from the death of Sarah's dead and barren womb. ­Grace so changed Abraham, that he believed by faith, God had the power to resurrect Isaac from the death of sacrificing his only begotten son. ­Grace so changes us that we believe by faith God had the power to resurrect Jesus, greater than Isaac, from death as God's only begotten son.

­This is why the Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, ever so beautifully and eloquently brings Isaac, who is a type of Jesus Christ, into the picture.

A miracle child, born out of an old barren womb.

A miracle child, born out of a young virgin’s womb.

Father Abraham gives his only begotten son whom he loves.

Father God gave His only begotten son because He so loved the world.

Isaac is to be offered up, which is translated; "lifted up."

Jesus said, “I will be lifted up from the earth”. (John 12:32)

There were two men taken up with Isaac.

There were two men crucified with Jesus.

Isaac was 33 years old at that time.

Jesus was 33 years old when He was crucified.

They went to “the place,” which is an idiom meaning the exact spot.

They were come to "the place," which is called Calvary. (Luke 23:33)

Isaac walked with his father Abraham three days.

Jesus walked with the Father three years in His public ministry.

Believing a resurrection, to those who followed; “we go, but come again.”

To all believers in the resurrection, who follow Jesus, He will come again.

Father Abraham put upon Isaac the wood to carry for the sacrifice.

The Father put upon Jesus who carried the wooden cross the curse of sin.

Abraham took the fire (wrath) in his hand to burn his son as a sacrifice.

God took the wrath in His own hands and put it upon His Son, the sacrifice.

A knife (sword) was taken to stab him to his death.

Jesus was stabbed by a sword to make sure He was dead.

Abraham says “God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering”.

God provides Himself, as a lamb, Jesus who is God as the offering.

Isaac was obedient and willingly bound, for his own death.

Jesus was obedient, and willingly bound, for His own death.

The Angel of the Lord calls from heaven.

This Angel of the Lord is Jesus Himself who calls from heaven.

All nations are blessed because of their obedience to sacrifice.

All are saved because of His obedience better than sacrifice. (1 Sam 15:22)

Isaac is not there when Abraham came back.

Jesus is not there in the tomb, when they came back.

After these things Abraham sees a bride (Rebekah) for the son Isaac.

After the crucifixion we see a bride (the Church) for His Son Jesus.

­I'll close with a question, and please know that I ask it of myself as well; "has my faith been weakening, and my hope been waning as of late?" ­Wouldn't it stand to reason that God's changing grace works proportionate to our faith in the justification that comes from Christ's resurrection? ­If God can resurrect Jesus from the grave, and for eternity I'm saved, then He most certainly can do for us that which is deemed impossible.