Righteousness Credited

Righteousness

Righteousness, we have been looking at it for weeks, and we will continue to look at it, its need, its provision, its display, its application then and application today.

Righteousness Needed (Rom1:18-3:20)

All are guilty; all are without excuse

Righteousness revealed (Rom1:17)

Righteousness revealed from faith to faith

Righteousness received (Rom3:21-22)

Righteousness is apart from work

Righteousness received is witnessed by law and the prophets

Righteousness displayed and demonstrated (Rom3:25)

Righteousness displayed and demonstrated is in Christ jesus whom by His blood was the propitiation of our sins.

Today, Righteous credited and pictured (Rom4:1-12)

So this morning we will glean from the text

Then look at Abraham a picture of righteousness (vv.1-5)

David and example of righteousness (vv.6-8)

Faith of uncircumcised and circumcised (vv.9-12)

Look at the text

Romans 4:1–2 NASB95

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Romans 4:3–4 NASB95

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

Romans 4:5–6 NASB95

5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Romans 4:7–8 NASB95

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered. 8 “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”

Romans 4:9–10 NASB95

9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;

Romans 4:11–12 NASB95

11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.

What did you observe in reading though this text?

What did Abraham, the forefather know (vv.1-2)?

How was Abraham justified, or credited righteousness (v.3)?

There is a contrast found (vv.4-5) What is it?

David speaks of blessings, who are the blessed (vv.6-9)?

What is the sign, the seal of righteousness on Abraham (v.11)?

Who is the sign a sign to (vv.11-12)?

Abraham a picture of righteousness

I think most people like a good picture, even a good word picture or illustration. Paul paints a picture of righteousness needed, righteousness provided, and now righteousness received and displayed.

Chapters 1-3 give us the low down, we are all guilty, all fall short of the glory of God (3:23); there is none righteous, no not one (3:10)

Now to keep things in context and keep the scripture flowing, the break into chapter 4 is not a great break so let me back up.

Romans 3:28–29 NKJV

28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,

Romans 3:30 NKJV

30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Then we get to chapter 4

Romans 4:1–2 NKJV

1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Romans 4:3–4 NKJV

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Romans 4:5 NKJV

5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

(Insert: Abraham an example of faith picture here)

Paul uses Abraham to paint the picture

Abraham who they, Roman Jews, Jewish Christians would know. He who they all claimed to be their father (Jn8:39). u

Paint a picture of righteousness by faith (Rom4:3; Gen15:6)

It was believed by the Jewish Rabbi’s at the time that Abraham was justified by works, by keeping the law, in intuition or anticipation.

But that is not what the scripture says (v.3) says “Abraham believed God and was accounted him as righteousness.” That is what Gen15:6 says.

Makes a claim, justification apart from works (vv.1-3)

Paul does not say that Abraham was righteous in all his doings, but that God accounted him as righteousness.

Abraham’s righteousness did come from performing good deeds, but from belief in God, it was righteousness that was obtained through faith.

For if it was by works, then he would have something to boast about.

Claim evidenced (vv.4-5)

Paul presents the evidence.

Works is something you earn, grace/righteousness is something you receive, it is a gift, it is received by faith (belief).

You have to decide, if salvation is through works, through law keeping as in the Old Testament, or saved by grace through faith and accounted as righteousness because of your faith.

Commentator Guzik says “Because of the New Covenant we have benefits of salvation that O.T. saints did not have but we do not have a different manner of salvation.” - - - faith from the beginning was needed!

You’re the jury, you decide, it’s one way or the other

The Law, works, which demands perfection

Or by faith which is trusting God to justify the ungodly.

God’s personal righteousness is the ground of our justification; our faith is the means in which to obtain it.

It was faith for Abraham, and it is the same for us. Abraham believed God and acted accordingly, we too believe God and act accordingly. Our faith, like Abraham becomes obedient.

(Transition) so we the jury like the word picture of righteousness a part from works that Paul (witness one) paints using Abraham (witness two) and this leads us to (witness three) - David

David, and example of righteousness

Another example, another picture, another witness, that now brings in the blessedness of the one who is justified by faith, accounted righteousness by faith.

Abraham was the first example, set the precedence

David confirms it (Rom4:6-7; Ps32:1-11)

Paul is using David quoting from Ps32: take a minute and turn with me there, please. I want to read it briefly

Ps32:1-3 “1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! (This is the quote used, but there is so much in this psalm, I have to read it all) 3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long.”

Ps32:4-6 “4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. 6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.”

ps32:7-9 “7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.”

ps32:10-11 “10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”

How beautiful is that? A picture here of acknowledging sin, confessing, repenting, returning and rejoicing. From discipline to a display of forgiveness and being accounted as righteousness by faith.

So, witness one was prior to the Old Covenant/The Law, witness two is Paul stating it, and witness three was under the Law. So the old way, new way, was the same way, one is justified, made righteous only by faith. And faith is not partial, it is for all.

Faith of uncircumcised and circumcised

Plenty of blessings to go around, Paul demonstrates, illustrates that in our final passage this morning.

Abraham was blessed, accounted as righteousness while yet uncircumcised. (vv.9-10; Gen17:10-11)

Romans 4:9–10 NKJV

9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.

From scripture we know Abraham was accounted as righteousness before circumcision, but what more can we learn from this passage?

It is available to all, both circumcised and uncircumcised, all by faith, since Abraham was accounted prior to circumcision, which we do not see until Gen17:10-11, some 14 years later.

Genesis 17:10–11 NASB95

10 “This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 “And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.

So, really the first covenant was not the law, it was circumcision (with Abraham as a result of faith), then came the covenant of the Law of Moses.

Abrahams circumcision demonstrated his faith. and that by faith both the circumcised and the uncircumcised can be saved, made righteous by faith. (vv. 11-12)

Romans 4:11–12 NKJV

11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

What was the seal of righteousness (v.11)?

Circumcision was, a seal of righteousness of faith

So that he would be father to all who believe

Then in (v.12) we see another type of circumcision, one by faith, the same one Abraham had, but his was physical, ours is spiritual, for he was accounted as righteousness prior to circumcision.

Consider

Colossians 2:11–12 NKJV

11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

It was simple faith, with the information that Abraham had. And it was limited, where we have the whole counsel of God, He did not. But it accounted him as righteousness

It is simple faith for us today that saves us. Not knowing all things, but the things that lead us to be accounted as righteousness, when? Look at Col2:11-12, when? How?

Let me close with one more quote and a summation.

William Barclay “Jewish teachers of Paul’s day had a saying: ‘What is written of Abraham is also written of his children,’ meaning that promises given to Abraham extend to his descendants. Paul heartily agreed with this principle, and extended the principle of being justified by faith to all Abraham’s spiritual descendants, those who believe, who also walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham.”

Abraham had simple faith, He believe God

We have simple faith, we believe God and in Jesus Christ

Abraham obeyed God, we too obey God

Abraham was accounted as righteousness, we too by faith become the righteousness of God.

(Prayer) (Exit)