192 Faith that receives grace in Romans 4

The epistle for Trinity 1 in Year A is Romans 4.13–25. Many people are put off preaching on Romans, and Paul's language here is dense and compressed.

Yet the central message is this: salvation is not the result of a contract, in which we exchange God's grace for our obedience. It is a gift that must be received by faith. And it is a gift that is not a legal function, and merely a change in status. It is one that starts to change our lives from day one.

The Grove booklet on OCD that we mention in the middle can be found here: https://grovebooks.co.uk/product/p-184-a-deep-dive-into-ocd-setting-the-captives-free/

This Sunday is often used to celebrate the feast of St Barnabas from Acts 11.19–30. The video discussion of that can be found here: https://youtu.be/lcaDgwzz3cM

and the written commentary here: https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/barnabas-is-key-in-the-missionary-work-of-the-spirit-in-acts-11/