God saves those who come acknowledging their need and trusting “him who justifies the ungodly.”. Grace abounds so that it “might reign” over abundant trespasses (Romans 5:21). First (4:4) Paul gives a negative example from everyday life that we can easily understand. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Faith, Regeneration, Justification, Soteriology (Salvation), Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. “For the law works wrath“ (v. 15a). Thus it is not by accident that it always has been under fire. The Roman Forum was the scene of public meetings, law courts, and gladiatorial combats in republican times and was lined with shops and open-air markets. God justifies even the ungodly (Romans 4:5). The Prayer of Manasseh (8), states that God did not appoint repentance for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, “who were righteous and did not sin against Thee.” (What Bible were they reading?) We need Christ’s perfect righteousness credited to our account. Doesn’t this damage one’s self-esteem. As noted above, Jews considered Abraham to be justified by works. This privilege of an immediate transformation will belong to the believers who shall be alive at … Especially noteworthy was his obedience of the command to sacrifice Isaac, his only son (Genesis 22:1-14). The only fulfillment of the promise that Abraham was allowed to witness was the birth of Isaac—his son and heir. Many early Jewish writings put Abraham on a pedestal far higher than the way the Bible portrays him. In short, his self-construal was—and always will be—since the Damascus road anyway, one who was a free and willing slaveof the Lord Jesus Christ. This video is about 11-15-20. If Abraham had room for boasting, he also had occasion for apology. What did he discover about being made right with God? “What then will we say that Abraham” (v. 1a). What Paul says about sin and grace in Romans flies in the face of the traditional Jewish belief about Abraham, in part because of Genesis 26:4-5, where God promised Isaac a blessing “because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” In Romans 4, Paul seeks to show that it was not Abraham’s works that made him righteous before God, but his faith. ), which the WEB has updated. 3 What does Scripture say? Come to Jesus, crucified for sinners! If we could earn salvation, the cross would be unnecessary. 11:8). Saul means asked and this was the name he was using when he was persecuting the Christians. The employer has enjoyed the benefit of the employee’s service, and is under obligation to compensate the employee. Rather, faith means not doing anything ourselves to earn salvation, but rather trusting what Christ did for us on the cross. The employee can seek legal recourse if the employer refuses payment, and can expect courts to enforce payment (assuming that the employer is solvent). What is the best of human righteousness when you compare it to God’s absolute righteousness? The Catholic Church launched the counter-Reformation and published The Canons and Decrees of Trent in large part to attack justification by faith alone (see my “Justification by Faith Alone,” Aug. 11, 1996, on fcfonline.org). If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 1 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. Rather, he had no grounds for boasting at all. To be justified, you must see yourself as ungodly and deserving of God’s righteous judgment. Faith is the hand that receives the free gift of right standing with God apart from our works. He misrepresented Sarah as his sister (Genesis 12:10-20). “For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect“ (v. 14). The instant we believe in Jesus, God bangs the gavel and declares, “Not guilty!” But He not only removes our sin and guilt. We might imagine that verse 5 reverses verse 4—that we can earn righteousness by faith if not by works—that our faith imposes an obligation on God that our works failed to achieve. Jesus Himself said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). Abraham believed God’s promise about the Savior who would come and God credited the work of the promised Savior to Abraham through his faith. Paul said that God preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham when He promised, “All the nations shall be blessed in you” (Gal. For q there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. His righteous status cannot be earned, but is a gift of God. Before we begin in the book of Romans we need to look at the penman, Paul. No, he owes you the money. X (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), Copyright 2005, 2011, Richard Niell Donovan, All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan. While Abraham was relatively good when you compare humans with humans, in God’s sight we all have sinned and fall short of His glory. So also we have no right to demand anything from God based on our achievement, righteousness, or faith. In other words, Paul does not mean that Abraham could have boasted before people, but not before God. In Romans 4:5, Paul makes one of the most outrageous claims in all Scripture: “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” What a staggering verse! The Faith of Abraham. Christ’s substitutionary death paid the just penalty for the sins of those who will trust in Him (3:25). Thus for your own salvation, for your being able to resist the winds of false doctrine blowing in our day, and for your being able to present the gospel clearly to those who are trusting in their good works to save them, you must be clear on this truth: God graciously justifies the ungodly sinner who believes in Jesus Christ. So it’s a very important text to understand. God justifies us as a gift through faith (3:24). Jewish people are descended from Abraham according to the flesh. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (4:4-5). “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about” (v. 2a). ... You thought, did you not, that salvation was for the good, that God’s grace was for the pure and holy, who are free from sin? He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo... More, 3. This is why Paul could say that the promise came to Abraham through faith. • First, God “who gives life to the dead.” This recalls Abraham and Sarah, who were as good as dead, but who, by the grace of God, gave birth to descendants “as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore” (Hebrews 11:12. As I explained, I understand Romans 7:14-25 to refer primarily to immature believers who have not learned of their new identity in Christ. And we [] boast in the hope of the glory of God. If this were not so, why would God have sent Jesus to die on the cross? IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. If we could effect our own salvation by adherence to the law or by faith, why would we need a savior? 5:21). “For the promise to Abraham and to his seed that he should be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, but through the righteousness of faith“ (v. 13). She writes: “Several years ago in Peru, during the insurgence of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), a Wycliffe couple was travelling to show the film in a village. Paul must have said, “God justifies the one who tries to do his best. 210-211): In verses 1-8, Paul expands on and illustrates with Abraham and David the principle of 3:27-28, that we are justified by faith, not by our works, and thus we have no grounds for boasting. For example, the Book of Jubilees (23:10), written about 100 B.C. The book of Romans is a Pauline Epistle (letter from Paul). 3 For what does the Scripture say? Romans 4. 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,). But you trust God’s promise that “while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 3 For what does the Scripture say? That sweet, selfless old nun deserves to go to heaven! As the righteous Judge, God recognizes Jesus’ death as payment in full for all our sins. 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