Faith Alone
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Faith Alone
Faith Alone
9 Is this blessing only for the circumcised, then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness. 10 In what way then was it credited—while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. 12 And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised. 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise is canceled. 15 For the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression. 16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants —not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all
Justification by Faith Alone
Unbelief — Think about the characteristics of Unbelief for a moment.
Powerful, Tenacious, Subtle, It’s the whole tragedy of man’s unbelief, when one argument is demolished, another is immediately raised. Man in sin is always anxious to claim a little credit for himself.
Two Objections and the first is
Circumcision
Circumcision
What is the relationship of justification by faith to circumcision?
Notice his argument — He begins with a question:
Is this blessing only for the circumcised, then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised?
And he answers it. How does he answer his question?
He answers it with Old Testament history — He answers it from the Scripture. And this reminds us of the place of the OT and the teaching of the OT and how we should think of the OT. It’s impossible to really follow his argument and for that matter, the argument of the NT, without the knowledge of the OT. Every good Jew would know the history of Abraham and so should every Christian.
And so, what is the answer?
It comes at the end of verse 9 and then with another question.
Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness. 10 In what way then was it credited—while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised.
It’s first a straightforward answer: “Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.”
Then with another question he zeros in on the reason and the reason Abraham’s faith was credited for righteousness and that is — Was it when he was circumcised or uncircumcised?
6 Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.
This is where Abraham’s faith was credited for righteousness.
11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
This is where
11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
This is where Abraham was circumcised. Like the age-old question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
This is where
Which came first the faith or the circumcision?
Faith was first, demonstrating that circumcision has nothing to do with salvation — absolutely nothing!
And by the way, according to Genesis, the chicken came first.
And now, what is the obvious question?
What is the reason for Circumcision?
First — Circumcision was an outward sign, a seal of the righteousness (vs 11). Seal means to authenticate. — “Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His SEAL of approval on Him.” This refers to the Lord’s baptism, and it means that at His baptism He was publicly sealed with the sign of the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove upon Him. The same word is also used in — “you were also SEALED with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.” And this means that having the Holy Spirit is knowing that all God promises to me is already mine in a very real sense. It is sealed. And what the apostle is saying here in Romans is that in the same way circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign to authenticate the imputation of righteousness to him — and get this, 14 Years before. In other words the teaching here is, that circumcision of itself did not do anything to Abraham. The reason for it was that Abraham should have the promise made sure to him; it was to seal it to him. In other words, circumcision played no part in Abraham’s justification. It’s the other way around. Justification is the basis upon which circumcision is given.
The second is “This was to make him the father of all who believe but are NOT CIRCUMCISED, so that righteousness may be credited to them also.” What does that mean? Abraham is the father, or we might say the pattern, or the leading example or the archetype, the first in a great succession. Or we can say it this way — it is in the case of Abraham that God defines righteousness and establishes and declares explicitly the principle on which anyone is made righteous before God. Not that Abraham was the first, because there was Abel, Enoch, Noah — but in Abraham God makes it plain and clear and explicit that this is the only way God justifies men.
But Paul doesn’t leave it there.
But Paul doesn’t leave it there.
The question can then be asked:
Who exactly are the children of Abraham?
First — Verse 11 — Abraham is father of all who believe though they are not circumcised. Look at it with me. Verse 11 — “This was to make him (Abraham) the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also.” It was necessary to emphasize this because the Jews believed those who were uncircumcised could not possibly justified. The proof he gives is that Abraham himself was justified by faith while yet uncircumcised.
Second — verse 12 — Abraham is the father of all who are circumcised, IF they believe.
12 And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.
To Sum It All Up
To Sum It All Up
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.
The children of Abraham are those, and those alone, who have the faith of Abraham. What absolutely matters is not circumcision, but faith.
28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God.
That was circumcision as an objection. Now there is another objection and that is in verses 13-16 dealing with the Law.
The Law
The Law
What then is the relationship of justification by faith to the Law?
First, Paul makes a categorical statement and assertion:
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
Romans
Not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
What’s the point here?
What does Paul mean by “the promise?”
7 He also said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
But even more clearly in
16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed My command.”
Paul shows he is referring to this promise by what he says in
18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.
The point to grasp here is that this promise was given to Abraham — WHEN?
17 And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise.
And look closely at verse 13 again!
What was the promise to Abraham? Was it the “Promised Land?”
No! It was the whole world.
5 The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:
The promise to Abraham must not be limited to the Promised Land — It extends to the whole earth. It is true that the promise to the children of Abraham after the flesh was the Promised Land, but for the children of Abraham “by faith” (the last words of verse 13). Those who are his spiritual seed.
What is the connection for these children to be Abraham’s children?
The Seed
This is of crucial importance.
16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ.
Galatians
This is the true interpretation and understanding of the promise in
7 I will keep My covenant between Me and you, and your future offspring throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you. 8 And to you and your future offspring I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession, and I will be their God.”
The connection to being children of Abraham is that we are only his seed by being in Christ.
Being in Christ makes us Abraham’s seed and therefore heirs according to the promise.
Ephesians 2:
12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.
This is what we rejoice in.
In other words, we must no longer or never think of these things in terms of Jews and Gentiles, circumcision or uncircumcision, under the Law or outside of the Law.
11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
11
Justification is by faith alone and not determined by any other considerations.