August 20, 2017
Morning Service

In chapter 3, Paul painted a very clear picture of the sinfulness of mankind.  He summarized it in verse 23 stating that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  We are unable to live a life good enough that justifies us before God.  Paul then began the explanation that we are not justified or saved by our works or actions, but our salvation comes from our faith in Jesus Christ.  We must believe the gospel message that states Jesus lived a perfect life but died a death that paid the debt we owed for our sins.  God sent Jesus to “as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness.”  This allows us to “conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law.”  Faith is an abstract idea and the human mind finds it hard to grasp ideas like this.  So in order to explain faith, Paul needed it to be embodied into a person so we could see it in action.  He teaches us when we think of faith, think of Abraham.  Remember his story?

Heb. 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

 

Romans 4:1-3 What then shall we say that our father Abraham has found, according to flesh?  (2)  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has a boast; but not before God.  (3)  For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness."

·         Paul begins his argument in asking a reasonable question.  What was it about Abraham that made God choose him to be the father of the Jewish nation?   It was not his works or his obedience to the Law (it did not yet exist), it was the fact that he simply believed in God (had faith) that was accounted to his righteousness. 

·         Though this concept of faith should have been very obvious to the Jews, over the passing of time it was taught more prevalently that one had to “earn” their position with God; Paul now explains.

 

 Romans 4:4-8 But to him working, the wages are not reckoned counted to grace, but to debt.  (5)  But to him not working, but believing on Him justifying the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  (6)  Even as David also says of the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness without works, (7) saying, "Blessed are those whose lawlessness deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;  (8)  blessed is the man to whom the Lord will in no way impute sin."

·         Paul expresses that if we had to work for or “earn” our salvation, it would be that God owed it us to save us rather than offering it as a free gift of grace.  If salvation is not earned then it has to be offered according to faith and is fully an act of the grace of God.

·         Paul also mentions David and his many transgressions and quotes him thanking God for the forgiveness of his sins by the Lord.  This proves that it is not perfection that saves us but a total surrendering of our heart that causes us to seek God first in our lives.  It was said of David that he was after the very heart of God.  He certainly was not perfect (only One was) but he is accepted because he believed God would accept his heartfelt repentance.

·         Look at it this way.  If we could “earn” our salvation, why did Jesus go to the cross?

·         Now Paul turns his attention again to whether salvation is for the Jews only or also the Gentiles.

 

Romans 4:9-12  Is this blessedness then on the circumcision only, or on the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.  (10)  How then was it reckoned? Being in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.  (11)  And he received a sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith while still uncircumcised; so that he might be the father of all those believing through uncircumcision, for righteousness to be imputed to them also; (12)  and a father of circumcision to those not of the circumcision only, but also to those walking by the steps of the faith of our father Abraham during uncircumcision.

·         Paul now makes the inarguable statement that it was not the act of circumcision that made Abraham righteous, because God offered him the promise of being the father of a great nation before circumcision was required.  He reasons then that since the promise came first then it is not only those who followed him in the act of circumcision that are his children, but also those who followed him in his steps of faith.

·         He continues that thought.

 

Romans 4:13-17  For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.  (14)  For if they of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is made of no effect;  (15)  because the Law works out wrath, for where no law is, there is no transgression.  (16)  Therefore it is of faith so that it might be according to grace; for the promise to be made sure to all the seed, not only to that which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all  (17)  (as it has been written, "I have made you a father of many nations") --before God, whom he believed, who makes the dead live, and calls the things which do not exist as though they do exist.

·         Salvation is not given through our love of God, or through our many good works, but it comes through faith alone.  True faith will spur us to action, as we can see with Abraham, but it is only the faith that saves us.  (Read  James chapter 2)

·         James Mc Donald defines faith like this, “Believing God’s Word and acting upon it no matter how I feel because God promises good results.”

 

Romans 4:18-25  For he who beyond hope believed on hope for him to become the father of many nations (according to that which was spoken, "So your seed shall be").  (19)  And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead (being about a hundred years old) or the deadening of Sarah's womb.  (20)  He did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, (21)  and being fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was also able to perform.  (22)  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.  (23)  Now it was not written for him alone that it was imputed to him,  (24)  but for us also to whom it is to be imputed, to the ones believing on Him who has raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;  (25)  who was delivered because of our offenses and was raised for our justification.

·         Faith says “Wow” not “How?”  Abraham did not have to understand how God would make His promise come true, but only that He would.  It was 25 years from the promise until Isaac came along, but his faith did not waver.  Neither did it waver when God told him to take his only son and sacrifice him on the mountain as well.

·         I don’t fully understand how Jesus’ work on the cross saves me, but I don’t have to.  I only have to believe it is true.

 

Thank You Father for Your perfect plan of salvation, help us to have faith like Abraham.