Justified By Faith

I. God justifies based on faith, not works (Romans 4:1-8).

A. Paul is speaking of Abraham (Romans 4:1).

B. Justification by works gives reason for boasting (Romans 4:2).

— God specifically has made salvation by grace through faith so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

C. Paul appeals to God’s Word to show that Abraham was justified by faith (Romans 4:3).

— Remember the importance of what we talked about before how that every word in the Bible has been given to us by God. Paul believed this, and he is appealing to it.

D. God counts the efforts of those who try to make up for their offenses toward Him through works as a debt to Him instead of fully paid for (Romans 4:4).

E. God counts those who come to Him through faith instead of works as righteous (Romans 4:5).

— Accounted is our word for “credit.”

— We use the same thing when balancing a checkbook or an accounting ledger. You put what you owe in the debit column, and you put what you receive in the credit column.

F. David speaks of how blessed the person is who is in this state of righteousness by faith before God (Romans 4:6-8).

— This is from Psalm 32.

— The blessing is this: when we deliberately sin against God, God forgives us. When we deliberately sin against Him, in His accounting book, God wipes out our sin (debt) and instead puts in righteous (credit).

II. God justifies anyone who believes (Romans 4:9-12).

A. Paul asks them if only those who partake in the outward covenant symbol of the Jews can be saved (Romans 4:9).

B. However, Abraham was justified before he was given the outward covenant symbol of the Jews (Romans 4:10).

C. Circumcision was a sign of Abraham’s faith and justification. It did not justify Him (Romans 4:11a).

— In the same way, works are a sign of our faith in God. They do not justify us (Ephesians 2:10).

D. Abraham is our example of the reality that we can be justified before God without works (Romans 4:11b-12).

III. God justified Abraham because Abraham believed God (Romans 4:13-25).

A. The promise to Abraham and his descendants that they would receive what God had promised was not through the Mosaic Law but through grace in faith (Romans 4:13).

B. If the promise would only be fulfilled through the law, then there would be no reason for faith, and the promise would not be fulfilled (Romans 4:14).

— The promise would be cancelled because the law produces judgment, not grace (Romans 4:15).

C. God has determined that justification is by faith so that it might be all of grace and not of works (Romans 4:16).

D. Abraham believed what God had said (Romans 4:17a).

— God spoke to Abraham as if He had already fulfilled His promise, and Abraham believed that God would do what He said. This is seen where God told Abraham “I have made thee a father of many nations” (Romans 4:17b). Notice that God did not say He would make Abraham a father of many nations. He spoke to Abraham like it had already happened, and Abraham believed. That’s why Abraham’s faith was counted for righteousness. He trusted God’s words even though he hadn’t seen it yet.

— The same is true for us. We trust God’s words even though we haven't seen all that He will do yet. God said He would resurrect our bodies someday as part of our salvation. Faith means belief; and, therefore, I believe that will happen even though I haven’t seen it yet.

E. Abraham believed God even though the circumstances stated he shouldn’t (Romans 4:18-19).

— Abraham believed God would give Him descendants as the sand of the sea even though he and Sarah were well beyond the age of having kids

F. Abraham was fully convinced and did not waver in his faith. He fully believed God could and would do what He said. There was not a single doubt in his mind. This is why his faith was counted as righteousness (Romans 4:20-22).

G. God didn't tell Abraham that his faith was counted for righteousness just for Abraham’s sake. It was recorded for our sake so that we might be fully convinced and believe on Jesus and His death on the cross for us and His resurrection (Romans 4:23-25).