The Ramifications Of Faith
Text: Romans 4:13-25
Introduction
1. Illustration: For God does not want to save us by our own but by an extraneous righteousness, one that does not originate in ourselves but comes to us from beyond ourselves, which does not arise on earth but comes from heaven. – Martin Luther
2. Many associate the term Sola Fide-Faith Alone with Martin Luther.
3. In his letter to the Romans Paul has been stressing this ideal that we are saved not by our works, but by faith alone.
4. There was a song that I was fond of when I first became a Christian called, “I’ve Been Redeemed.” It was one of those songs that seemed liked it had hundreds of verses to it. One of my favorites was, “Oh you can’t get to heaven in an old Ford car, because you know it just won’t go that far!” That verse reminds me that we can’t work our way into heaven. We can only accept it by faith.
5. In our text today Paul tells us that…
a. Faith Brings God’s Promises
b. Faith Brings Hope
c. Faith Brings Salvation
6. Let’s read rom. 4:13-25.
Proposition: Through faith we appropriate God’s free gift of salvation.
Transition: First we learn…
1. Faith Brings God’s Promises (13-17).
A. Comes By Faith
1. Paul turns from the topic of circumcision to the topic of receiving the promises of God. His argument is that it was Abraham's faith and not keeping the law that appropriated God's promises to Abraham.
2. In v. 13 Paul says, “Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.”
a. Paul here begins his argument concerning the promises of God.
b. Promise is a key term in this section of the letter, and it appears four times in vv. 13-22.
c. The term that is used here "involves a declaration to do something with the implication of an obligation to carry out what is stated (BDAG 355d). (Harvey, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: Romans, 115).
d. Paul's point in this verse is that the promises of God could not be achieved through keeping the law but only through the righteousness that comes by faith.
e. We should notice that Paul refers to the promise of God as a free gift, and that gift is received by anyone who has the faith of Abraham because he is the father of all who believe (Osborne, 113-114).
3. Now look at what Paul says in vv. 14-15, “If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. 15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)”
a. Here Paul clarifies his point by saying that if you the promise came by keeping the law then both faith and the promise of God are pointless.
b. In fact, in the Greek text is uses the phrase "null and void."
c. In other words, if it was possible to be holy and gain our eternal inheritance by our own achievements, then faith would be unnecessary.
d. If we could achieve God's standard by works and obedience than the need for God's promises would be removed.
e. Faith would have no value and be emptied of its purpose and role in God's plan of salvation, and the promise of God would be pointless and ineffective.
f. Galatians 3:18 (NLT2)
18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.
g. Too many churches are focusing on the law rather than on grace, and too many Christians are placing their trust in what they are doing rather than on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
h. Too many people are trusting in their own ability rather than on the cross!
i. In fact, Paul goes on to say that the only thing the law does is bring punishment.
j. Does that mean that the law is bad? Of course not! If it wasn't for the law, we wouldn't know that we are sinners.
k. He gave the law as a means for us to maintain a right relationship with him.
l. The problem is that we are incapable of keeping it, which produces sin; and sin produces judgement.
m. You have to love the way Paul puts it here, "the only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!"
n. It is impossible to keep the law, and that was never the intention, but rather to show us our need for a savior!
4. Then in vv. 16-17 Paul says, “So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.”
a. In these verses Paul focuses on the positive side of faith.
b. Since the promise cannot come through the law it has to come through faith.
c. Again this goes back to Gen. 15:6 "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
d. Only through the faith of Abraham can we in a right relationship with God.
e. The purpose of this divine demand is that salvation can only come through grace.
f. By God's grace salvation is possible, and people participate in it through faith.
g. Salvation cannot be attained through human effort but is entirely the act of God and his grace.
h. As British scholar F.F. Bruce puts it, "What God provides by his free grace can only be appropriated by men through faith."
i. It is human nature to think I can do this on my own, and to accept it by faith goes against human pride.
j. Paul then shows the kind of God that Abraham was believing in.
k. First, he says that he is the God who can bring the dead back to life.
l. This is a reference to the miracle of conception done in both Abraham and Sarah's "dead" bodies.
m. What he means by that is that both Abraham and Sarah were long past the years of conceiving children.
n. Abraham was close to 100 year old and Sarah around 90.
o. The promise was made by the One who is capable of producing life in dead bodies.
p. Second, he calls things that are not as though they were.
q. There is nothing impossible for God! If God can cause two people as old as Abraham and Sarah and give them a child, he can do miracles in your life too!
r. This promise is just as relevant today as it was in Paul's day.
s. In Christ we have the promise of eternal life.
t. For us death is just the door into eternity, where there is no more sorrow, suffering or pain. For us death is not the end it is only the beginning! (Osborne, 116-118).
B. Without Faith
1. Illustration: The flesh is a built-in law of failure, making it impossible for the natural man to please or serve God. It is a compulsive inner force inherited from man’s fall, which expresses itself in general and specific rebellion against God and His righteousness. The flesh can never be reformed or improved. The only hope for escape from the law of the flesh is its total execution and replacement by a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Mark Bubeck, The Adversary, 28).
2. In order to be in a right relationship with God, we must come to him by grace through faith in Jesus!
a. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT2)
6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
b. The only way to come into a right relationship with God is through faith alone.
c. We cannot earn by good works.
d. There is nothing that we can do in our own efforts to be made right with God.
e. When we come to God by faith it opens up the flood gates of heaven to us.
f. It opens up the promises of mercy and forgiveness.
g. It opens up the promise of eternal life.
h. It opens up the promise of abundant life, here and now.
i. It opens up the promise of the power of the Holy Spirit.
j. It opens up the promise of provision.
k. Through faith all the promises of God are “Yes,” and “Amen!”
Transition: Next see…
2. Faith Brings Hope (18-22).
A. Abraham Kept Hoping
1. Paul now opens up a new concept produced by faith, that of hope.
a. Now we must clarify what Paul means by the word hope.
b. Hope: not in the sense of an optimistic outlook or wishful thinking without any foundation, but in the sense of confident expectation based on solid certainty. Biblical hope rests on the promises of God (SFLSB, Word Wealth, 1570).
c. This is very different from the way that our society views hope.
d. We use phrases like, “Well I hope so,” or “I hope that works out for you.”
e. That is wishful thinking without any basis or foundation.
f. Biblical hope, however, is based on the certainty and promises of God’s Word.
2. So, Paul tells us in vv. 18-19, “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.”
a. Paul says that Abraham believed in hope, which was the natural result of faith.
b. The original Greek puts it this way "against hope, in hope he believed."
c. In other words, Abraham had hope in God against any hope that he could humanly muster.
d. Abraham's hope was focused on God's promise rather than his own abilities. God promised an heir, and he believed God in spite of his and Sarah's advanced age and worn out bodies.
e. He believed God and had hope in his promise. So, his faith became hope, and that led to him becoming the father of many nations.
f. The amazing thing here is that Abraham accepted his physical limitations without weakening his faith.
g. His faith didn't weaken even though his and Sarah's bodies were growing weaker by the day.
h. From a human perspective, he had every reason to doubt God's promise. Their bodies were as good as dead, which is a reference to their inability to bear children.
i. To believe God's promises under those circumstances was more than a passive consent in a religious sort of way; it was an active exercise in incredible faith.
j. John Calvin puts it this way, "Let us remember that the condition of us all is the same as that of Abraham. All things around us are in opposition to the promises of God...We must with closed eyes pass by ourselves and all things connected with us, that nothing may hinder or prevent us from believing that God is true."
3. Because of this hope that Abraham had, Paul tells us in vv. 20-22, “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.”
a. In v. 20 Paul restates v. 19 except with a twist. This time, not only does he say that Abraham's faith never wavered, but he also says that it actually got stronger!
b. At first this seems to contradict the Genesis story. After all Abraham originally laughs at the idea of he and Sarah having a son.
c. But Paul is referring to the long-term faith that Abraham shows in God's promise.
d. Genesis 17:17 was a momentary doubt, but from that time on Abraham shows extraordinary faith and trust in God.
e. This is another important thing for us to model.
f. Through difficulty our trust in God's promises become stronger.
g. In a sense, the difficulties in our life are like working out with weights. The more we struggle against them, the stronger our faith becomes.
h. As a result, Abraham's faith gave glory to God by not allowing his own limitations from thoroughly putting his faith and trust in God.
i. Paul also says that Abraham was "was fully convinced that God was able to do what he promises." As his faith grew stronger, he was able to see that "he who promises is faithful."
j. This is a perfect summary of what it means to be a Christian: totally sure of God, whose promise is absolutely faithful and he is "able to do immeasurably more than we ask or think, according to his power that is at work within us" (Eph. 3:20).
B. Given This Hope
1. Illustration: Hope is faith in the immutable promise that miracles prevail when the darkness tries to win-out with cries of despair. Hope is a gift from God that helps us yearn, and live a life that believes and moves with the pledge of a better tomorrow. And what’s more, hope springs-forth resurrection life, and draws us near to the love of Christ, who is the light of God who walked out from the grave to make the way for everlasting life.
2. By faith we have hope in what is seen and not seen; what is and what will be.
a. Romans 8:23-25 (NLT2)
23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.
25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
b. Our hope is not based on what we can see, touch or smell.
c. It is not based on the tangible or practical.
d. It is based on faith in Jesus Christ and the promises of his Word.
e. It is based on the faithfulness of an all-powerful, ever present God who will never leave us or forsake us.
f. It is based on a God who has never failed us.
g. It is based on a God who meets all of our needs according to his riches in glory.
h. It is based on Jesus Christ who is coming again to set up his kingdom on earth.
Transition: Finally, Paul talks about…
3. Faith Brings Salvation (23-25).
A. For Our Benefit
1. Paul concludes this chapter by showing us how the faith of Abraham is a blessing to us.
2. Look at what Paul writes in vv. 23-24, “And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”
a. The key phrase in Gen. 15:6 is it was credited to him because it focuses on God's action in crediting Abraham's faith to his account as being right with God.
b. This is the major idea of the OT model for the new covenant established by the atoning sacrifice of Christ.
c. As a result, our redemption rests not on our good works but by following the faith displayed by Abraham.
d. When we exercise the same faith that Abraham did then we also are credited as righteous. In fact, Paul says that it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit but for our benefit too.
e. When we exhibit the same faith as Abraham we are counted as righteous.
f. The key phrase here is "will also count." It is the Greek emphatic term "about to" referring to future believers on the basis of justification by faith.
g. Another key element here is "if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead."
h. This signifies that God is the focus of faith.
3. Then Paul concludes with v. 25, “He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.”
a. The greatest truth ever given to us is stated in v. 25 and it contains the essence of the Bible.
b. This verse is the comprehensive statement of the gospel. Some scholars believe that Paul may be quoting some sort of creed from the early church that taught the reason for Christ's death and resurrection.
c. "He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God."
d. The phrase "handed over" indicates that God handed Jesus over to die for us and our sins.
e. It was our sins that were the reason for Jesus going to the cross, because unless he died for there would not have been any forgiveness.
f. Hebrews 9:22 (NLT2)
22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
g. It was these two events, his death and resurrection, are the basis of our salvation.
h. Because of his death we have forgiveness, and his resurrection gives us life!
B. Raised To Life
1. Illustration: Abraham announced to Isaac one day that he had decided to upgrade their family computer to Windows 10. So they traveled to the mountain to download the upgrade. As they neared the top of the hill, Isaac said, "But father, we don't have enough memory!" To which Abraham replied, "Don't worry, my son, the Lord will provide the RAM."
2. By walking in the footsteps of Abraham we have the faith to believe and receive Jesus!
a. 2 Corinthians 5:15 (NLT2)
15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
b. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.
c. When we believe God, we are credited as being clean before God.
d. When we believe the blood of Jesus takes away all of our sin.
e. When we believe the blood of Jesus washes away the stain of our sin.
f. When we believe the resurrection of Jesus gives us the promise of eternal life.
g. When we believe the resurrection of Jesus gives us liberty from the chains that have bound us all of our lives.
h. Walk in the steps of Abraham and believe and receive what Jesus has done for you.
Conclusion
1. In our text today Paul tells us that…
a. Faith Brings God’s Promises
b. Faith Brings Hope
c. Faith Brings Salvation
2. THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER…
a. BY FAITH WE CAN TRUST THE PROMISES OF GOD’S WORD.
b. BY FAITH WE HAVE HOPE EVEN IN TIMES OF DIFFICULTY AND TRIALS.
c. BY FAITH WE CAN BELIEVE THAT WE ARE SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS!
