Romans 4:1-12

Introduction

Here is the premise of Romans 4: Through the work of Jesus Christ, the Gentiles are to inherit, with the Jews, the blessing and promise of God.

In Romans 4, we receive the most vivid example of Paul’s writing ability. He is a writer among writers, and he is obviously learned in the Greek practices of rhetoric, thinking, and argument. This demonstrates the Christian’s need to be well-rounded and balanced in the things that pertain to biblical learning.

As a result of Paul’s educational background, he poses four rhetorical questions from Romans 3:31-4:25. Here are the four questions that drive the arguments in Romans 4.

Should Christians abandon the law? (Romans 3:31)

How did Abraham believe you are made right with God? (Romans 4:1)

Is God’s blessing for the Jews only, or for the Gentiles too? (Romans 4:9)

Does circumcision have anything to do with receiving the blessing? (Romans 4:10)

These questions lie at the center of the Christian relationships of the first century. Consequently, the gospel addresses these concerns with such vigor we can hardly ignore these matters and believe we have faithfully embraced and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, what we will find is an incredible indictment against the Protestant church for its neglect towards the law of Moses and the meaning of being in the family of God.

Q1: Should Christians abandon the law? (Romans 3:31)

In Paul’s writings, the law is a reference to the law of Moses. This is incredibly important, because the common ideas towards the law is irreconcilable towards Scripture. Because of our 15th century angst against the highly controversial and contempt Roman Catholic Church of the medieval period, we have assumed all laws, and therefore, all works are bad. However, this is not the point at the center of Paul’s argument. Rather, the point is that the law of Moses has served as a divider. Therefore, the law Moses must be understood appropriately as to how it is to function or exist in the church.

Now, we have already determined that the law must not be kept as a means of being right with God. However, the question that remains is whether we should totally remove it since it plays no role in the salvation of one’s soul. Perhaps, those Gentiles would have argued, certainly! Yet, Paul disagrees.

The rhetorical question that Paul asks here is, whether we should unemployed or let lie idle the law. Do we invalidate it or make it powerless? Does faith put an end to the law? Most Protestants would eagerly say yes! And why would they say so which such readiness? It is because they sorely fear the possibility of rooting their salvation in some sort of works. So, to eliminate the temptation, they deactivate the law and consider it useless.

However, Paul stated this should not be done. According to Paul, faith does not put an end to the law. Rather, it fulfills or establishes the law.

Romans 3:31 “Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.”

What does Paul mean when he states, the law is fulfilled by faith? He means faith is what upholds and sets in place the law. It establishes and places into force the law. In fact, the law is validated by faith.

This leads us to this importance conclusion: the law was intended to drive us to faith, not simply to keeping the law as a means of justifying ourselves. Here, Paul goes back to a previous argument. The law shows us our sins. Romans 3:20 “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

If the law pushes us to believe, we can never say the law is bad. (We will see this point later in Romans 7). However, this demonstrates how the law should be positioned within the Christian community. The law of Moses is intended to demonstrate how sinful we are so we can recognize our need for a Savior worth believing.

Perhaps, the hardest thing about being a Christian is accepting our own sinfulness as we view ourselves through the spiritual mirror of the law. Yet, how should we ever say we have faith, if we do not recognize our own sinfulness? Therefore, a part of preaching the gospel is reminding ourselves just how sinful we are. Furthermore, the law determines how what the gospel is and what it comes to destroy.

Since the law is primarily concerned with our soul and sinfulness, we can conclude that the gospel comes to destroy the enemy that is most hostile to the well-being of our souls by the rule of sin and death. So, in any way we may confront the issues of man, we must being with the primary enemy which is so constantly revealed by the law—sin.

Therefore, faith in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ solidifies the law because it demonstrates our acceptance of what the law has revealed. Furthermore, to live in faithlessness is to ignore what the law has revealed about our sinfulness. To live in faith means to truly accept one’s worthlessness without Jesus Christ, and believe in the faithful atoning work of the Father through His Son Jesus Christ.

Therefore, here are a few positions we accept as people who live in faith:

We are fallen creatures in need of grace.

The law did not exaggerate our sinfulness. We are very capable of being the worse human beings to ever live unless we are saved by God’s grace.

We are not deserving of God’s covenant blessings except He saves us from our sinfulness.

Now, we must take this point and allow it to carry us to the next points Paul will make throughout this book. For, I believe one of the greatest sins of the Protestant church is its insistence on stopping at this point. We must carry on to see what else Paul has to say about our relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ.

Q2: How did Abraham believe you are made right with God? (Romans 4:1)

The question Paul offers here is quite a fascinating way to demonstrate how God works with human beings. He finds this example in the life of Abraham to be typical and applicable for those who have faith in the manner that Abraham demonstrated his faith.

When the question is asked in Romans 4:1 “Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?” Paul simply responds with Genesis 15:6 “And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Paul’s quick reference to Genesis 15:6 helps us understand the scenario that Paul is thinking through in his mind. Therefore, we are granted a few possible responses Abraham could have given to this scenario.

When Abraham discovered the path to being made right with God it was found in this scenario where he had an opportunity to believe God for the several descendants that would come to him (Genesis 15:1-6). And Abraham believe this promise and God accredited to him as righteousness.

The blessing God made to Abraham was outrageous by human standards. In fact, it was merely impossible. However, Abraham believed God. Now, there are several things Abraham could have done in that moment:

Lord, that’s ridiculous!

Lord, I am not worthy to receive this blessing.

Lord, I didn’t do anything to deserve this.

Here is something we should remember: A righteous person is someone who believes God, no matter how impossible it may seem or how unworthy they may feel they are to receive it.

When we take this position then we can do what is found in Romans 4:2 “If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way.” The word deeds has a references to works or the obligation or duty to works. Here, Abraham never thought this promise was based on any obligation to some work. Rather, he saw it as a gracious act from God, and this is what faith is all about!

Romans 4:4 “When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned.”

Now, Paul makes a very interesting conclusion in Romans 4:5. He concludes whatever made us right with God is what keeps us right with God.

Romans 4:5 “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.”

The words work, faith, and forgives are all written as participles. This means if our righteousness was acquired by works, those works would have to continue to keep us righteous. However, if our faith is what granted us our righteous status with God, then it is our faith that must keep us righteous. And that never-ending faith is in God who keeps on forgiving us.

Here is an appropriate time to reveal one of Paul’s large themes in this section— the blessing. And just what is the blessing? Paul would answer this question with Psalm 32:1–2 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,* whose lives are lived in complete honesty!”

Three things are mentioned here: disobedience, sin and record . When Paul uses the word disobedience he is thinking of open and defiance towards God’s law. When he uses the word sin he is thinking of guilt and estrangement from God. The word record refers to the lack of credit we have with God. (It is a financial term to demonstrate we have proven to be untrustworthy, but God has not counted it against us. He’s lost the record.)

Abraham’s faith demonstrates how is righteousness was to be received. Paul argues the same model which Abraham used is applicable for us today. However, he will substantiate how this blessing applies to both Jews and Gentiles.

Q3: Is God’s blessing for the Jews only, or for the Gentiles too? (Romans 4:9)

Paul has not broken his thought, but he has continued it with additional questions. There are two additional questions. However, they both deserve their separate attention. Yet, it is important to see that Paul is still thinking through this idea of a blessing, which is the forgiveness of sin through faith.

The question of if the blessing is given to Jews only is answered in a short-handed way. Yet, it is by repeating what has already been said. This is to simply set up the explanation for a deeper question.

Romans 4:9 “Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles?* Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith.”

Here, the intention is clear. The blessing is not based on bloodline or ritual commitment. Rather, it is given by faith. Therefore, the implication is anyone who believes can receive the blessing.

Q4: Does circumcision have anything to do with receiving the blessing? (Romans 4:10)

Using Abraham as his continual example, we find Paul’s question dealing with the practice of circumcision. Now, the question is getting deeper. Because we began by understanding what it means to be made right with God, i.e. forgiven from sins. However, the next question has to do with, once one is saved from sin and made right with God, entering into the community or family of God.

Circumcision was the external act signifying entrance into the OT community of faith. Therefore, Gentile converts or proselytes had to endure circumcision in order to properly convert.

Paul is directly addressing what some might suggest are the things he has already said about Gentile involvement and inclusion. Their next counter would be requirements towards circumcision, which has more to do with the outward display of Judaism and an ethnic affiliation than the actual cutting of the foreskin. For, if someone saw one’s circumcision they might assume one’s ethnic affiliation first and their religious affiliation second.

This reason implies that one’s religious position comes from their ethnic status. That is, they were followers of Torah, attendees of Temple, and practitioners of the law because they were Jews. And readily, one might attribute these things to the example Abraham set in being circumcised in Genesis 17:24-25. However, Paul establishes that Abraham was declared righteous at least 13 years before he was circumcised. Therefore, his righteousness did not come from his circumcision, but rather his circumcision was sign of his righteousness (see Genesis 15:6; 16:3-4, 16; 17:24-25). Circumcision is simply a mark or sign of the covenant.

Could it be our baptism is not the thing that make us right with God but is a sign that we have been made right with God. Could it be that it is our entrance into the community or family, which gives us rights to enjoy along with other family members? Could it be the sign is not valid unless faith is active (Colossians 2:11-12)?

In Romans 4:11, Paul says circumcision was a sign [a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent; as a visible clue that something has happened or will happen.] Here, Paul says that one should not be concerned with getting the sign since it does not grant one salvation. This leads to his further conclusion in Romans 4:12 “And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.”

As we close this section of Romans 4, we find another one of Paul’s beautiful transitions into another thought. He properly establishes the fact Gentiles and Jews are granted forgiveness of sin as a blessing. But the question is for what? Why does it matter Jews and Gentiles are forgiven of sin? What would they have assumed about this blessing? What would it have meant to them?

Paul will demonstrate that if the Gentiles (and Jews) are forgiven of their sins, they are now qualified [not by their own terms, but God’s] to inherit the promise.