Faith And Justification or Law and Wrath

Romans 4:13–17 NKJV

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Just a quick recap. Rom 4 has been giving us the example of Abraham as absolute proof that righteousness is by faith.

We have seen that it is not of works because Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness

We have seen that it was not of circumcision because Abraham was credited with righteousness before he was circumcised.

We see today that it was not of the Law because the Law the Law only brings wrath not righteousness.

The righteousness of faith, as we have seen already, is not our righteousness but God’s righteousness which is credited to us. So God’s righteousness is manifest in two ways

1 by being credited to our account through faith

2 by being poured out through God’s wrath.

The greatest question on all of our minds should be how will God’s righteousness be revealed to me.

Paul tells us that we will not find the answer in our works, or our nationality, or in the keeping of the Law. The answer to this great question is in faith.

The promise was not through the Law

First let’s clarify what the “Promise” is.

Genesis 15:5–18 NKJV

5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. 7 Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” 8 And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—

God’s covenant was unconditional. God’s promise to Abraham is not if you do this then I will do this. It is just I the Lord God will do this.

God’s promise to us today through Jesus Christ under the New Covenant is the exact same. it is unconditional. Not if you do this or that then you will be saved. Just I will save you through Jesus Christ my Son. An unconditional Covenant still requires a response. that response is faith.

To miss this is to miss the gospel itself.

The Law Brings Transgression and Transgression Brings Wrath

Romans 4:14–15 NKJV

14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

First let clarify what is meant by “Law” Sometimes the “Law’ refers to the whole Old Testament. The Law and the prophets, sometimes it refers to the first five books of the Bible the Torah or the Pentateuch. But I don’t think this is what Paul has in mind here. I believe he is following the same argument here found in

Galatians 3:17–18 NKJV

17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Here I believe that Paul is referring to the Law as in the Law given to Moses on mount Sinai. More specifically I believe he is referring to the Law of the commandments. Thou shalt not lie, steal, covet etc.

So Paul is saying then that the Law brings wrath because where there is no Law there is no transgression or violation of the Law.

Every 2 year old teaches us that when there is a Law we will want to brake it.

Romans 7:7–13 NKJV

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. 13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

So the Law, any law, can never make us righteous or holily or acceptable to God.

If the Promise Does not come Through the Law, Then Why Does the Bible Teach That Obedience is Required for Receiving the Inheritance?

Genesis 22:16–18 NKJV

16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Righteous and all the promises of God are absolutely unconditional God. God has made a covenant with us through Jesus Christ that i just like the covenant with Abraham. He is the one who has passed the the bodies that have been separated He alone will do it. My response it to believe it by faith. However, this faith is a faith that changes me. It is like a tree that is planted in me and grows strong with it’s roots in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The tree grows and it produces fruit.

It must produce fruit or it is not the tree of faith. So it is not a contradiction for God to make an unconditional covenant with Abraham and then to later say to Abraham because of your obedience I will perform my covenant. Abraham’s obedience was the fruit of faith and it is for faith that God credited him with righteousness.

I think that there is a lot of confusion over salvation wether you can lose it or not. I believe that confusion comes from how we understand salvation.

We tend to talk about it and think about it as though it were a thing that we get, we take it home and put it on a self and we have it. Some believe that no one can ever take my salvation, God have given it to me and I can never lose it. Then others say no I must look after my salvation, it I don’t love it and polish it and care for it and lock it up at night then it might go missing and I will lose it.

But salvation is not a thing that we have or can lose it is a covenant, a promise by God that he has done it and He is doing it and He will do it. If I am not saved before the foundations of the world, today and on the day of wrath and for eternity then I’m not saved at all. It is to the uttermost on not at all. Salvation that only starts at some point and then stops is not salvation. My works did not save me nor do they save me nor will they keep me saved.

But like Abraham believed God and was credited with righteousness and then proceeded to life of obedience to God as the fruit of his faith, so it is for you and for me.

I began by saying that God’s righteousness is revealed in two different ways. Either it is credited to you through faith or it is manifest in the form of wrath of the day of wrath. If you will be saved on the day of wrath it will be through faith in Jesus Christ.