Romans 4:1- 11

Faith is what saves you.

I am starting this section tonight very unconventionally. I usually begin the text with chapter discussed. However, I want to begin with 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3

As we see, Paul warns the church of Thessalonica. Be careful. NOT ALL HAVE FAITH. No matter what anyone tells you many do not have faith. They have not been given ears to hear and eyes to see.

Abraham Justified by Faith

Read chapter 4

4:1 Notice the context. Our forefather according to the flesh. Paul is still addressing his Jewish audience within the jewish/gentile church. How do I know that? Because he says to the flesh. Abraham is not my forfather according the flesh. I am a gentile. Abraham is my forefather by Faith.

Paul destroys works based salvation

Romans 4:2-4 “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.”

Before we dig into these verses let’s see who sought who

Genesis 12:1–3 ESV

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Abraham was not seeking God but God sought him. God appeared to Abraham and gave him the Abrahamic covenant.

Abraham was saved and sanctified by God. God chose him for service and salvation. Jesus uses the same imagery. Jesus leaves the 99 and seekd the 1.

Romans 4:2 “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.”

Since God sought Abraham, he has nothing to boast over. God bestowed the Abrahamic covenant upon Abraham. Abraham didn’t asked for it. But it was a gift from God.

Romans 4:3 “For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.””

His righteousness was based on his faith in the LORD.

Romans 4:4 “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.”

Anyone who works is owed their wages. Their wages belong to them and them alone. The employer can’t say I have a gift for you and then give him his check. The employee would be like man you are crazy. This is my check. You owe me this. This is mine. This is exactly what Paul is saying salvation isn’t. Salvation is the direct opposite. God is saying here is your salvation. The person responds back this is not mine. God is like I know. It is a gift.

1 Corinthians 6:20 “for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Jesus paid for our gift. We were bought by him on the cross. Here is your salvation take it.

This is why righteousness is often described as clean white robes in the bible. It’s pointing back to God giving Adam and Eve their first covering at the fall. White is the symbol of pure unblemished. Robes are our new coverings. It is all pointing to our new natures in Christ.

What does this mean?

Salvation is not obtained by first doing a lot of works. Works based salvation looks like this. You do a bunch of religious things with all your human ability. God then looks at those works and decides if your are worthy enough. This is all religions in the world except for True Christianty.

Salvation through faith alone in Christ alone looks like his. No matter what a person tries to do it will never be good enough. Because God requires perfect obedience. In our fallen bodies, we can never be perfectly obedient. Ain’t gonna happen! Cant’t never happen!( Good english) Besides all that we look to Christ. Christ lived a perfect and sinless life. We put our faith in Christ and we recieve His righteousness. We receive His perfection. We then come before God and he looks at our works. This time our works are Christ’s works. The righteousness we have was obtained by Him Christ Jesus. The same one who stepped out of the tomb 3 days latter. He conquered Death and so can we.

Romans 4:7-8 ““Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.””

Church that is us. We are the ones whose sins have been covered. Our sins are not covered by a blanket as if laying on top of something. Our sins are covered by the Blood of the Son of God. There is nothing in this world more powerful than that to bind a covenant contract. This is why Christ said in

John 10:27-30 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.””

We can’t be snatched out of the Son’s hand because our eteranl life has been ratified in his blood. The last 6 words of that verse Jesus claims to be God.

Romans 4:9-11 “Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,”

How could it only be for the circumcised(Jews)? It was given to Abraham before He was circumcised. Remember these Jews are still struggling with the belief salvation was for the Jews only.

Romans 4:9–10 (ESV)

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

Romans 4:11 “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,”

The top half of this verse is what makes us Baptist. Circumcision was a sign of the faith he previously had. Baptism is a sign of the faith we previoulsy had. The faith came first then our act of obedience. The OT sign was circumcision and the NT sign is baptism.

As a seal of Righteousness this word seal is very important. The word seal goes back to a King with his signet ring. His ring was only worn by him. He would seal a letter with his signet. This sealed letter represented the King’s word. It could not be broken. The King’s word was law. We too have been sealed by the King. His word cannot be broken. We are his and we cannot be removed from his Kingdom.

Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

This is the same sealing. We belong to God. The King Eternal has bought us. We are the bride of Christ.

I love this next verse.

Romans 4:12 “and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.”