Romans 4: Saving Faith

As we have naviaged through Romans, Paul has clearly show us the wickedness of humanity, and how the law could not save us. No matter how moral we are, or how religious the Jews were, it was not thier religion which saved them. God was after a circumcision of heart, and something deeper than superficial obedience. God was after thier heart.

To build this point, Paul pointed out in chapter 3 that even the Prophets of Old achieved a righteousness that was apart from the law.

Romans 3:21

Romans 3:21 NIV

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

So, we find, that even the great men of the Old Testament, were not justified by the law. It was not religious activity that did it.

Paul is going to show that the gospel of God is not counter to what we see in the Old Testament, but rather, it is the fulfillment of it, and what the law and the prophets had been pointing to.

The example Paul is going to use is Abraham. And by using Abrahams example, he is going to show clearly that justification with God was never by works.

For our message today are going to look at Roman 4 through the lense of 3 questions:

1.How Are We Saved?

2.When Are We Saved?

3. Will You Be Saved?

Question 1: How Was Abraham Saved?

Romans 4:1–2 NIV

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.

First, Verse 1 tells us how Abraham was not saved. He was not saved because he was a “good man”. He was not saved because of all the righteous acts he did. He was not saved because of circumcision or cutting of his flesh.

The reason Paul uses Abraham is significant. Abraham was the forefather of the faith, and the preeminent example of righteousness in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 41:8 God calls Abraham, “my friend”

Isaiah 41:8 NIV

8 “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,

In Genesis it says this about him:

Genesis 26:5

Genesis 26:5 NIV

5 because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.”

The reason Paul uses the example of Abraham is because if anyone could be justified by works, it would appear to be Abraham. If anybody could take credit or find value in their goodness, it would be Abraham.

But as Romans 4:2 tells us:

Romans 4:2 NIV

2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.

In other words, Paul says that Abraham may have been able to boast before men, but he could not before God. It may look good and righteous according to wordly standards, but not God’s perfect standard. God does not look at our works at any point as means of justification. Abraham, the forefather of the faith, and arguably one of the most righteous men of the Old Testament, could not be justified by his own actions. And if that is true for Abraham, then how much truer would that be for the Jewish people.

So if Abraham was not saved by being righteous, then how was he saved? Romans 4:3 tell us:

Romans 4:3

Romans 4:3 NIV

3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Abraham believed God! Abraham was not made righteous by what he did. He first believed God’s promises! Simply put, he took God at His word. the next few verses show us how this works.

Romans 4:4-8

Romans 4:4–8 NIV

4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

Paul says, righteousness is not a wage you earn! It is not something we have to work to recieve. We do not have the resources to purchase this. And truly, the wages we deserve are not salvation but death (as Paul later shares in Romans 6:23. )

Salvation is never owed you! If you work at your job, and they do not pay you, you can file a complaint. You can rightly say, “I’ve earned this. You owe this to me.” But salvation is never like that!

You can never say, God I’ve done all these good things so I deserve this. That religion. Faith says, “I did nothing to earn this, its a gift”

Salvation is a gift! And the only way you recieve a gift is not by working, but by trusting and beliving that when the person says it is yours, it is yours. It has to be by faith!

Abraham was Saved By Faith in God’s Promise

Abraham did not try to earn God’s promise. He merely believed God’s promise. He took God at His word.

This is how we are saved.

Some folks will say to me, “I”ll come to Jesus once I get my life together. I’ll come to God when the time is right” They are making salvation something they can earn by being better. They think that if they work harder and do better, then God will pay them the salvation they deserve! No! It never works this way.

Salvation is a gift through Jesus Christ.

Anytime you ask God to give you what you deserve, there is only hell and destruction. But if you recieve His gift, you will find life.

If Salvation is a gift, why do we reject it?

Some of us may feel we are unworthy of it. Some of us may feel we are not good enough. All of this is true. But this is why it is a gift!

The person that is saved is not better, most often they are weaker. They come to the end of themselves and cast themselves entirely on the grace of God.

Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9–14 NIV

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

We referred to this parable a few weeks ago, but it is important. The tax collecter, the wicked man, was justified! How? Because he did not exalt himself, but simply asked for the mercy of God! He opened his hand to recieve the gift of God. He did not try to earn it, because he knew he couldn’t. And because he knew he couldn’t, he was more able to recieve the gift.

The Pharisee could not recieve justification because he belived he had earned it! It is always by grace!

One way to understand this is through a very familiar image in the Old Testament.

Leviticus 4:32-35

Leviticus 4:32–35 NIV

32 “ ‘If someone brings a lamb as their sin offering, they are to bring a female without defect. 33 They are to lay their hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. 34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 35 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.

This was called the passover lamb. And when they sacricied this lamb, they placed thier hand on it. This blood of this spotless lamb would provide atonement for sins they had commited. So the blood attoned for thier sins. They belived it and trusted it

In the same way, and in a deeper way, Jesus is the lamb that was slain for us.

1Peter 2:9

1 Peter 1:18–19 NIV

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Christ is the lamb of God slain.

And as they belived God then with that blood, they would have to trust God again with this blood.

There is no earning here, only recieving. And by the blood.

So first, How was Abraham Saved? He was Saved By Faith in God’s Promise.

This Next Question is Important

Question 2: When Was Abraham Saved?

Romans 4:9-15

Romans 4:9–15 NIV

9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

The next question for the Jewish people would be around the issue of circumsision. What relationship did circumcision have to his salvation? Because circumcision was the outward and visible sign of being apart of God’s people. It was a sign of the covenant. To partake in the priviledges of being a part of God’s people, you had to be circumsized.

So the question would have been, well if Abraham was justified by faith, that principle is not for everybody…just his circumcized offspring. It could have been argued, for instance, that yes, people can be saved by trusting in God, but the only people that could be saved this way were the Jews. The circumcized people. For that is the nature of the covenant.

Paul pushes back on this. He notes that Abraham was not circumsized and then declared righteous by faith, but rather, declared righteous by faith and then was circumsized.

Genesis 15:6

Genesis 15:6 NIV

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Then two chapters later:

Genesis 17:10-14

Genesis 17:10–14 NIV

10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Heres Paul’s point. He was justified before he was circumsized! Not after. Meaning, Abrahams righteousness was by faith. And if he was justified before he was circumsized, how much more was he justified before the law.

You see? Salation was before the law!

This means,

We are Saved By Faith Even Before We Obey The Law

Circumcision was the outward and visible reflection of what he beliieved.

We are Saved Not By Good Works, But For Good Works!

As One commentator wrote:

Romans: An Introduction and Commentary B. Two Old Testament Precedents (4:1–8)

For Abraham’s good works, his obedience to the divine commandments, were the fruit of his unquestioning faith in God; had he not first believed the promises of God he would never have set out for the promised land or conducted his life there in the light of what he knew of God’s will

Question 3: Will You Be Saved?

Romans 4:18-25

Romans 4:18–25 NIV

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

As we end Romans 4, we come face to face with the nature Abrahams faith and what he belived. As we end this chapter, I want to ask you the question, “Will You Be Saved?” Abraham lays out foundations of his faith, and what enabled him to have saving faith.

Verse 19 says that he was not weakened in his faith, but believed. What did he believe? Verse 19 tells us one aspect:

Romans 4: 19

Romans 4:19 NIV

19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.

In order to be saved, you must face the fact that you need salvation!

You are weak. You are dying. You are broken. You need help.

Some of us our problem is that we can not face the fact that we are as good as dead! That we are frail and broken! We need to come face to face with our brokenness.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 “2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.”

If you will be saved, you must face this reality!

but not just this: Romans 4 continues:

Romans 4:20

Romans 4:20 NIV

20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

2. If you are going to be saved, you must be willing to live a life that gives glory to God!

See, Salvation may be for you, but it is not about you. Salvation is for the glory of God. This means that if you see you need help, but only want to be saved so you can get out of hell, but not so that you can give God glory, you can not be saved.

Matthew 5:16

Matthew 5:16 NIV

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We are saved for God’s glory! If you do not want to be a light to point others to the one who saves, this is not saving faith.

Paul continues:

Romans 4:21 NIV

21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

3. If you are going to be saved, you must trust and believe in Jesus’ power to keep and sustain you.

You see, some of you know you need to be saved, and know that you need to live for God, but miss this last point. You do not belive that God can keep you and empower you to do it. You do not trust His power.

Do you belive that God is able to take a weak and wicked person like you and bring you to life? Do you belive that he can? Don’t you know how powerful He is?

Many of us run from salvation because we imagine that our failures are too much for God. We imagine that God can’t save someone like you. You think that you mess up too much. This is a lie.

Trust in God’s power and belive that He can!

Remember what we said in chapter 1

Romans 1:16-18

Romans 1:16–17 NIV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

This is the gospel! Do you belive this? Do you belive that God has the power to save you and help you to live by faith?

So will you be saved?

Have you seen you sinfulness?

Are you willing to llive for the glory of Jesus?

Do you belive that he can save you and keep you?

Then its time to come.

Romans 4:22-25

Romans 4:22–25 NIV

22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

The God who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will raise all those who trust in Him!

Will You Be Saved?