July 12, 2026, Morning Service
Justified By Faith
Pastor Greg Isom
In chapter 3, Paul painted a very ugly picture of us. “None is righteous, no not one.” “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” His point was to reveal to us that none of us are able to defeat sin in our lives. Alone we are hopeless, helpless, and loss. We need a Savior and he explained that Jesus is the One we seek.
Romans 3:24-25 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith.
Paul makes it clear that it is Jesus that paid the price for our sin by standing in our place and enduring the death we deserved. He went on make the statement he has been leading to for three chapters in verse 28. “A man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” We are not saved by our good works, but we are saved by God’s grace and our faith alone. Here in chapter 4, Paul drives that nail even deeper as he continues to make his case proving this to be true. He now uses the oldest Jewish ancestor, Abraham, to do it.
Romans 4:1-5 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? (2) For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. (3) For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (4) Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. (5) But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Notice that is was Abraham’s faith (the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen) that was “accounted to him for righteousness.” Paul says if it had been his works, then he like any other worker would have “earned” his righteousness on his own; but it was not. It was simply that Abraham truly believed God’s words were true and acted upon them. Paul continues to make his case that the exact same is true for us; we too are justified by our faith.
Romans 4:6-8 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: (7) “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS ARE FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS ARE COVERED; (8) BLESSED IS THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD SHALL NOT IMPUTE SIN.”
Paul quotes David here who was a man after God’s own heart but also sinned greatly along his journey. David rejoices in that his sins, by faith, were forgiven and forgotten by the Lord whom he loved. Forgiveness is a process that we must first recognize ours sin, then confess it, and then accept the forgiveness, by faith, releasing our guilt as we trust in God’s promise (I Jn. 1:9). By faith, as David did, we trust God at His word that we have been forgiven. We have no physical proof of that forgiveness, but we have it by faith alone. Paul continues his case with a very relevant point.
Romans 4:9-12 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. (10) How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. (11) And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, (12) and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
Here Paul makes an excellent point that it was before he was circumcised that Abraham’s faith was accounted for righteousness. He was not justified by his works, they came after he believed and was already justified. The same is true for us. Good works will come, but they will not come to earn our salvation, but they will come because of our salvation. Faith takes us down the path that leads to obedience and good works. He continues with Abraham.
Romans 4:13-15 For the promise that he would 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 those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, (15) because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
God’s covenant with Abraham came long before the law was ever given ruling that out as a reason he was justified. The covenant was NOT based on Abraham’s obedience (actions) but solely upon his faith. IF we could do works that saved us, our faith would not be needed making it void and making God’s part in forgiving us of no effect. The law did not justify its followers, but simply shows them (us) that we are sinners unable to cleanse ourselves. We must come to God believing that He is able to do that for us as Abraham did.
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
Paul again emphasizes the key point to this chapter and maybe to the entire letter. To be justified by God as righteous “it is of faith that it might be according to grace.” Whosoever, not to the Jews only with the law, that believes God and confesses Jesus as our Lord and Savior will be saved by their faith and the grace of God. We are NOT justified by our works, but by our faith alone. Paul closes this chapter again focusing on the faith of Abraham.
Romans 4:17-22 (as it is written, “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; (18) who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” (19) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. (20) He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, (21) and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. (22) And therefore “IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Abraham was told by God he would be the father of many nations at the age of 75. Heading into his late 90s, he still was without a child, BUT he still believed that God’s promise would come true.(Read vers 20) It is this unwavering faith that was “accounted to him for righteousness.” His life journey was full of mistakes, sins and failures (sounds like mine) but he consistently trusted and believed God. Even after receiving his son Issac, he was willing to offer him to God when tested! His trust was not in his own abilities, but in the abilities and power of God to do what He says He will do. Paul now shows us that Abraham’s story was not only about him, but about us as well!
Romans 4:23-25 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, (24) but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, (25) who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
There are two huge truths I want you to catch in these three short verses that close out this chapter. First, Abraham’s story, and the entire Bible, is not written only for his sake, but for ours. Everything in our Bible is written for us to see and understand the plan God has put in place for us to restore our broken relationship with Him. He wrote all this for me to understand His love for me and to guide me down the narrow path that leads to Him! When we believe that, we can then calculate that everything that happens to us along our journey with Jesus also is not only for us, but also for those around us to see God working. Your life is the only Bible some people may ever read so your life is not about you but about glorifying the One who saved you!Secondly, and most importantly, Paul drives the point home that we are saved by faith in the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead for OUR deliverance from sin and OUR justification. Salvation is a work Jesus has completed for us and all we must do is believe (have faith). Do you see how freeing that is? Jesus did all the work and we receive all the benefits. Doubt yourself all day long because you have no part in this other than believing it as Abraham did. But NEVER doubt what Jesus did for us! He completes us (Col. 2:10) leaving us lacking nothing on our end. He has paid the price in full for our salvation and God simply asks us to believe it strongly enough that we are transformed by that truth! Paul encourages us to strive to imitate Abraham’s faith. Even when he could not understand or see how God could do what He said; He believed without wavering. God is working in your life in ways you may not understand; trust the One you are following to fulfill His will in your life.