The Faith Of A Founding Father

The term founding fathers is a term that is used to describe the political leaders who, as we saw in the video earlier, had the courage to sign their names to a document called the Declaration of Independence. Maybe not even recognizing full well the price and the cost that would be demanded by that act. But willing courageously to sign that document, they're called the signers. The term founding fathers is also used of those who participated in the American Revolution and also is used of those who participated in drafting and adopting the United States Constitution. They're called the framers. Our founding fathers, we owe a great debt too. One historian has listed seven key figures as founding fathers. There are many who could lay claim to that term, but one noted historian says at least these seven men are the most well known maybe of the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John J, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. And others could no doubt be included in that group, but we owe a great debt of gratitude to those men who courageously proclaimed for our colonies, our independence from Great Britain. We celebrate that today, today is the day July 4th, the actual anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence that has been chosen by our country to celebrate our independence and our freedom. It is also a day for us to celebrate our independence from the tyranny of sin and the freedom that we have in Christ, the freedom from sin that we can all enjoy in him. Just as there are founding fathers of our national independence, there is also a founding father of our spiritual independence, very clearly described as such in the Book of Romans chapter 4. Because in Romans chapter 4, verses 16 and 17, Abraham is listed as our father, no less than three times in those two verses. If you have your place in Romans chapter 4, look with me please at verse 16, where Paul says, 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 are of the faith of Abraham. Now notice the next phrase, he is our father. He is the father of us all, Paul says. Then verse 17, 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. Three times Paul describes Abraham as our father. Spiritually speaking, Abraham is our founding father. He is the example for us of what it means to trust in God for salvation. Now we are jumping right into the middle of Paul's thought in that regard, so it is necessary that we back up just a little bit, by way of a quick review. We need to be reminded of what it means that Abraham is our example of what it means to trust God for salvation. In the first 16 verses of chapter 4, Paul has made it very clear that Abraham is the prime example of what it means to be justified by faith, to be declared righteous by faith in God. And he makes the point that Abraham was not justified by his good works. He was not justified by any religious ceremony. He was not justified by his keeping of the law. He was justified by faith. And so he knocks the props out from under any means that we may propose to get to heaven on our own. And he says, Abraham is our example of what it means to be justified by faith alone. But you know what happens with many people is even though they may understand that we are saved by faith, then people begin to question, at least many do, what does it mean to be saved by faith? What does it mean to trust God for salvation? How much faith do I have to have? What kind of faith do I need to have? Can I be certain that I have enough faith to save me? Or the right kind of faith to save me? And so what Paul does in the last few verses of chapter 4 is he opens up Abraham's heart and mind to show us what was going on inside Abraham as he trusted in God's promise to give him a son and to make a great nation and to be the father of many nations. It's as though he unscrews Abraham's head and heart and lays it bare for us to see exactly what was going on in his thinking and in his heart. And in so doing, he describes for us the kind of faith what it means to trust God for salvation. Now I want to say right up front that what's important here in this description and what's important in our saving faith is not the amount of faith or the kind of faith it is the object of our faith. And that's what Paul will emphasize in this passage and that's what we really need to understand what it means for us to trust God is it's all important that we understand the object of our faith. So many people worry about what kind of faith or how much faith and whether or not I've got the right kind or enough and that's not the point. The point is in whom is your faith placed? In whom are you trusting? Where's your confidence placed? You see you may walk across a frozen pond in the dead of winter thinking that the ice and trusting with all your heart that the ice is thick enough to support your weight. However, if the ice is not thick enough regardless of how much faith you have, if it's not thick enough to hold your weight, you'll sink. It's the object of your faith that's important, not the amount of faith you have for salvation. You may trust that you have a car that will get you home today but if unknown to you I have snuck out into the parking lot and loosened all your lug nuts which by the way I did not do did not have opportunity to do that. I would not want to do that but if I had you would not get home you'd lose a wheel. No matter how much faith you had in your car and you may have a clunker sitting out in the parking lot today and you may think I just don't trust if that thing would get me home but if unknown to you under the hood everything's working okay and tires and transmission everything's okay it will get you home regardless of the nature of your faith or the amount of your faith if the object of your faith is not trustworthy then your faith is no good. Paul is going to declare with such clarity in this passage is that it was because Abraham trusted in God it was not he had so much faith or he was such a great guy or he had a certain kind of faith you know it's not that his faith was in God and God is worthy of our trust. And that's the exact same principle that God wants us to understand for our salvation so Abraham becomes the example of what it means to trust God for salvation because he trusted he had faith in the power of God. It might even be better to say it this way he had a faith in God who has the power to do what he says he has all power. Faith in the power of God notice how this is described by Paul verse 17 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 notice the emphasis on the object of the faith it is in God that he believed. Now notice is this God worthy of being trusted worthy of being believed in notice what the next statement is the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were so we are introduced right up front by Paul to the fact that this is a God who is worthy of our trust of our faith because he is a God who has the power to give life. You see it there in verse 17 is the power to give life this is the God who gives life to the dead now in Abraham's case Abraham was alive obviously but being dead what's being spoken of there is that Abraham's opportunity possibility to reproduce to procreate life was dead he was too old he was a hundred years old Sarah likewise as we'll see later in the passage was too old to have children. In that sense his reproductive capacity capabilities were dead Abraham was dead as far as producing any offspring and you know the Bible teaches that as far as salvation is concerned we are all dead Ephesians 2 1 says for you were dead in trespasses and sins that means we do not have spiritual life in us we are not able to get to heaven on our own because we have no spiritual life we're dead spiritually we're so we're dead. We're separated from the life of God but God is able God is able to give life he is able to give you eternal life he is able to give life to you who are dead in trespasses and sins God is able to do that you are not able to resurrect yourself but God is able to give you life. So our faith our confidence is well placed in a God who has the power to give life but secondly he is also the God who has the power to speak things into existence. You see it again there in verse 17 great into the verse the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were in other words he is able to speak things into existence now he did that in creation didn't he? You read Genesis 1 and take it at face value which is the only way to take it you realize God said let there be light and what happened there was light he spoke into existence what was not there let there be earth let there be land let there be waters let there be sun moon stars and it happened when God spoke into existence now in regard to Abraham God spoke into existence what was not currently there and it's beautifully described in the Bible. It's beautifully described in the first part of verse 17 when Paul quotes from Genesis chapter 17 as it is written I have made you a father of many nations notice the past tense I have made you a father of many nations that was said to Abraham before Abraham had any children. Wait a second there's something out of order there right I have made you wait a second God I don't have any children what do you mean I have made you a father of many nations I'm not even the father of one child yet but you see God is able to speak things into existence God is able to speak things that are not yet happening as though they were happening because they are certain to him and that's exactly the way our salvation is God is able to speak forgiveness to you to say you are forgiven when you are not in the world. You are forgiven when you place your faith in Christ God is able to say to you you are my child you have a home in heaven when that hasn't happened yet in fact I love the way Paul says this this certainty of our salvation God speaking something already true even though it hasn't happened yet in Romans chapter eight we're going to look at it on the screen these two verses describe the plan of salvation from eternity past to eternity future. Everything in between the five steps in this passage. Paul says here for those God for new if you study out that concept in the Bible it means that he set his love upon for those whom God set his love upon he also predestined that don't be afraid of that word the word simply means to mark out ahead of time and what it's saying is those whom God set his love on he marked out ahead of time for a particular purpose when they get saved his purpose for them is to be conformed to the image the likeness of his son that's the purpose for which God has marked us out ahead of time those whom God for knew those whom he set his love on he marked out ahead of time to be conformed to the likeness of his son that step to that he his son might be the first one among many brothers now look at the next steps and those he predestined he also called now the calling is the work of the heart of the world. The second thing is the work of the Holy Spirit convicting us of our sin and drawing us in faith to the Savior. So we are foreknown by God we are predestined marked out ahead of time to be conformed to the image of his son then he calls us by his grace and by the spirit's power and then the fourth step is those he called he also justified that's the moment of salvation. You had your declared righteous at the moment you place your faith in Christ that's what we normally think of as the moment of salvation and it is the moment we come into the family of God but in God's eyes this has already started a long long time ago in eternity past for knowledge predestination calling then justification but what I want you to see is the last one those he justified he also glorified past tense are you glorified yet? Do you have any question about that look in the mirror you are not glorified yet neither am I but we will be someday we will be glorified when we have a new body when we are in the presence of God in glory and we have a body like the Lord Jesus we will be glorified but did you see what Paul did he spoke it as already passed it's already happened because in God's mind it's that certain. If you have been loved by God and marked out to be conformed to the image of his son and called by his spirit and justified in God's eyes you are already glorified you are already there that's how certain it is one of the reasons why I believe in the security of the believer is because of passages like this God states clearly I'm already glorified he speaks into existence something that hasn't happened yet. He is worthy of your faith your trust because he has the power to speak things into existence but Paul doesn't stop there he says Abraham trusted a God who was worthy of his trust and we can trust a God who was worthy of our trust thirdly because he has the power to change a hopeless situation look at verse 18 against all hope Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations just as it had been said to him so shall your offspring be Paul quotes there from Genesis 15 another promise that God had made to Abraham but I want you to see what Paul saying he says against all hope or it could be translated beyond all hope in other words beyond any reasonable expectation humanly speaking that Abraham would have children. I mean it was not reasonable it was not within the human realm of any expectation that he would be able to have children but despite that Abraham in hope now this hope is talking about a bigical hope hope in the Bible is not an uncertain kind of wish well I hope it's going to be nice this evening so our family can have the picnic or I hope the fireworks don't explode my heart. I hope you know those are uncertain days that's not a biblical hope in the Bible hope is the willingness to trust the certainty of what God has promised about our future and that's kind of hope Abraham had beyond all human reasonable expectation that he would have children in belief in the certain promise of God about his future he believed he trusted in the promise of God because God is able to change a hopeless situation Abraham had no human reason to believe he would have children to hope for children but he trusted in the promise of God because God is able God is able to change a hopeless situation now there may be some of you here this morning who say preacher there's no way I can be saved I'm a hopeless case after what I've done after the way I've lived there's no way I can be forgiven no way I can be forgiven. I can be saved I'm here to tell you this morning yes there is there is a God who is able to change hopeless situations and he is able to rescue you and save you and forgive you of your past and your life of sin whatever that may have been he is able to change the most hopeless situations and once you are saved the same God is able to change any hopeless situation you may find yourself in. You say well my family situation is just hopeless there's no way this can work out my job situation I have no hope that this is going to be resolved I'm depressed and discouraged I see no way out there's no hope for me my friend God can change hopeless situations place your trust in him not in your ability to see how things are going to work out the mountain in front of you may seem hopeless as far as being able to get through it or across the world. God is able to change hopeless situations now please don't misunderstand faith faith is not a demand that God will do what I think to be right faith is willing us to trust the God who can change hopeless situations to do what is right and sometimes God may want to carry us through a situation that looks hopeless and bring us through it stronger sometimes he may cause the situation to vanish the problem to leave doesn't always do exactly what we think is right. But he is able to change hopeless situations he is able to save hopeless cases I'm reminded of George Mueller that great man of God in England in the 1800s who at a time when there were many orphans on the streets of London and Bristol started orphanages to care for those children and he had a policy that he would not ask for funds he would simply lay the need before God and pray and trust God to meet the needs. But it was not just in regard to those orphanages in their great stories we ever get a chance to read a biography of George Mueller do it. But George Mueller also prayed for two friends to be saved he prayed for them for 60 years until he died he did not see either one of them come to know Christ. But one of them came to know the Lord at his funeral service as a result of the message that was preached to his funeral the second one came to know the Lord a year after George Mueller died. Please don't give up God is able to change hopeless situations he is worthy of our trust. Paul doesn't even stop there not only is he a God who has the power to give life the power to speak things into existence the power to change hopeless situations he is a God who has the power to do the impossible. Verse 19 Paul describes it the power to do the impossible he says in verse 19 without weakening in his faith he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old and he was not able to do the impossible. He was about a hundred years old and that Sarah's womb was also dead. This is humanly speaking an impossible situation God has promised you will have a son I will make you the father of many nations through that son and Abraham's two old have children so is Sarah. So it's an impossible situation. The NIV in New American standard translate this passage there are some translations that say he considered not that his body was dead and that would lead you to believe that he figured okay my body isn't dead. But that's not the best rendering of this this verse the best way to translate it is literally as it is in the NIV here he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead. In other words he recognized the impossibility he looked at square in the eyes he realized humanly speaking it's impossible for me to have a child. But he also believed that God is able to do the impossible. He believed that God would give him a child because God promised to give him a child God can do the impossible. What are you facing that's impossible you think it's impossible for you to get saved. Do you think well I've got so much wrong with my life I can never turn it around you're not supposed to turn it around anyway you come to God to Christ in faith he will take care whatever turning around needs to be done he will do the impossible in your life. Are you facing another situation that's impossible that there's no human explanation for how to get out of or to get through God is able to do the impossible we all face situations like that I'm reminded of a church in the at the foothills of the of the Rocky Mountains at in Colorado. That had been given a piece of property and so on that piece of property they relocated and they built a new building and a parking lot but in so doing they used up all of their usable property. There was some more property they had behind them but it was a steep hill and it was not of course good for putting cars on or anything like that so they really couldn't use that didn't didn't think they needed it. One day before they were to dedicate their facility and get into it a building inspector told the pastor you do not have sufficient parking space for that size congregation and that many people you would need to double your parking area. The only place they have left the only land they have left is this hill out back and so he called a prayer meeting of people in the church he said I want people have mountain moving faith to come and let's pray see what God will do and so they came and prayed and prayed for three hours one evening this is urgent I mean they're ready to move in and they can't ten days they have they prayed and left it in the hands of God the next morning. A building contractor showed up at the pastor's office and said you don't know me but I'm in charge of building a mall down the road a couple miles and we can't find any filled dirt. I've been looking at this hill behind your building here by way it's nice building looks great but I'm looking at this hill back here this would be wonderful filled dirt for us. Could we and I know this is an awful request to make a view but could we possibly pay you for that mountain that filled dirt and if you would let us do that I was a huge request but if you'd let us do that we'll level it off and we'll pay it for a parking lot for you free of charge. True story and ten days they were able to move into their facility knowing that parking lot was going to be there. God is able to do the impossible what are you face that's impossible right now is the family situation is the sin problem that you just can't seem to get over. Is it a financial mountain that's in front of you that's in no way no way I will be able to make it out of this. Is it a relational problem a marriage problem what is it what what is it that's impossible in your life God is able to do the impossible. Are you willing to trust him who is able to do the impossible to do what you cannot do. You see that's what saving faith is it's not the amount of faith it's not the nature of the faith it's the object of our faith we trust for our salvation of God who is able to do the impossible. We trust for our salvation of God who is able to change a hopeless situation a God who has the power to speak things into existence a God who has the power to give life he is worthy of our trust place your trust in him and he will save you. Abraham trusted in the power of God but he also trusted in the promises of God again maybe a better way to put it he trusted in the God who kept his promises. Notice how he trusted in the promises of God verse 20 Paul says yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness these verses are talking about his confidence in God doing what he had promised yet faith in the promises of God. Now what does faith in the promises of God look like well neighbor ham's case case it is obviously faith that does not waver you see it there in verse 20. Yet he did not waver through unbelief concerning or regarding the promise of God. Now I love that statement because it demonstrates God's grace Abraham did have a few ups and downs in his trusting God in regard to a son but God looked at the whole picture and the whole picture the general trajectory of Abraham was trust it was up and to the right he was trusting God. Faith did not waver now in the very passage that Paul is quoting from in Genesis 17 we find that Abraham did waver a little bit. Genesis 17 verse 17 says this Abraham when God had made this promise about a son and father of many nations twice he told him to be a father of many nations Abraham fell face down he laughed and said to himself will a son be born to a man a hundred years old will Sarah bear a child at the age of 90. And there have been some who have said well because the Bible says Abraham didn't waver in his faith he must have been laughing and faith the context of Genesis 17 will not bear that up. It was a laugh of disbelief in the very next chapter Sarah does the very same thing she laughs when God makes promise through visitors that are eating dinner with Abraham outside the tent that he will have a son she laughs and the angel of the Lord rebukes her. I think Abraham was wavering a little bit but though we may waver sometimes in our faith the general trajectory of Abraham's life was that he trusted God because when God reaffirmed the promise in Genesis 17 he believed God he trusted God you see God in his grace sometimes reassures our doubts so that we continue to trust him. And Abraham was willing to trust God not to waver by the word the word waver means to go back and forth between two opinions it's picking the pedals off the daisy he loves me he loves me not he loves me not he'll keep his promise no he won't keep his promise no he won't wavering back and forth. And what God says is that faith that is willing to trust in the promises of God does not waver because God always keeps his promises secondly this faith praises God in advance. Even though it hasn't happened yet verse 20 he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God again referring to Genesis 17 where Abraham praises God after all this is done and gives him thanks for what has been promised but hasn't happened yet so he praises God in advance. You know it is possible to praise God that one day you're going to be in heaven that's not presumptuous that's not boastful that's not pride it is simply a recognition that God has promised if you trust me John 524 you are already passed from death to life you will never face condemnation. Romans 8 and 1 there's therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Versus we saw earlier in Romans you are glorified already it is not presumption for me to say I know I will be in heaven someday that's not presumption if it were because of anything I had done that would be presumption but faith trusts in a God who is able to keep his promises and thanks him in advance that he did not say. He does so and that leads me to the third thing that Paul says about this kind of faith in the promises of God it rests in God's ability to keep his promises. Verse 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. You see faith in the promises of God rests in God's ability to keep his promises. Faith for salvation does not rest in my ability to keep my promises. Because I don't have the ability to always keep my promises I will fail and so will you. But salvation is not dependent on my ability to keep my promises to God it is dependent on his ability to keep his promises to me and thank God he always keeps his promises to us. Not a one of them will ever be broken and so you can trust someone who says I will take you to heaven you have already passed from death to life there is no condemnation you have eternal life which by definition is life that lasts forever. It is not a life that starts and then ends and then starts again no it is life that lasts forever and you have it the moment you get saved. Those are the promises God makes and for that reason verse 22 this is why it was credited to him as righteousness. Not because of the size of his faith the amount of his faith the kind of faith he had it was because he trusted a God who was able to keep his promises. So it is the object of his faith a God who has all power and the God who has the ability to keep his promises it was the object of his faith that saved him not the amount of his faith the kind of faith. So what does that mean to us and Paul in the last few verses does bring it home to us what about our faith in the power and promises of God. Well notice his promise to us in verse 23 the words it was credited to him were written not for him alone in other words this wasn't just for Abraham verse 24 but also for us to whom God will credit righteousness for us who believe in him would raise Jesus our Lord from the dead. What he's saying is that God has made you a promise to the promises not just to Abraham he's made promises to us to and what he promises is that if you trust Jesus as your savior he will credit righteousness to your account to and the same transaction legally and judicially that was made for Abraham will be made for you. That in the record books in heaven God will place on your account the righteousness of Christ and you'll take your sin off of it and that transaction will be made that's justification that will be made your righteousness will be credited to your account if you trust him for salvation that's the promise he makes. Now the natural question is does he have the power to keep that promise? Oh yeah look at what Paul says he's made that promise verse 24 that he will credit righteousness then notice the little dash there's a pause and then he says for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Just to make sure we understand God has the power to keep his promises exhibit a of the power of God in the New Testament is the resurrection. Jesus is raised from the dead when Paul talks about I want you to know the power of God and Ephesians one he says I want you to know the power of God in your experience that raised Christ from the dead that kind of power. You see this is the evidence of God's power in unmistakable fashion that he raised Jesus from the dead so does he have the power to keep his promises if you ever question that just look at the resurrection he's got the power to keep his promises. So his promise to us is that he will credit righteousness to us he has the power to do that because he raised his son from the dead now that leads Paul to conclude this chapter by describing the object of our faith. We've seen that it was the object of Abraham's faith that was important and the object of our faith is equally as important it's described in verse 25. He Christ who's referred to in verse 24 he Jesus our Lord was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Who or what is the object of our faith in whom do we place our faith for salvation for 25 says in Jesus Christ and his death for our sins. Jesus Christ died he was delivered over Paul says to death for our sins the word for could better be translated because of our sins. If you get sent to prison for a crime you don't get sent to do a crime you get sent because you have committed a crime so that we use the word the same way today and that's the way Paul's using it here. Jesus was delivered up to death because of our sin that means his death was substitutionary he died for your sins and my sins because we are sinners Jesus died because we've sinned Jesus died. He died in your place and in my place he died for because of our sins but it's not finished there Paul says he was raised to life for and again use the same way because of our justification. There's a beautiful theological truth there and that is the resurrection did not complete our salvation. Jesus death was all that was needed for our salvation when he died Jesus said it is finished the payment is full. The resurrection is God's sign that he was satisfied with what Jesus had done on the cross. He was raised because of our justification because the work that was needed to be done to pay for sin was perfectly completed in Christ's death and the father says he was satisfied with that payment and he raised his son from the dead as the capstone to show that he's satisfied with Christ's death. So Jesus is death and resurrection the object of our faith is Jesus Christ and is death for our sins. You see my friend it's not some general faith in God that saves you. The object of Abraham's faith was trusting a God who had made him a promise about a son. He trusted God. He's credited to doing for righteousness. The object of our faith in this day and age on this side of the cross the object of our faith is not just well believe in God. If you believe in God you're okay there's a lot of that today. There's a lot of talk in general nebulous terms about God and I believe in God. Yes someone if they're not going to have it or I believe in God. You know James tells us in James chapter 2 that even the demons believe in God and they fear they shudder they know enough about him to know who he is but no demon will be in heaven. It's not some general belief in God that will get you to heaven. The object of our faith is Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. It's that certain that clear. The object is that focused. If you haven't placed your faith in Jesus Christ and his death for you on the cross you're not saved. You may believe in God you may be a good person but you're not saved you're not going to heaven. The object of our faith is Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. Have you ever trusted him as your savior? Again I'm not talking about do I have enough faith? No no no. Faith in that sense just becomes another work that you build up to get to heaven. It's not the nature or the amount of your faith it's important. It's in whom is your faith placed? Have you placed your trust, your confidence, your entire hope for getting to heaven in Jesus Christ and his death for you on the cross? That is what it takes to be saved. Patrick Henry who could also be considered one of the founding fathers who was the governor of Virginia in 1776 when that declaration was signed and who a year before in the House of Burgesses in Virginia with Thomas Jefferson and George Washington seated there listening had made that famous speech in which he said give me liberty or give me death and that became the rally and cry for independence. Patrick Henry said this wrote this in his will. He said I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them and that is faith in Jesus Christ. If they had that and I had not given them one shilling they would be rich and if I had not given them that and had given them all the world they would be poor indeed. What a statement. To have Christ as your Savior is to be rich indeed to have everything this world could offer you and not have Christ is to be poor indeed. To be spiritually poverty stricken. I wish I wish I could give you faith in Jesus Christ. I can't do that no other man can do that only God can do that. And he has already made it possible through the death of his son Jesus on the cross to pay for your sins. If you will trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for your sins to be your Savior then righteousness will be credited to your account in heaven. You will be placed in the family of God and you will be guaranteed a home in heaven when you die. Would you pray with me please? Father I thank you for a life in Christ for freedom independence deliverance from sin and death and hell in Christ. And I thank you Father that Abraham is such a beautiful example of the fact that it is the object of our faith that saves us not our faith itself not the amount of it or the kind of it but the object where our faith is placed. I pray Father would you please speak to hearts and if there's anyone sitting here who maybe has been placing their confidence and trust in their own works or a religious ceremony like baptism or keeping the law or just trying to do better or church membership. Help them to see that all the faith in the world in those things will never get them to heaven. But that it is only faith in Jesus Christ and his death for them on the cross that will save them. And I pray that today there might be some that would come into your family through placing their faith in Christ for it's in his name we pray.