Justification by Faith (2)

Romans 4:1–12 ESV

1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” 9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Introduction

How can a sinful person be made right with a holy God? That’s the question at the heart of Paul’s letter to the Romans. In Romans 4, Paul reaches back to Abraham—the father of the faith—to show us that justification does not come by our works, our rituals, or our religious identity, but by faith alone.

John Wesley, in his sermon Justification by Faith, called this truth the foundation of the gospel. He reminded us that justification is God’s work alone, and that we are no more able to justify ourselves than we are to create the world. Justification is God’s gift, and it comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.

But why must we be justified? Why must we have this gift from God? We were created in the image of God. In the beginning, we were in perfect relationship with Him. Humanity did not know evil. But sin disrupted and broke that relationship. It is God through Jesus who has reconciled us to himself when we trust and believe in him.

Wesley says:

Sermons, on Several Occasions Sermon 5: Justification by Faith

For the moment he tasted that fruit, he died. His soul died, was separated from God; separate from whom the soul has no more life than the body has when separate from the soul. His body, likewise, became corruptible and mortal; so that death then took hold on this also. And being already dead in spirit, dead to God, dead in sin, he hastened on to death everlasting; to the destruction both of body and soul, in the fire never to be quenched

So, today, we are going to look in Romans 4:1-12 and see how justification by faith is foundational to our relationship with God.

1. Abraham Was Counted Righteous by Faith, Not Works

Paul begins: “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’” (vs. 2–3, ESV).

Justification by faith isn’t some new idea. It’s the way God has always worked. Abraham was made right with God, not because of what he did, but because he trusted God’s promise. Paul reminds us that faith is the foundation of our standing with God, while James shows us that real faith always proves itself in action. Together, they give us the full picture: saved by faith alone, a faith that never stays alone.

Wesley is clear: Faith is the only condition God requires for justification. It’s not that faith earns our standing, but that God chooses to count faith as righteousness. Wesley is careful to distinguish between justification and sanctification. He refers to sanctification as the fruit of justification. Wesley says the following: “The plain scriptural notion of justification is pardon, the forgiveness of sins. It is that act of God the Father, whereby, for the sake of the propitiation made by the blood of his Son, he ‘shows forth his righteousness (or mercy) by the remission of the sins that are past.’”

Illustration: Imagine a drowning man. No matter how much he thrashes, he cannot save himself. But if he stretches out his hand to the rescuer, he is pulled to safety—not by his effort, but by the one who saves him. Abraham’s faith was that outstretched hand.

Application: We often think, “If I try harder, God will accept me.” But Wesley reminds us that our hope rests entirely on Christ: The righteousness of Christ is the sole foundation of our hope. Like Abraham, we are justified when we believe God’s promise.

2. Justification Is the Free Gift of God’s Grace

Paul continues: “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (vv. 4–5, ESV).

Here Paul paints a vivid contrast. When people work, they expect wages. But in the spiritual realm, God does not hand out paychecks for performance—He gives gifts of grace to those who believe. Righteousness cannot be earned; it is credited, counted, reckoned as a gift of sheer mercy.

And here’s the shocking phrase: God “justifies the ungodly.” That would have stunned Paul’s Jewish readers, who knew Exodus 23:7 and Proverbs 17:15 where God condemns acquitting the guilty. Yet Paul declares that this is exactly what God does: He forgives and declares righteous those who come to Him by faith. F. F. Bruce even called this the greatest of God’s wonders—greater than creation itself—that a holy God justifies the ungodly.

Wesley states the following: Does then the good Shepherd seek and save only those that are found already? No: He seeks and saves that which is lost. He pardons those who need his pardoning mercy. He saves from the guilt of sin, (and, at the same time, from the power,) sinners of every kind, of every degree: men who, till then, were altogether ungodly; in whom the love of the Father was not; and, consequently, in whom dwelt no good thing, no good or truly Christian temper,—but all such as were evil and abominable,—pride, anger, love of the world,—the genuine fruits of that “carnal mind” which is “enmity against God.”

To reinforce the point, Paul quotes David, the great king of Israel, who knew both the depths of sin and the sweetness of forgiveness. After his guilt with Bathsheba and Uriah, David could sing: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin” (vv. 7–8; Ps. 32:1–2).

Illustration from Psalm 103:12: David also wrote, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” That’s the reality of justification: our sins are taken away, erased from the record, never again to be charged to us.

Application: This means forgiveness is not a wage to be earned but a gift to be received. Like David, we are deeply flawed, yet completely forgiven. Wesley reminds us that justification is God’s declaration of pardon—our guilt removed forever because of Christ. Those who trust in Him are the most blessed people in the world, because the question of their sin has been settled once and for all.

3. Justification by Faith Is for All

Paul then asks: “Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? … We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before” (vv. 9–10, ESV).

Abraham was declared righteous before he was circumcised. That means justification is not tied to ritual or heritage. He is the father of all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike.

Wesley echoed this truth in plain terms: God’s grace, through Christ, is the only ground of justification, and it is freely offered to every human being without exception.

Paul tells us that before faith came, we were imprisoned under the law. But now that Christ has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (v. 26). He continues: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (vv. 28–29, ESV). What does that mean? It means the promise to Abraham has broken down every dividing wall. Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, male and female—all are equal at the cross, all are heirs through faith.

Application: The church must reflect this reality. We dare not add cultural, social, or religious barriers to the gospel. Our welcome must be as wide as God’s—open to every person who trusts Christ. At the foot of the cross, the ground is level, and in Christ, we are one family, heirs together of the promise given long ago to Abraham.

Conclusion

Romans 4:1–12 reminds us that justification is by faith, not by works; by grace, not by merit; and for all, not for a select few. Abraham’s story is our story when we, too, believe God’s promise.

Wesley closed his sermon with this conviction: Faith is the one condition God has chosen for justification. We are justified by faith alone, and this is the message we must proclaim to sinners and saints alike.

So I invite you: stop striving, lay down your pride, and stretch out the hand of faith. For God justifies the ungodly, and in Christ you are declared righteous.

Would you like me to now create a polished Word document that includes this updated manuscript and the reflection questions together, so you have a complete teaching package ready to use?