Romans Sermon #16 — 4:1-8 (What Makes A Man Righteous?)

Text: Romans 4:1-8

Subject: According to Paul how does a man become righteous?

Complement: By Faith

CIT: According to Paul a man becomes righteous by faith

Purpose: To remind Keene Baptist Church that there is no other way to be made right with God then ceasing from works and trusting in the finished work on Calvary.

Introduction

(Read Text and pray)

A little review from last week. Pastor Shives finished up Romans chapter 3 last Wed. night. It was a section in dealing with being saved by faith without the deeds of the law and how boasting is excluded.

Keep in mind we are still in the section of ‘’The righteousness of God’’ and that will go through (8:39)

But we are in a sub section that deals with justification by faith and we started that in (3:21-5:21)

The earlier chapters of Romans, Paul makes it clear that all humanity—both Jews and Gentiles—stands guilty before God. He also explains that God has provided a way for sinners to be made righteous through Christ. In chapter 4, Paul focuses on how this righteousness is received.

Paul addresses a Jewish audience, so he draws on the Old Testament, using Abraham and other patriarchs as examples and referring to familiar Jewish customs. The central message of Romans 4 is that we are justified by faith, not by works or rituals.

If you have been listing and have been reading the first three chapters then chapter number four is a delightful chapter, because it gives us the answer to the problem that has been explain in the first three chapters. If you have ever found yourselves in those chapters condemned in your sin, out of excuses, under the judgement of God, then there is no greater news then chapter number four.

1. The Example Paul Uses (VV. 1-3)

A. Abraham’s Reputation Examined (VS 1)

Why does Paul use Abraham? Because Paul knew the Jews first response would be, ‘’what about our father Abraham?’’ And until Paul has dealt with Abraham, he can get no where with the Jew, because Abraham was the father of all the Jews and the great prototype of all the saved. Israel looked back to him as the father of the faithful; and so Paul must explain the question of how he was justified, which he does in chapter 4.

B. What Abraham Is Not Justified By (VS. 2)

Paul makes it clear that if Abraham had been justified by works, then he would have something to boast about—but not before God.

In other words, if Abraham’s standing with God was based on what he did, then Abraham could take credit for it. He could point to his obedience, his sacrifices, or his faithfulness and say, “This is why I am righteous.” But Paul immediately shuts that down by adding, “but not before God.”

A man might look righteous in the eyes of others. People might admire his life and think highly of him. But when that same man stands before a holy God, all boasting disappears. God does not measure righteousness by human comparison, but by His perfect standard. And let me tell you according to Romans 3:23 when it comes to God’s standard we all fall short.

Even Abraham, as great as he was, could never meet that standard by his works. His obedience, though real, was not perfect. His life, as we’ve seen, included moments of weakness and failure as pastor has preached on Sunday morning. So if Abraham were saved by works, it would give him a reason to boast—but that kind of righteousness would never hold up before God.

The point: No one, not even Abraham, can stand before God based on their own works.

And as we’ve been seeing in the messages on Abraham’s life, his journey was not one of perfect obedience, but of growing faith. That fits exactly with Paul’s argument—Abraham was not accepted because he was flawless, but because he trusted God.

You have a clear understanding of the gospel when it humbles you and it take the boasting out of you.

When you understand grace you will not boast of your works. Abraham is not in Heaven because he was good, he is in Heaven because God is good.

C. What Abraham Is Justified By (VS 3)

1. Abraham’s Righteousness

Paul uses the scriptures to prove his point.

In this Paul points back to Genesis 15:6, Psalms 106:31

‘’Paul quotes Scripture which takes on particular force for the Jew, because it takes them right back to Genesis 15 where it is recorded that God promised to Abraham certain things.

‘’In essence the Jew asked, ‘’Didn’t works have something to do with it?’’ So Paul addressed himself to this question in verses 4,5

2. The Explanation Paul Gives (VV. 4–5)

A. The Difference Between Wages and Grace (V. 4)

Now Paul explains the principle.

When a man works, his reward is not a gift—it is something owed to him. It is a wage.

If righteousness came by works, then God would owe it to us. It would no longer be grace.

That the whole purpose of grace!

The point: Salvation is not something God owes—it is something God gives.

Romans Original Meaning

When we “work,” an employer pays us wages not “as a gift” but “as an obligation” (v. 4).

I remember as when I was around 12 or 13 I got my first job picking strawberries in a strawberry patch, and I got paid $5 dollars a hour, I thought that was big money back then. I got paid somewhere around $20-$25 and the boss didn’t give me that money out of an act of grace.

No, that was a wage that I had earned.

So, one way you can have something credited to your account is a wage that you have earned. But lets look at verse 5

B. The Declaration of the Ungodly (V. 5)

Lets look at the contrast, (VS. 4 ‘’But to him that worketh’’) (VS. 5 ‘’But unto him that worketh not’’)

The person that works in verse 4 whatever he gets is not grace, its a debt. But the person in verse 5 realizes he can’t work, so he just believes and in believing righteous is credited to him without works.

But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

This is one of the most powerful statements in the passage. God justifies the ungodly.

God does not wait for a man to become righteous—He declares righteous the one who believes.

The point: God saves sinners who trust Him, not those who try to earn it. Your works will not work when it comes to justification.

3. The Confirmation Paul Shows (VV. 6–8)

A. David’s Testimony of Blessing (VV. 6–7)

If Abraham wasn’t enough Paul now bring David in the conversion

It would be hard to find a man in Israel’s history with more success than David.

It would be hard to find a man in Israel’s history with more sin than David.

He commited adultery, and murder to try and hide his sin.

There is no way you are going to hold David up to justification by works because he was a sinner as much as any other man.

But when David was confronted with his sin he broke down in repentance. David found out that he lived under a law that had no way to save him.

Paul now brings in another witness—David—and quotes from Psalms 32.

David describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”

David speaks of forgiveness—not achievement.

The point: True blessing is found in being forgiven, not in earning righteousness.

So what is the connection with Abraham and David? They both have a record that they came short of the glory of God, and none of us would say that they earned righteous.

But yet they are justified. How is that? Because they believed God.

Understanding Romans Understanding Romans

It is noteworthy that being justified without works is described as a blessing. Indeed it is!

B. The Blessing of Forgiveness (V. 8)

“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

What a statement—God not counting sin against us.

This is the other side of justification:

Righteousness is credited to us

Sin is not counted against us

The point: Justification means our sin is removed and Christ’s righteousness is given.

Not by works. Not by religion. Not by effort. But by faith alone.

Abraham believed God. David trusted in God’s forgiveness. And both were declared righteous—not because of what they did, but because of what they believed.

Subject: According to Paul how does a man become righteous?

Complement: BY FAITH!

CIT: According to Paul a man becomes righteous by faith.

Conclusion:

Do the lost first:

To the saved:

If you are saved tonight, this passage ought to humble you and excite you!

You are not saved because you earned it. You are not kept because you deserve it. You are saved because God, in His grace, credited righteousness to your account when you believed.

There is no room for boasting—only gratitude.

And it also ought to give you assurance. If your righteousness came by faith, then it does not rest on your performance—it rests on God’s promise.

When is the last time we have taken time to thank the Lord for being justified by faith alone.

To the lost:

If you are here tonight and you have never trusted Christ, this passage leaves you with a clear choice.

You can try to work your way to God— You can try to be good enough— You can try to clean up your life—

But you will never make it.

But here is the good news:

God justifies the ungodly.

That means you don’t have to fix yourself first. You don’t have to clean yourself up. You don’t have to earn anything.

You simply have to believe.

Believe that Christ died for your sins. Believe that He paid the price you could never pay. Believe in the finished work on Calvary.

And the moment you do, God will do for you what He did for Abraham— He will credit righteousness to your account.