Romans Chapter 4
The French theologian and Protestant reformer John Calvin (1509-1564)
wrote, "Justified by faith is he who, excluded from the righteousness of
works, grasps the righteousness of the Messiah through faith, and
clothed in it, appears in God's sight not as a sinner but as a righteous
man.
The apostle Paul spoke similarly in his lament of the Jewish
misconception of the source of righteousness, declaring them zealous for God
but "ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God," thus
"seeking to establish their own" Romans 10:1-3: Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer
to God on behalf of the Jewish people is that they would be saved. I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are
misguided. They don't understand [how to receive] God's
approval. So, they try to set up their own way to get it, and they have not
accepted God's way for receiving his approval.
What these Israelites were woefully
unaware of is that one's justification and salvation are "gifts"
dispensed "by God’s grace through the redemption which is in the Messiah Jesus" Romans 3:22-24: Everyone who believes has God's
approval through faith in Jesus the Messiah. There is no difference between people. Because all people have sinned, they
have fallen short of God's glory.
God is "the justifier of the one
who has the faith of Jesus" Romans 3:25-26. God showed that the Messiah is the throne of mercy where God's approval is given through faith in the Messiah's as a sin-offering sacrifice. In his patience God waited to deal with sins committed in the past. He waited so that he could display His approval at the present time. This
shows that He is a God of justice [coupled with
love], a God who approves of people who believe in Jesus.
Romans 5:1-2: "Therefore, having been justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our lord Jesus the Messiah, through whom also we have obtained
our introduction by faith into the grace in which we stand"
Paul, in his teaching and preaching the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, never strays from the truth that man, by his/her own effort, cannot justify or redeem
himself/herself before God, nor can he/she, by his/her own effort, earn eternal salvation. Thus, while still sinners, we are in a state of enmity against God. God took the initiative and dealt with
the sin problem through the redeeming act of His son’s sin-offering sacrifice which reconciled all
mankind to Himself. It is a gift, not
wages due, a truth which many today still struggle to grasp.
Romans 4:4-5: "Now to the one who works, his wages
are not counted as a gift but what he is due. And to the one who does not work but trusts Him who justifies the
ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
Romans 3:23-26: for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in the Messiah Jesus: whom God set forth [to be] a propitiation – mercy seat, through faith, in his blood, to show His righteousness because of the passing
over of the sins done in the past, in the forbearance of God; for the showing, [I say], of His righteousness at this present season: that He might be just, and the justifier of
him that has faith in Jesus.
Romans 6:23: For the wages
of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in the Messiah Jesus our lord.
Romans 5:15-19: But the gracious gift is not
like the offense. For if by the offense of the one [man] the
many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the
one man, Jesus the Messiah, overflow to the many. The gift is not like that which came through
the one [man] who sinned; for on the one [man’s] hand the
judgment arose from one offense, resulting in
condemnation, but on the other hand the gracious gift arose from
many offenses, resulting in justification. For if by
the offense of the one [man], death reigned through the
one [man], much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of
the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one [man], Jesus the Messiah.
So then, as through one
offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through
one act of righteousness the result
was justification of life to all mankind. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the
obedience of the one [man] the many
will be made righteous.
Such terms as "free gift," which Paul uses frequently,
and God's "grace," and "faith of Jesus" as
well as "faith in Jesus," still confuse disciples who, like the Jews of
Paul's day, seek to obtain the favor of God through their own effort. Yes,
such persons "have a zeal for God, but not in accordance
with knowledge" [Romans 10:2]
There is nothing you or I can
ever be or do that will in some way entitle
us to justification, redemption, and salvation. One cannot earn a
gift; one can only gratefully and humbly receive it, and
that is accomplished entirely by faith. Our faith in the Messiah Jesus lays hold of the gift of
justification through the faith of the Messiah Jesus It is his faith that
saves; it is our faith that receives that gift. Then, as redeemed ones, we evidence our
faith and trust in him through acts of love and gratitude throughout the remainder of our
days, as per the truth conveyed in the latter part of this powerful passage:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of [your] works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in the Messiah Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" [Ephesians 2:8-10]. These
good works are for those who are already in the Messiah Jesus, as new creations; they are not works prescribed by God that one must
perform in order to be in union
with the lord Jesus. They are good deeds performed
lovingly and gratefully by those who are saved, not deeds that must be performed
by lost souls in order to gain salvation.
In order to demonstrate the above
truths, the apostle Paul, in chapter four of his epistle to the Romans,
provides the example of Abraham, with special emphasis being given to how he
came to be justified in the sight of God. Was Abraham counted as righteous
because of something he himself did (by virtue of some good work), or did God declare him
righteous and justified for another reason not associated with any personal performance [good works] or obedience to any law (a legal requirement)? Paul goes to great
lengths in to show that Abraham was not justified or regarded as righteous by virtue of good works, but by simple trusting faith!
"For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about;
but not before God" [Romans 4:2].
Romans 4:4-5: "Now to the one who works, his
wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does
not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned
as righteousness"
It is faith, not works,
that brings each of us into a saving relationship with the Father. At our best, we are all sinners in
His sight, fallen creature’s incapable of being righteous; for "there is none righteous, not even
one" [Romans 3:10]; "there is none who does good, not even one" [Romans 3:12]. "By works of law no flesh will be justified in His
sight" [Romans 3:20]. Instead, you and I are "justified by God’s grace through the redemption which is
in the Messiah Jesus" [Romans 3:24]. Thus, Paul declares, "we maintain
that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law" [Romans 3:28].
Salvation, justification, sanctification, righteousness is not found in a legal
system, but are forever secured by faith/trust/belief in a loving savior. "Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah, through whom also we have obtained
our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand" [Romans
5:1-2].
Paul narrows his focus even more in Romans chapter four by putting forth
for view the physical act of circumcision, something well-known to the people
of Israel, but less so to the Gentiles. Is God's grace tied to a physical act
(even an act commanded by Him)? Will God only justify and regard as righteous
those who have submitted to this outward act? Or is His gift of grace much
broader in scope? Most of the Jews of Paul's day, and even many of the Jewish
Christians, embraced the former view. As a result, the Jerusalem
Conference [Acts 15] was even held to address this view (as
was the epistle of Paul to the Galatians).
Notice: "And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren,
'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be
saved'" (Acts 15:1). Paul could not have disagreed more with such a
misguided teaching. He "opposed Peter to his
face," for Peter "feared the party of the circumcision" and went
along with their teaching, even though that teaching was in opposition "to
the truth of the Gospel" [Galatians 2:11-14]. Paul made it clear that
"if righteousness comes through law, then the Messiah died needlessly" [Galatians 2:21]. "Man is not justified by
the works of law. ...for by the works of law
shall no flesh be justified" [Galatians 2:16]. Instead, as this same verse
declares, we are justified through the faith of the Messiah Jesus, a justification and imputed righteousness we obtain by means of
believing in him and what he accomplished for
us.
"So then, as through one transgression there resulted condemnation
to all men, even so through one [man] act of righteousness
there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's
disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one [man] the many will be made righteous" [Romans 5:18-19]. Paul makes it clear that neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision "means anything;" but what is important is our faith evidencing itself in love [Galatians
5:6].
Indeed, "you have been severed from the Messiah, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from
grace" [Galatians 5:4]. Our example of this principle, says Paul, is
Abraham. This man was reckoned by God as righteous. "How then was it
reckoned? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?" [Romans 4:10]. The
answer, which Paul gives in that same verse, is: "Not while circumcised,
but while uncircumcised." This was a jaw-dropping revelation to those
steeped in Jewish law and tradition! Yes, circumcision was a command of
God Himself, yet the purpose of this act was never intended
to justify or make one righteous in the sight of God. Rather, circumcision
was simply a "sign" and "seal of the righteousness of the faith
which Abraham had while uncircumcised" [Romans 4:11]. Thus, we are all
called to "follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he
had while uncircumcised" [Romans 4:12]. We are all justified and regarded
by God as righteous "by faith in accordance with grace" [vs. 16].
Paul is seeking to convey an important divine principle here, a
principle that transcends any outward religious act (even if that act had the
power of divine command behind it).
The principle is: we are all sinners; there are none who are
righteous; we are fallen creatures deserving of death, and we ourselves are
powerless to alter that situation or its outcome. Thus, justification,
salvation, sanctification, righteousness is all unattainable by our
own effort. Therefore, a loving, merciful, gracious God acted while
we were yet sinners, ungodly, and in a state of enmity against Him. He dealt fully, once for all, with the sin problem, and He offers this FREE GIFT of grace to anyone who was willing to accept it BY
FAITH.
This gift was not tied to any outward act that a man/woman might perform, for if it were then
this blessing "could not be reckoned as a gift, but as what is due" [Romans 4:4]. God owes us nothing, but He has
freely given us everything pertaining to an abundant life secured by the Messiah Jesus. We were all
"dead in our trespasses and sins," and we were "by nature
children of wrath" [Ephesians 2:1, 3]. His wrath was our "due."
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He
loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together
with the Messiah (by grace you have been saved), and
raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places, in the Messiah Jesus, in order that
in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in
kindness toward us in the Messiah Jesus. For by grace,
you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift
of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" [Ephesians
2:4-9].
God's desire for mankind has always been that they would reflect His own
nature in their daily lives and in their interactions with one another. However, as fallen
creatures with a nature prone to sinful attitudes and actions, we find
ourselves incapable of reflecting perfectly the flawless nature of our God and of His son who is the outshining of His glory. Thus,
anything we ourselves offer to Him will always come short of
achieving His favor. If we are to be counted as righteous and declared
justified in His sight, that must come from Him as a gift of grace, for not a
one of us can ever earn such a standing, that Jesus did as the only perfect man who has ever lived.
The Jews of Paul's day, however, felt that such divine favour could be
had by performing certain religious rites and rituals, with physical
circumcision being high on that list. Paul sought to show them, via the example
of Abraham, that circumcision did not have that purpose or power. It was a sign
and seal, a mere symbol, but it was never designed to be an act by which a
grace or blessing was conferred. If Paul reasons, one is declared righteous and
justified (and even saved) by a certain religious act (circumcision), then how
do these religionists explain that Abraham was declared justified by God, and
seen as righteous by God, fourteen years before he was
circumcised? "Then Abraham believed in Yehovah; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness" [Genesis 15:6]. Paul
quoted this very verse in Galatians, and then stated:
Galatians 3:6-9: "Therefore, be
sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of
Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the
Gentiles by faith, preached the Gospel beforehand to Abraham,
saying, 'All the nations shall be blessed in you.' So then, those who are of
faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer".
Circumcision, therefore, had absolutely nothing to do
with Abraham's standing with God. That standing was by grace through faith,
just as it is with us today!
Paul posed this very question in his epistle to the Romans. "'Is
the bestowal of a righteous standing before God connected with the observance
of ordinances or apart entirely from such things?
Paul answers his question by citing the case of Abraham who was declared
righteous in answer to his faith, fourteen years before he was circumcised. circumcision any essential relation to this great blessing.
This methodology and process "has been the same through all
history"; it is just as applicable to us today. Our justification, our
salvation, our being reckoned as righteous in the sight of God is by
grace through faith, and absolutely NO religious rite or ritual is
required in addition to that divine process! We can even go
back as far as Noah and perceive the same principle: "Noah became an heir
of the righteousness which is according to faith" [Hebrews 11:7]. Like
Abraham, Noah's righteousness was not works-based, it was faith-based.
Yes, they showed their faith [James 2], but their standing
with God was not based on these works; rather, their standing was based on
their FAITH which then motivated their actions. In Ephesians 2:10 we are informed
that God desires His redeemed ones to engage in good works. Yet, these good
works are not designed to save us, they are simply designed to give us ways
to show the depth and genuineness of our faith in and love for
Him.
God’s determines to make righteousness available by His amazing grace to those who will humbly accept it by faith. ... For example: far from being the cause of his acceptance with God, Abraham's lifestyle was
the result of his acceptance. God did not declare him righteous because his good works, but rather Abraham lived a good life because God had freely justified
him according to his faith that all that God had
promised him would come true.
Through faith God's grace transcends religious rites and
rituals, it transcends ceremony and tradition, it transcends rigid rules and
regulations!
God's grace is for those who have a heart of faith, and who then, in
love for God and their fellow man, evidence that love and
faith in their daily lives.
Just so, baptism today is an outward sign
that we are the Messiah's in faith and identification; but how
deadly is the delusion that baptism amounts to anything before God! God does not justify those observing ordinances, but sinners who believe, have faith in Him. If you are still regarding baptism, or the Lord's
Supper, or 'the Mass,' or 'Christening,' or 'Confirmation,' as having anything
whatever to do with God's declaring you righteous, then you do not understand!
Neither baptism nor the lord's Supper (upon both of which thousands have
trusted as 'sacraments' commending them unto God) has power to give any
standing whatever before a righteous God.
The nature of Abraham's faith was essentially the same as that of the NT
believer, despite the difference in time: Abraham looked forward to something
God would do, whereas the Christian looks back to what God has provided in the Messiah Jesus.
The fact that Abraham exercised faith in God whilst still uncircumcised
is a proof that the essence of religion does not depend upon externals. (i.e., circumcision): A lesson which we need to learn
today, even as did the contemporaries of Paul" "The state of
justification was attributed to Abraham himself before he was circumcised. Justification is the result of faith.
Note: Why would Paul spend so much time on this topic
when he, like we are today, was under a new covenant? The first new covenant command given by the lord Jesus is: Now after
that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of
the kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel [about the soon coming kingdom of God]. [Mark 1:14-15]
Also: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the holy spirit. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord - Yehovah our
God shall call. [Acts 2:38-39]
The reason Paul spent
so much time proving that is was no longer necessary to abide by the law given
through Moses was because too many disciples of Jesus Christ were being deceived by false “apostles” to make the very
same mistake the Jews made when it came to keeping their religious rites and rituals. They had come to place far more
significance upon the signs, seals, and symbols than they did on the realities which they signified.
We are saved by grace through faith, just as Abraham was. Yet,
when signs and symbols become sacraments, we lose sight of the substance!
Circumcision is not what saved Abraham, any more than baptism in water is what
saves you or me! Paul declares that the grace Abraham received through faith is
available to us as well.
Note: Don’t ever make the mistake that by being baptized and
observing the lord’s supper that securing for yourself salvation and a "right-standing" before God. "Yehovah intended the rite
of circumcision to be a seal of authenticity on the covenant between a man and
his God. Similarly, baptism follows one's decision to trust in Jesus the Messiah. It's a public declaration" of a decision and commitment of faith to die to self already established in one's heart. Thus, "one cannot be saved
through the rite of baptism, nor must one be baptized in order to be
saved" You in obedience to the lord
Jesus seek to be baptized after you have repented and had a complete change of
heart and want to die to self in order to be alive in the Messiah Jesus, become
a new creation in him! That is simply the purpose of baptism.
Many believe that when one was baptized in water that was the precise split-second of salvation. But, if a person who believed with all his heart in the lord, and had repented, and had confessed him as lord, but died before being baptized, that person went straight to hell to be tortured by
forever! Grace and faith couldn't save that person. God know the hearts of all those who desire to come to Him
and obey Him and if someone has come to believe in Him with all their heart and
being, and in the one whom He has sent, but dies before they are baptized, they
will be in the coming kingdom of God!
Baptism is a "sign" and "seal" of the reality of a
sacred covenant, just as a wedding ceremony and a signed marriage certificate
is a "sign" and "seal" of the reality of a sacred covenant
between a loving couple. They didn't make a covenant with one another at the
ceremony or when they returned the signed document to the county clerk. The
ceremony and the document were a "sign" and "seal" of the
reality of that covenant they had already made with one another in their
hearts. They didn't "enter into covenant" with one another at the
split-second they uttered the words "I do" - those words were simply
a public demonstration of and a verbal testimony to a life-commitment they had
already made to one another. So also, is baptism. The Jews had elevated
circumcision to something it was never intended to be, just as too many
Christians have done with baptism. Both were signs, seals, and symbols; neither
were sacraments. God's relationship with men is not based on some ceremony or
religious rite; our justification and salvation are not tied to a deed
performed in compliance with some ordinance or law. We are justified and
counted as righteous by faith!
Whatever parallel exists between baptism and circumcision as here stated
by Paul argues for faith before baptism and for baptism as the sign and seal of
the faith one already had before baptism.
Consider the example of Cornelius, for his acceptance by God was quite like
that of Abraham. When did God acknowledge Cornelius? Was it before he was
baptized or after? It was before Acts 10: Later, when Peter
recounted this event to those assembled at the Jerusalem Conference, he said, "Brethren,
you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth
the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And
God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy
Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and
them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why
do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke
which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the lord Jesus, in the same way as
they also are" [Acts 15:7-11]. No mention of baptism.
Yes, baptism served a purpose; it was important; but that purpose
was not to impart salvation, justification, or righteousness.
In Peter's second sermon, he shared again some of the main points of his first
sermon on the day of Pentecost. However, he quite noticeably left out any
mention of baptism. "Therefore, repent and return, so that your sins
may be wiped away" [Acts 3:]. Most assuredly, baptism has its place in
the teaching and practice of the lord’s disciples, just as circumcision did among the Jews.
However, many have elevated a symbol, sign, and seal
to a sacrament, and we have given it a power that the lord never intended for it to possess. Brethren we need to be careful not to preach and teach tradition as though it
were truth, for in so doing we tend to invalidate the truth by our elevation of tradition [Matthew 15:1-9].
Perhaps the apostle Paul summed it up best when he informed the
conflicted church in Corinth, "The Messiah did not send me to
baptize, but to preach the Gospel [the good news
about the coming kingdom of God], ...so that the cross of Messiah would not be made void" [1 Corinthians 1:17]. Paul clearly
perceived an important distinction between the act of baptism in water and the
"Good News" he was called to proclaim; the former being distinct from
the latter A perception much needed today!
