ROMANS 4: JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH IS NOTHING NEW.
• HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SOMETHING NEW FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IT HAS JUST BLOWN YOUR MIND AWAY? MAYBE IT HAS BECOME UNCOMFORTABLE, BECAUSE IT IS CHALLENGING ALL THOSE PRECONCEIVED IDEAS AND BELIEFS YOU HOLD. WHAT YOU HEAR DOESN’T FIT INTO YOU FRAMEWORK OF UNDERSTANDING AND SO IT LEAVES YOU THINKING. “HOW CAN THIS BE?”
ISN’T THE GOSPEL MESSAGE LIKE THAT? DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU HEARD IT? WAS IT NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND AND BELIEVE “HOW CAN THIS BE?” ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP WITH A RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND - CONSIDERED TO BE BORN A CATHOLIC OR PROTESTANT - BROUGHT UP TO GO TO CHURCH - LIKE FAMILY GENERATIONS BEFORE YOU –- GONE THROUGH SUNDAY SCHOOL - MAYBE YOU JUST SAT ON THE PERIPHERY BUT YOU HAD COMPLETELY INDOCTRINATED BY ITS RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS AND WORKS AND BELIEVED THAT BY THESE THINGS ONE WAS MADE RIGHT WITH GOD.
THEN YOU HEAR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, SOMETHING NEW TO YOUR EARS, THE GOSPEL MESSAGE: JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE. WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL RESPONSE? ACCEPTANCE OR SCEPTICISM?
IS IT NOT GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME FOR ALL THOSE WALLS OF DEFENCE AND BELIEF BUILT UP FROM CHILDHOOD TO COME CRUMBLING DOWN. AND SO IT WAS FOR THESE JEWS. PAUL HAS BROUGHT THE GOSPEL MESSAGE TO THEM HE HAS PROCLAIMED IT, HE HAS EXPLAINED IT, HE HAS DEFENDED IT. BUT THE JEWS ARE STILL HAVING DIFFICULTIES GRAPPLING WITH IT.
1. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IS NOTHING NEW : 3:27 A - 4:1-2 GEN 15: 6
SO PAUL IS GOING TO TAKE THEM TO THE VERY ROOTS OF THE JEWISH FAITH TO REVEAL “THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN” WHEN IT COMES TO JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.
THAT JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ISN’T JUST PAULINE THEOLOGY ( ADD ON ) OR PROTESTANT THEOLOGY, IT ISN’T CHRISTIANITY’S ADD ON TO THE JEWISH FAITH BUT IT’S GOD’S THEOLOGY RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING AND IT’S TAKEN FROM THE OT SCRIPTURES THEMSELVES.
HE PAINSTAKINGLY HAS MADE THAT APPARENT ALREADY ROM 1:2 THE GOSPEL HE PROMISED BEFOREHAND THROUGH HIS PROPHETS IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. ROM 3:21 BUT KNOW RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD, APART FROM THE LAW, HAS BEEN MADE KNOWN TO WHICH THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS TESTIFY.
PAUL IS SHOWING HIS COUNTERPARTS THAT THE WAY OF SALVATION HAS BEEN WITNESSED TO BY THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS AND THAT JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH RATHER THAN CONTRADICTING THE LAW AND PROPHETS ACTUALLY FULFILS IT. V31 .
THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAM:
IN CHAPTER 4 HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO DRIVE THIS POINT HOME, HE NO DOUBT HAD COME UNDER PRESSURE BY THOSE CRITICS WHO SAY, “THIS WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS SOMETHING NEW AND NEVER TAUGHT IN THE SCRIPTURES? WE’VE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE?”
PAUL TAKES HIS CRITICS TO THE OT SCRIPTURES AND FIRSTLY TO ABRAHAM THE FATHER OF THEIR FAITH. IN SO DOING HE WILL PROVE HIS POINT THAT JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IS NOTHING NEW. BUT SOMETHING THE SCRIPTURES CONFIRM.
• LET THE BIBLE DO THE TALKING C.H SPURGEON SAID ,” THE BIBE DOESNT NEEDED TO BE DEFENDED – JUST LET IT OUT OF ITS CAGE ITS A ROARING LION.”
V1-3 PAUL HAD COME TO SEE ABRAHAM AS THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF GODS PROMISES FOR THE WORLD IN GODS SALVATION PLAN. IT IS HERE IN GENESIS 15:6 WE SEE ABRAM TRUSTING IN GODS PROMISE TO GIVE HIM AN HEIR, BUT NOT ONLY ONE, BUT A PROMISE OF A FAMILY AS NUMEROUS AS THE STARS ABOVE SO SHALL HIS OFFSPRING BE. GEN 15: 6. ... ABRAHAM BELIEVED THE LORD AND HE CREDITED IT TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
WHY DIDN’T THEY SEE THIS?
THE MAIN ERROR OF MANY JEWS WAS THEIR INSISTENCE ON PROMOTING THE MOSAIC COVENANT (LAW) WHICH WAS GIVEN 430 YEARS LATER AT THE EXPENSE OF THE COVENANT PROMISES OF GOD TO ABRAHAM WHICH THEY SIMPLY FAILED TO SEE. PAUL HERE CLEARLY MAKES HIS POINT THAT JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IS NOTHING NEW ABRAM LIVED BY IT. IN GAL 3:15 -18. PAUL CONFIRMS THAT THE LAW DOES NOT SET ASIDE THE COVENANT ESTABLISHED BY GOD. V13 -14 HE EXPRESSES THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS DIDN’T ARRIVE THROUGH LAW BUT THROUGH THE PROMISE WHICH COMES BY FAITH.
THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAD LOST THIS TRUTH, PAUL WANTS THEM TO RE-DISCOVER IT . PAUL HAD TO UNPACK THIS TRUTH FOR THE SAKE OF OWN COUNTRY MEN WHO HE LOVED 2COR 3:13-16 BECAUSE THE LAW HAD BLINDED THEM THE OLD COVENANT WAS VEILED THEIR MINDS HAD BEEN MADE DULL
THROUGH THE CENTURIES THE CHURCH OF CHRIST HAS GONE THROUGH DARK TIMES , WHERE WHAT IT MEANS TO BELIEVE HAS BEEN DISTORTED HIDING ITS ORIGINAL INTENTION MAKING PEOPLE BLINKERED TO THE TRUTH BY CHURCH TRADITIONS, TEACHINGS AND ORDINANCES : AS A RESULT PEOPLE ARE UNABLE TO COMPREHEND THE TRUTH
IN THE 16TH CENTURY MARTIN LUTHER A CATHOLIC MONK STRUGGLING WITH HIS OWN STANDING BEFORE GOD , TRAPPED IN THE TRADITIONS OF THE CHURCH , GOT BACK TO THE SCRIPTURES AND THE REFORMATION PERIOD WAS BORN AS HE REDISCOVERED HIS TRUTH JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THEIR PAUL HAD TAUGHT IT ABRAM AND DAVID EXPRESSED IT BUT THE CHURCH HAD VEILED IT FOR CENTURIES.
HAS THE VEIL BEEN REMOVED FROM YOUR EYES YET? HAVE YOU COME TO SEE THAT JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH IS ‘NOTHING NEW’ BUT SOMETHING WAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN FIRMLY ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE COVENANT PROMISES OF GOD.
2. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IS NOT BY WORKS 3:27B -28 - 4:4-8
ANOTHER THING A JEW THOUGHT ABOUT ABRAM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WAS EARNED BY HIS PIOUS LIFE AND LAW KEEPING, PAUL REFUTES V 13 -15 WE MUST UNDERSTAND THERE HAD BEEN NO LAW GIVEN AT THAT TIME.. HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS SIMPLY CAME THROUGH FAITH, GOD’S RIGHTOUSNESS WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS A GIFT.
V2 IF, ABRAHAM WAS JUSTIFIED BY WORKS HE HAD SOMETHING TO BOAST ABOUT.
V4 - 5. IF A PERSON WORK 40 -50 HOURS AND RECEIVES A PAY CHECK THE FOLLOWING WEEK THAT’S NOT A GIFT BUT AN OBLIGATION, THEY’VE EARNED IT, IT’S DUE TO THEM, ITS OWED. THAT IS WORK BASED RELATED.
IN 201 THE READER’S DIGEST ASKED THE GREAT FIGHTER MUHAMMED ALI WHAT HIS FAITH MEANT TO HIM. ALI REPLIED: "[IT] MEANS [A] TICKET TO HEAVEN. ONE DAY WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE, AND GOD’S GOING TO JUDGE US, [OUR] GOOD AND BAD DEEDS. [IF THE] BAD OUTWEIGHS THE GOOD, YOU GO TO HELL; IF THE GOOD OUTWEIGHS THE BAD, YOU GO TO HEAVEN. [I’M] THINKING ABOUT THE JUDGMENT DAY AND HOW YOU TREAT PEOPLE WHEREVER YOU GO. HELP SOMEBODY THROUGH CHARITY, BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO, IT’S BEEN RECORDED. I GO TO PARTIES, [SEE] GOOD-LOOKING GIRLS. [I] TAKE A BOX OF MATCHES WITH ME. [I] SEE A GIRL I WANT TO FLIRT WITH, WHICH IS A SIN, SO I [LIGHT] MY MATCHES, [TOUCHES HIS FINGER] OOOH, HELL HURTS WORSE THAN THIS. BUY A BOX OF MATCHES AND CARRY THEM WITH YOU. PUT [ONE] ON YOUR FINGER AND SEE HOW LONG YOU CAN HOLD IT. JUST IMAGINE THAT’S GOING TO BE HELL. HELL’S HOTTER, AND FOR ETERNITY."
ALI IS RIGHT. HELL IS HOT. BUT THOSE WHO GO THERE DO SO NOT BECAUSE THEIR LIST OF GOOD WORKS IS TOO SHORT THAT IS ALL WRONG. THEY GO THERE BECAUSE THEIR BELIEF IN THEMSELVES IS TOO STRONG THEY THINK THEY CAN EARN ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD.
ITS BOASTING MUHAMMID ALI WAS ALWAYS GOOD AT THAT AND WE ARE TOO. BUT GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IS GIVEN AS A GIFT, TO ABRAHAM V3 AND TO DAVID V6 YOU NEVER EARN A GIFT IT IS GIVEN .V5 AND TO US ALSO "FOR IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED, THROUGH FAITH-- AND THIS NOT FROM YOURSELVES, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD--NOT BY WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST." (EPHESIANS 2:8-9)
THE POINT THAT PAUL WANTS TO CONVEY TO HIS COUNTRY MEN AND US THAT ABRAHAM AND DAVID BOTH O T JEWS WHO WERE CONSIDERED RIGHTEOUS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD NOT ON THE GROUND OF THEIR EXTERNAL LAW KEEPING OR THEIR INTERNAL SIGN OF CIRCUMCISION BUT UPON A RIGHTEOUSNESS RECEIVED BY SIMPLE FAITH.
I’VE GOT AN O2 MOBILE AND THE COMPANY ARE ALWAYS ADVERTISIVING BOLT ONS THESE ARE SERVICES WHICH YOU CAN ADD ONTO YOUR CONTRACT LITTLE EXTRAS WHICH JUST ADD THAT LITTLE BIT MORE TO YOU PHONE WHICH BECOME PART OF YOUR CONTRACT . AND SO IT IS MANY TODAY WILL ALSO TRY TO ADD THINGS ON
BEWARE OF TRYING TO ADD BOLT ON TO THE FAITH - THEY CAN BECOME PERMANT FIXTURES WHICH WE CAN’T DO WITHOUT: IN ACTS 10 : :28 – PETER WAS AT CORNELIUS HOME : YOU ARE WELL AWARE THAT IT IS AGAINST OUR LAW FOR A JEW TO ASSOCIATE WITH A GENTILE OR TO VISIT HIM . BUT GOD HAS SHOWN ME THAT I SHOULD NOT CALL ANY MAN IMPURE OR UNCLEAN.. YET IN GAL 2:14 -16 WE FIND PETER INFLUENCED BY FALSE BROTHERS AS HE STARTS FORCING GENTILE CHRISTIANS TO FOLLOW JEWISH CUSTOMS BY NOT SITTING WITH JEWISH CHRISTIANS , GOING BACK TO JEWISH (JEWISH DIETRY LAWS.
NO –BOLT ONS - CIRCUMCISION HAD BECOME A BOLT ON THAT HAD LEAD THE JEWS THAT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY WITH THEM AND GOD AS LONG AS THEY WERE CIRCUMCISEDM BUT IN VERSES 9 -12.
NO DIFFERENCE: V 9 -12 ABRAHAM IS FATHER OF AL, NOT JUST JEW : TO THOSE UNCIRCUMCISED – ABRAHAM RECEIVED THE PROMISE 24 YEARS BEFORE HE BECAME A JEW GEN 12:2-
4 - GEN 17:1 -5 (CIRCUMCISION IS THE SIGN BEING A JEW) BUT IN BOTH CASES IT TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT RIGHTOUSNES IS IMPUTED TO THEM. HIS NAME WAS CHANGED FROM ABRAM TO ABRAHAM WHICH MEANS ‘THE FATHER OF MANY NATIONS’ 4:17 SO TO NON JEW AND JEW WHO WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY WORKS GODS RIGHTOUSNESS WILL BE IMPUTED TO THEM THROUGH CHRIST.
3. JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH IS A BLESSED POSESSON V 6- 8.
• WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO POSSES IN THIS WORLD TODAY? MONEY – SUCCESS - FAME – HEALTH –POPULARITY - A GOOD FAMILY - THE MOST IMPORTANT POSESSION IS TO BE FORGIVEN TO BE ACCEPTED BY GOD TO BE DECLARED JUSTIFIFED BY GOD THROUGH THE IMPUTED RIGHTOUSNESS OF CHRIST.
REMMEMBER THE PARAYLYSED MAN IN THE HOUSE LOWERED DOWN AT CAPERNAUM – IN FRONT OF JESUS HIS GREATEST NEED WAS FIRSTLY ADDRESSED, “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.” WHAT A BLESSSD CONDITION THIS MAN WAS IN!
NOTICE IN THIS PSALM DAVID DOES NOT SPEAK AS A MAN WHO KNOWS HE DONE WELL AND EARNED FORGIVENESS BUT AS A MAN “WHO KNOWS HE’S SINNED AND YET HAS RECEIVED FORGIVENESS AND ENTERED INTO A BLESSED RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD .
A) THIS IS WHAT DAVID EXPERIENCED PAUL IS REFERRING TO PSALM 32 TO SHOW HIS CONTERPARTS HOW DAVID CAME INTO THAT BLESSED CONDITION THROUGH REPENTANCE DAVID HAD RECEIVED THE FORGIVENESS OF ALL HIS SINS.V7 .
B) DAVID STOOD JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD HIS SINS HAD BEEN WIPED OUT ......., JUST AS THOUGH THY HAD NEVER BEEN COMMITED IN THE FIRST PLACE COMPLETLY FORGOTTEEN:
C) WE HUMAN BEING ARE PRONE TO HOLD GRUDGES, IN FACT FAMILY FEUDS CAN GO ON RIGHT TO THE GRAVE, DAVID KNEW ALL ABOUT IT, SAUL WASNT THAT KEEN ON DAVID WAS HE? BUT THOSSE HUMAN TRIATS ARE NOT MANIFESTED BY GOD TOWARDS THE PERSON WHO TRUSTS IN CHRIST. LOOK WHAT DAVID SAID SAYS ABOUT GOD V8.BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NEVER COUNT AGAINST HIM.
Psalm 103:12 "… as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
• JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH IS NOTHING NEW...
• JUSTIFICATION THROUUGH FAITH AS A GIFT WITHOUT WORKS, NO ADD ONS
• JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH IS A BLESSED POSSESSION OUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN AND FORGOTTEN.
V23 -25: AND THE WONDER OF IT ALL THAT SAME PRINCIPLE JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH THAT ABRAHAM, KING DAVID, IS AVAILABLE TO US ALL WHO V23 -26 BELIEVE IN HIM WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD, WHO WAS DELIVERED FOR OUR SINS AND WAS RAISED TO LIFE FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION.
