Romans 4:1-8

                                                             Romans 4:1-8

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Paul has systematically proven that everyone is under sin and that the penalty for sin is death.  However, there is hope for all men to be saved because of the work of Christ on the cross.  Paul’s focus now becomes on how all men are justified by faith in Christ, not their works.  The Jews tried to insist that salvation was by keeping the law.  Paul shows them in this passage that two of the greatest heroes of the Old Testament, Abraham and David, clearly believed and experienced justification by faith.

 

ABRAHAM WAS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH: Paul is striving to show his Jewish readers that his message is consistent with their history and not something new. Paul’s argument is that: just like Abraham, we are justified by faith. Since Abraham is the father of the nation physically as well as a spiritual representative of them, Paul’s readers would desire to relate with him.  Paul makes it clear that Abraham was justified by faith.  His righteousness, like ours, was declared legally based on his belief.  God is pleased when we trust a believe Him and not ourselves.  This requires that we deny our own will and worthiness to demonstrate the simple truth that we need Him.  

 

ABRAHAM’S JUSTIFICATION WAS A GIFT: Paul’s proof that Abraham was justified by faith is in the language of the fact that his righteousness was credited to him or given to him as a gift.  It Abraham would have worked for his righteousness; it would not have been considered a gift.  None of us can earn our salvation.  When a. person is saved it is always a gift of God that is based solely on faith and not on our own merit.  Gifts cannot be earned or the cease to be gifts and become wages.  Salvation from sin is always a gift and never a wage.

 

DAVID SAID FORGIVENESS WAS A BLESSING: Just to further cement his argument, Paul shows that this language of gifting was taught by David as well.  He taught that men were blessed when God did not count their sin against them.  This is the language of forgiveness by grace and never a works-based message.  By using Abraham’s example and David’s teaching, Paul is demonstrating that his message is not new or even based on his own understanding.  It is old and comes from the Word of God.

 

APPLICATION: We need to be ready to logically defend our faith.  Never consider salvation of forgiveness to be anything but a gift from God.  Always think of any good works we do as a demonstration of His grace and not a means of earning it.  Be thankful to God for His unspeakable gift.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 2:1-7

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and   dignified in every way.    This is good, and   it is pleasing in the sight of   God our Savior,   who desires   all people to be saved and   to come to   the knowledge of the truth.    For   there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,   who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is   the testimony given   at the proper time.    For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying),   a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.   Prayer is one of the greatest privileges believers have and it should be one of our greatest priorities.  Too often our lives are more often marked by complaining about our circumstances and our political leaders than by prayers for them.  The government in Paul’s day
Read more