Example Abraham

Not by Works

What did Abraham gain by his works? (v. 1)

Why does Paul choose Abraham as his example of justification by faith?

In using Abraham Paul is going right for the cultural jugular of his primarily Jewish readership.

Secondly, the Pentateuch is very clear how Abraham was justified no matter the hermeneutical loops the Jews jumped through in order to justify him with the law.

The Mishnah of Judaism teaches that Abraham was justified by the law.

There is of course one problem with that.

Abraham lived prior to the giving of the law.

What does Abraham have to boast about? (v. 2)

Stating the obvious: A wage is not a gift (v. 4)

Righteousness Credit

Have you ever called to pay a bill the person on the line says, “oh you actually have a credit on your account.”

What does the Scripture say?

Genesis 15:6 ESV

And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

This is the first time the word “believe” is used in Scripture and it is immediately connected with righteousness.

The context of Genesis 15 is God promising an heir, a son to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham had every human reason to believe that he would die childless, but instead he believed God.

The Credit

The Greek word translated “credited”, “reckoned,” or “counted” was used in commercial contexts to refer to an objective calculation of value or debt.

A credit may appear on your account two ways. Either you paid for it or someone else did. How did Abraham get this credit on his account? Was it something he did or something God did?

You could interpret this passage to view Abraham’s faith as somehow equivalent to righteousness. That God views Abraham’s faith as a righteous work.

But as we read the context of Genesis 15, Romans 4 and Galatians 3 we find that it was a credit reckoned to him that did not inherently belong to him.

In other words this was not Abraham’s righteousness that was credited to his account.

Conclusion: Abraham’s relationship with God was established by an act of God’s grace in response to the faith of Abraham.

Permanent Principle

Paul establishes justification by faith as a permanent principle by showing it was also true for David.

Paul quotes David in Psalm 32

Psalm 32 ESV

A Maskil of David. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Father Abraham