Sermon Tone Analysis

MBC – 4~/2~/2005 – Pastor Doug Thompson

*/“Abraham’s Faith, and Believer Baptism”/*

Romans 4:9-12

 

2 Tim.3:16 says that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and training in rtnss.

that the man of God might be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Sometimes our time in the Word is encouraging and comforting, and it gives us strength for our battles.

Sometimes it is convicting and the HS uses it to purge us and purify us from sin.

This morning, our study falls under the category of teaching—doctrine—and God says that you and I need doctrine to be adequate and equipped for every good work.

And we need it so that we can stand strong in what we believe, and so that we can honor God by living according to His truth, and worshiping Him according to His truth.

So get ready to think--

 

Ø      ROM 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?

Ø      ROM 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Ø      ROM 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Ø      ROM 4:4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

Ø      ROM 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

Ø      ROM 4:6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Ø      ROM 4:7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered.

Ø      ROM 4:8 "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account."

Ø      ROM 4:9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, [i.e., Jew] or on the uncircumcised [i.e., Gentile] also?

For we say, "Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness."

Ø      ROM 4:10 How then was it credited?

While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?

Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;

Ø      ROM 4:11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,

Ø      ROM 4:12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.

We are going to divides this study into 2 parts, first we want to see why Paul keeps repeating himself on this doctrine of Sola Fide—salvation through faith alone.

Then we are going to switch gears and see what this passage has to say about the issue of believer baptism vs. infant baptism.

Paul keeps beating the same drum again in ch.4: Salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received by faith alone in Christ apart from any works.

It was true of father Abraham, the spiritual father of all believers, he didn’t work for his salvation, he believed God and God credited rtnss.

to his account.

In vv.9-12, he adds that this happened before he was circumcised—i.e., even this important sign of the OC had nothing to do with his salvation.

Hang on to that thought.

But why the repetition?

And why has God sovereignly put Romans ch.4 into the life of MBC, and your life this morning?

Why is the truth of Sola Fide--faith alone apart from works--so very important?

(on the Pope here? . .

.even so-called evangelicals don’t really understand the Gospel . . .

)

 

*/1.)

Sola Fide humbles us and exalts God.

/*

 

You and I are reminded of why we need to keep Sola Fide fresh in our minds whenever we find ourselves thinking, “Those Muslims or Catholics are so messed up!

Those pagans and atheists are disgusting!

Those homosexuals and pro-abortion baby murderers make me sick—when is God going to judge these people!”

And at the same time, we are also thinking, “/I’m/ not like that! /I’m/ not that evil or illogical or immoral.

/I’m/ a Christian!”

Can you take any credit for that?

Is it because you are smarter than those people, or more innately moral?

Is it because of something in you that you trusted Christ and received eternal life and they didn’t?

Do you have /anything/ to boast about?

That old saying, “There, but for the grace of God, go I,”—is absolutely true!

If you are a Christian this morning, it’s /only/ because of the mercy and goodness of God.

If God hadn’t taken all the initiative to save you, you would still be stuck in darkness, and ignorance, and slavery to your sins.

If your salvation was due to something you did, you might get some credit, but you didn’t do anything, you simply trusted Christ who did everything:

 

Ø      ROM 3:27 Where then is boasting?

It is excluded. . .

Ø      ROM 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith [Sola Fide] apart from works of the Law.

Ø      1CO 1:31 so that, just as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."

Sola Fide reminds us that when it comes to salvation, we do nothing, God through Christ, does everything!

It doesn’t earn salvation like some kind of reward.

Faith is self-renouncing, and self-emptying.

It looks away from self, and toward Christ.

So Sola Fide is self-humbling and God-exalting.

We will see that about Abe--

 

Ø      ROM 4:20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, /giving glory to God/,

Ø      ROM 4:21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

V.21 is a pretty good working definition of faith, isn’t it?

Faith brings God glory because it magnifies /His/ faithfulness and His saving mercy.

In Lk. 18, Jesus tells the story about a Pharisee who stood boasting about how he was not like other sinners, he was a religious man—

 

Ø      LUK 18:13  "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'

Ø      LUK 18:14  "I tell you, this man went to his house /justified/ rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Sola Fide humbles us and exalts God.

And there is no other way to be saved.

*2.)

/Sola Fide/ keeps faith and works in their proper order.*

False religion says, “Faith + works = justification.”

The Gospel says, “Faith + 0 = justification.”

But that’s not /all/ it says.

It says, “Faith + 0 = justification + good works.”

Maybe you’ve heard it like this: “Salvation is by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”

If you are truly justified through faith in Christ, you are a changed person—you have been born again by the Spirit of God!

And there will be evidence that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you—not perfection—but new actions, new speech, new affections: you love what you used to hate, and you hate what you used to love.

This is what Paul is getting at here in—

 

Ø      ROM 4:9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, [i.e., Jew] or on the uncircumcised [i.e., Gentile] also?

For we say, "Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness."

Ø      ROM 4:10 How then was it credited?

While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?

Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;

Ø      ROM 4:11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised,

 

The Jews of Paul’s day would have said, “Father Abraham was justified before God because of his faith /plus/ his lawkeeping, especially circumcision.”

But Paul points out the chronology here: God reckoned rtnss.

to Abe back in Gen.15:6—he wasn’t circumcised until ch.17!

Now it’s true that Abe was obedient to God in being circumcised, but that was the /evidence/ of his faith; Paul calls it the “sign and seal” of his faith.

It was the proof that he knew God, and that he was a justified man, it wasn’t the /cause/ of justification.

James makes the same point in Jms.2 when he says—

 

Ø      JAM 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

[Gen.22,

but he isn’t using /justified/ the way Paul does--]

Ø      JAM 2:22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected [faith was manifested, faith reached its goal];

Ø      JAM 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.

Just remember this: Abe was justified by faith in Gen.15; received the seal of that faith—cir.—in

Gen.17; and gave indisputable evidence of that faith in Gen.22

So good works and obedience are never the cause of our justification, but they are the sign and seal of our justification that comes /Sola Fide!/

 

*3.)

Sola Fide is the way God fulfills His promise to Abe. *