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CONSECRATION
Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Jesus, I belong to you.
I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.
Jesus, we belong to you.
Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
THE WORD OF THE LORD
Romans 4:13–17 NIV
It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
CONSIDER THIS . . .
We have said a fair amount about Abraham. It would be fitting to remember how this all began. Adam and Eve did not believe God, resulting in the catastrophic collapse of the human race into the sloven shame of sin. So God chose another couple, Abraham and Sarah.
The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. (Gen. 12:1–4)
In the beginning, God began with a couple who perfectly embodied and expressed the image of God. They became deceived and confused, which led to betrayal and disobedience. Not so this time. God chose a couple who had nothing going for them. For starters, he chose two from among the fallen. And did I mention they were advanced in years? This wouldn’t have been such a problem had God not willed to launch a nation. Yes, he willed to start a nation, a people, even a kingdom through their lineage—and yet they were childless. Not only were they childless, but
without weakening in his faith, [Abraham] faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.
In other words, they had no potential. Nevertheless, God picked them to lead. They were the perfect exemplars of the law of sin and death. They were dead in their sin, dead in their bodies, dead in their hopes—dead in every way dead could be dead, except they had a pulse.
This is who God chooses to awaken the world from the law of sin and death to the way of faith and righteousness. It’s why today’s text adds this bit at the end—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
I have tended to think of salvation in legal terms for a lot of my life, even transactional. We believe in Jesus and his work on our behalf, and it is credited to us as righteousness. End of story. Now Paul has me thinking quite differently. It’s more like Abraham looking into the night sky and hearing the voice of God telling him his descendants would be more numerous than all the starry host—and Abraham believing him even though he remained childless.
What if we are missing the point when it comes to salvation by grace through faith? What if it is vastly larger than a cosmic (albeit legal) transaction—way more than a mere pardon? What if it is about resurrection from the dead—even before you die—and the appropriation of eternal life even before eternity begins? After all, you saw the text. We are dealing with the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
PRAYER
Jesus, I belong to you. What if that’s my act of faith, to live as though that were the truest thing in the universe? This is far more than a forensic transaction. This is a catastrophic transformation. Indeed, “long my imprisoned spirit lay fast-bound in sin and nature’s night. Thine eye diffused a quickening ray. I woke the dungeon flamed with light. My chains fell off. My heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.”1 Thank you for teaching me to believe you with everything I’ve got. Praying in Jesus’s name. Amen.
JOURNAL PROMPTS
Could it be that we have focused so much on sin and salvation that we have lost the bigger story of salvation—of being swept up into the very death and resurrection of Jesus in order to live life in his kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven?
SING
Today, we will sing “At Calvary” (hymn 579) from our Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise.
P.S. Jesus Manifesto PDF
Here’s the link to the Romans 12 Jesus Manifesto PDF in case you missed it.
NOTES
- Charles Wesley, “And Can It Be That I Should Gain,” 1738.
For the Awakening,
J. D. Walt
John David (J. D.) Walt Jr. is the Sower-in-Chief for Seedbed and the pastor of the Gillett Methodist Church in Gillett, Arkansas.
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2 Responses
Well, I may not be 75 yet – I’m only 74.5 – BUT God has shown me through the years that there is no retirement from Him! He leads and strengthens me as I lead a women’s Bible study/band of now 13 women. I know, it’s too big to be a true band, but we can’t bear to divide ourselves! And now He has called me and my husband to leave Arkansas and head to Florida. I am so excited to see what God will do through me there! There will be no retirement…
JD
Please don’t leave the date off of your Wake-Up Call devotionals.
First, good teaching is timeless and since you are teaching God’s Word it is good and the date shouldn’t matter.
Second, if someone wants to relisten to something they previously heard, they could find it easier, such as a series from June of last year, it would be easier to find.
and Lastly, if someone hears a single episode and likes it, they can find the beginning of the series, such as hearing this series on Romans today. If they hear this next Spring and you mention it is a series, by seeing September 25, 2026 on it, they can go back to September or August 31st and find the beginning of the series, and listen to the entire series.
I have been enjoying your Wake-Up Call for several years and you and your guest presentors are all great!
Your Brother in Christ,
Rob Berger