Intro
In Romans 3:28 Paul came to this all-important conclusion: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”i In this context, to be justified means to be declared righteous before God.ii The Greek word translated justified (dikaioo) is a forensic or legal term in which the judge renders a favorable verdict.iii
Throughout Scripture, God is revered as the judge of all humanity (Heb. 12:23). Every human being stands before his righteous court to receive a verdict of either justification or condemnation. Justification is God’s pronouncement of a “not guilty” verdict. When you think about justification, envision a court scene with God as the judge. In court proceedings, everything builds toward the pronouncement of the verdict by the judge. Is the person declared guilty or not guilty? Is the verdict justification or is it condemnation? In our text today, Paul is dealing with the legal side of our salvation: Our standing before God’s court of justice; How we stand before the Judge of All the Earth.
“Therefore we conclude,” says Paul in Romans 3:28, “that a man is justified [declared not guilty] by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” Paul contrasts two ways of being justified: One way is by doing good works (mentioned in Romans 4:2); the other is by faith in Christ’s works. God’s way of justification is “by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” Not by faith and works, but by faith alone—by faith in the work of Christ in our behalf.
In Romans 4 Paul is supporting his argument for justification by faith using Abraham’s experience as recorded in Scripture.
I. Introduction of Abraham into the Discussion (vs 1)
Abraham is introduced into the discussion in verse 1. Follow with me as we read Romans 4:1: “What then [the Greek word oun (then) points us back to the closing verses in chapter 3. The context is justification by faith taught in Romans 3] shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?”
Why does Paul choose Abraham’s experience to prove his point? Abraham was highly esteemed by his readers—not only as the Father of the Jewish nation, but the one through whom the whole world would be blessed.iv He is the epitome of someone right with God—the friend of God.v
Remember in John 8 when Jesus offered the Pharisees spiritual freedom through the truth he was speaking? They rejected his offer claiming status as Abraham’s descendants. When Jesus explained his offer more fully, they were appalled that Jesus claimed to be greater than Abraham. And when Jesus said to them, “before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58), they tried to stone Jesus to death.vi The Jewish people gloried in their biological relationship with Abraham. Their esteem for Abraham is evident throughout the Gospel accounts.
If Paul can demonstrate that Abraham was justified by faith, he has taken a major step toward proving his contention that faith, not works, is the means of salvation.vii The Jews claimed to be following in the steps of their forefather (propatop) Abraham.viii If Abraham was justified by faith, then they would need to follow the same method.
But Jewish thought at that time emphasized Abraham’s works. Notice the progression of thought in the Jewish book, The Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sirach 44:19-23:
“Abraham, the great forefather of a host of nations, no one was ever his equal in glory. He observed the Law of the Most High, and entered into a covenant with him. He confirmed the covenant in his own flesh, and proved himself faithful under ordeal. The Lord therefore promised him on oath to bless the nations through his descendants, to multiply him like the dust of the ground, to exalt his descendants like the stars, and give them the land for their inheritance, from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.”ix
Did you notice the emphasis on Abraham’s performance. But Paul, an Old Testament scholar, will show that the true emphasis for justification in Abrham’s life was his faith. Abraham’s performance was a fruit of that faith. In 1 Maccabees 2:52 the emphasis is on Abraham’s faithfulness rather than his faith as a means of justification: “Was not Abraham tried and found faithful, was that not counted as making him just?”x In our text, Paul is correcting this Jewish misunderstanding of Abraham’s justification. As an Old Testament scholar and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he is qualified to do this.
So, Paul begins Romans 4 by asking what Abraham found out by experience: “What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?” Frederic Godet thinks the phrase kata sarka (according to the flesh) qualifies the verb “has found.” He writes, “The flesh denotes here human activity in the state of isolation from the influence of God, and consequently in its natural helplessness so far as justification and salvation are concerned. The meaning is therefore: What has Abraham found by his own labor?” (emphasis Godet’s).xi
However, the context, the location of the phrase in the Greek,xii and the weight of the evidence is otherwise.
The phrase kata sarka qualifies “our father” indicating biological descendants of Abraham. As a Jew, Paul was a descendent of Abraham, his forefather “according to the flesh.” After extensive justification for this position, Longenecker correctly translates Romans 4:1: “What, then, shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered regarding this matter?” What matter? Justification before God.
II. The Boasting that would Result from Justification by Works (vs 2)
In verse 2 Paul presents a hypothesis for the sake of argument. Using the word gar (for) to simply connect this with verse 1, Paul writes, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.” Paul has already excluded boasting in Romans 3:27. There he asks, “Where is boasting then?” Then he answers, “It is excluded.”
But what if Abraham could justify himself by his works? Then in heaven he could stand apart from all the rest of us who know we are not justified by works—and he could sing songs glorifying himself throughout eternity. Instead of casting his crown before the throne of God and saying, “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power” (Rev. 4:11), he would be glorifying himself. Instead of singing, “How Great Thou Art,” he would be singing, “How Great I Am.” Instead of boasting in the Lord and glorifying him for his grace, he would boast forever in his own good works.xiii
But Romans 11:36 states the proper order of things: Everything comes from God, and ultimately all glory goes to God. Romans 11:36: “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” For heaven to be heaven, all glory must go to the originator and sustainer of it all.xiv Lucifer did not like this reality (Isa. 14:14-14). Out of pride, he continues to resist it—to his own ultimate destruction (Isa. 14:15). There is nothing better than for God to be all in all.xv Justification by faith accommodates that condition.
The way of justification affects the atmosphere of heaven forever. Would justification by works open the possibility of pride and another fall like that of Lucifer? We do not have enough information to decide that conclusively. We do know that pride was the downfall of Lucifer. (Ezek. 28:7; 1 Tim. 3:6). Justification by faith is a protection from pride because it eliminates any grounds for personal boasting. We will forever glory, not in ourselves, but in the God of grace who redeemed us by his own blood. The praises of him who loved us and gave himself for us will echo forever and ever in the halls of heaven. We will be united in our love for him and forever pledge our loyalty to him. Even now, we say with Paul, “. . . to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Phil. 4:20).
If anyone is justified by works, he has something to boast about.xvi But God has wisely provided a way of salvation that protects us from all boasting and turns our hearts in gratitude and love toward him. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” What a delight it will be in heaven to glorify God for this great salvation.
The Grammar in Romans 4:2 is awkward. It is awkward in the Greek, and therefore awkward in English as well. Paul writes, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about.” That is clear enough, but how do we interpret that last phrase: “but not before God”? Is Paul saying that Abraham could boast before men, but not before God? No, Paul is not talking about justification before men. His subject is justification before God.xvii If a person could justify himself by his works, he would have grounds for boasting in himself. The very thought of such a thing excites in Paul the exclamation: “but not before God”—not before the one who sees all and knows all—not before the one who not only weighs the actions of men, but also sees into the thoughts and intents of the heart.xviii
Like you and me, Abraham was a liar. He lied about Sarah being his wife. He was a coward, willing to sacrifice his wife’s honor to save his own skin.xix If we were to ask Abraham today whether he was justified by works, he would point to those things and say, “no way.” Abraham was not justified by works and he knew it.
The Living Bible paraphrases verses 1-2 this way: “Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith? Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, then he would have something to boast about. But from God’s point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride.”
III. Appeal to Old Testament Scripture as Support for Justification by Faith (vs 3)
Having introduced Abraham into his discussion, Paul now turns to Scripture for proof of justification by faith. He quotes Genesis 15:2 from the Septuagint.xx In Romans 4:3 he wrote: “For what does the Scripture say? [That’s the right question to ask in any discussion of truth.] ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’”
As we proceed through Romans, we see the confidence Paul has in the inspiration of Scripture. If he can demonstrate justification by faith from Scripture, he has proved his point. The final referee on truth is the word of God. Paul uses logic in his argument. But Scripture is the bedrock of his defense. We must never be ashamed of our confidence in the Bible. If CNN interviewed me about a controversial issue like abortion, adultery, or homosexuality, I would answer with Scripture. They might reject the answer, but I have given them a reliable answer that God can work with. Paul knows, and his readers know, the final referee on truth is Scripture. Therefore, he turns to Genesis 15:2 to prove his point.
IV. Abraham’s Faith Examined (vs 3)
“Abraham believed God.” There is implied in that statement Abraham’s trust in the person—in God himself. He trusted the integrity of God, the character of God, his truthfulness and reliability. He placed his faith in the person, The Amplified version stresses this aspect of his faith: “For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed in (trusted in) God . . .” (Rom. 4:3 AMPC). Along with that, he believed the promise God gave him.
But what was the promise that Abraham believed? To answer that question, we need to look at the context in Genesis 15. Follow with me as we read Genesis 15:1-6.
“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’ 2 But Abram said, ‘Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ 3 Then Abram said, ‘Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!’ 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’ 5 Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”
At one level, the promise Abraham believed is that he will have a biological son later to be named Isaac and that through his biological offspring he would have natural descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavenlies. Additionally, in verse 7 God promised to give him Canaan land. Abraham believed for all those natural blessings. But if we stop there, we miss something important.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul provides insight into Abraham’s promise that we could easily miss. In Galatians 3:16 he writes, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.”xxi So, Abraham’s promise revolved around the seed “who is Christ.” The promise had been given in Genesis 3:15 that the seed of woman (Messiah) would crush the serpent’s head (NIV), and that happened at the cross.
Abraham was not only trusting God for Isaac, but beyond that for Christ his redeemer. Christ himself confirmed Abraham’s faith in Messiah when Jesus said in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Abraham’s faith stretched beyond his son Isaac into the day when Christ, the righteous seed of woman, would crush Satan and provide a way of salvation by faith in him.
“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). When we look back to Romans 3:22 we find this faith that accesses the righteousness of God is “through faith in Jesus Christ.” Romans 3:24-25 elaborates even more when it adds: “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood.” That attaches the concepts of grace, redemption, and atonement to one’s faith in Christ.
The point I am making is this: biblical faith that results in justification has as its object Christ and his work of redemption on the cross. With a faith that looked forward to Jesus’s day—that looked forward to the salvation Jesus would provide on the cross—Abraham believed God for his own justification. With the same faith of Abraham, we look back on the cross and believe God for our salvation. Faith in Christ’s work of redemption is the only way of salvation before the cross and after the cross.
Without properly comparing scripture with scripture, some have concluded that God just counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness—thereby, placing merit in the faith; thereby, substituting faith for righteousness. But faith’s object in justification is the satisfaction of justice by Christ on the cross. If Jesus had not made that sacrifice and paid for our sins with his own blood, we could have great faith, but it would avail us nothing. The faith must be placed in God’s way of salvation.
Our text is not teaching “faith in faith.” According to Romans 3:22 it must be “faith in Jesus Christ.” Faith is not a substitute for righteousness. Faith is the channel or instrument by which we access the righteousness of Christ that is available to us by the grace of God. Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller, and others have used a few proof texts to convince people that faith itself is all that matter. Their instruction usually winds up meaning faith in oneself. Some of this error spilled over into the Word of Faith Movement and even into some of today’s pulpits. Faith is important, but only as the instrument by which we access the provision of God. For biblical justification, the object of the faith must be right.
Notice in Genesis 15, it was “the word of the Lord” that Abraham believed. Genesis 15:1 begins, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.” Again, in verse 4 the passage says, “And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying.” The word of the Lord has come to us in the Bible. Do we believe it? Do we believe it the way Abraham believed the word of the Lord that came to him?
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thess. 2:13). In whom does the word of God effectively work? It effectively works in those who believe. It effectively works in those who respond to God’s word the same way Abraham did.
Taking God at his word is essential for salvation. Abraham trusted the integrity of God and the truthfulness of his word.xxii Hebrews 4:2 talks about people who heard the gospel, “but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”xxiii Abraham heard God’s promise, and he took God at his word. He trusted the truthfulness of what God said and behaved accordingly.
The Bible declares Jesus to be risen from the dead. We are rejoicing in that this Easter morning. Romans 4:23-25 connects justification by faith with believing the resurrection of Jesus. “Now it was not written for his [Abraham’s] sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”
There is substance to what we believe. We believe that Jesus died for our sins. We believe that God raised him from the dead. Faith must have an object—something to believe. So, Paul writes in Romans 10:8-10: “‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Do you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead? Do you confess Christ as your Savior and Lord? This is the pathway of salvation.
Notice back in Genesis 15:2 that God revealed himself to Abraham as his protector and eternal reward: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” At a personal level, Abraham believed in God for who he is—as God revealed himself to him. He trusted God to be his “shield” and “exceedingly great reward.” He committed himself to that in covenant.
Genesis 15:9-21 describes the covenant God made with Abraham.xxiv Verse 18 says, “On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.” It was a covenant made with a blood sacrifice. By faith Abraham entered into that covenant with the Lord. God has established a greater covenant through the cross of Jesus Christ and Abraham’s faith extended to that greater covenant. When we put our faith in Christ, we enter into the covenant of the Father and the Son in which God is our shield and exceedingly great reward. I hope you have done that—it is the most marvelous thing you will ever do in life.
If you have not entered into that relationship with God through Christ, I invite you to take God at his word and receive his merciful gift of eternal life through Christ. God’s promise to you is stated in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” “Whosever believes” is a personal invitation to you. You cannot be justified before God by your own works. But you can be made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ. Come to him empty-handed. Throw yourself at his feet in humility. He will receive you. He will forgive you. He will change your life forever. Will you open your heart to him and receive his gift of mercy? If so, follow with me in this prayer:
Jesus, I believe you are risen from the dead. I believe you are able to cleanse me because of the cross. I open my heart to receive your forgiveness. I ask you to forgive me of my sins, make me clean. Deliver me from my bondage. I commit myself to you and trust your sacrifice for my salvation. I receive you right now as my Lord and Savior.
ENDNOTES:
i All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
ii Thayer says, “to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be . . . to judge worthy, to declare worthy, to treat as worthy.” Joseph Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1896) s.v. “dikaioo.”
iii Fredrick W. Danker, Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University Press of Chicago, 2000) s. v. “dikaioo, 2.b,” 249. Zodhiates writes, “In the NT, dikaioo in the act. voice means to recognize, to set forth as righteous, to declare righteous, to justify as a judicial act.” Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testamen, s. v. “ dikaioo, 463.
iv Genesis 12:3: “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” When John the Baptist called the nation to repentance, he had to address their unwarranted confidence before God based on a biological relationship with Abraham (Matt. 3:9).
v Cf. James 2:23.
vi “There is a claim to deity in the form of words he uses and there is a claim to deity in the meaning we must give them . . . It was a claim that outraged the hearers. To them it was nothing less than blasphemy.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988), 344.
vii Isa. 51:1-2 exhorted the Jewish people to look to Abraham and follow his example.
viii Some manuscripts substitute patera for propatop, but propatop ( a hapax legomenon in the NT) has superior textual support.
ix The Jerusalem Bible: Reader’s Edition, Alexander Jones, ed. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1968), 957-958. The book is called Ecclesiasticus in the Catholic Bible. It was not in the Jewish Canon of scripture.
x The Jerusalem Bible, Jones, ed., 574. First Maccabees was not in the Jewish Canon of scripture, but its content was read and esteemed by the Jewish people.
xi Frederic Louis Godet, Commentary on Romans (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1979), 168. Calvin thinks it probably modifies the word father. John Calvin, Calvin’s Bible Commentaries: Romans, John King, trans., 1847 (Forgotten Books, 2007), 112.
xii For this verse, the NIV is preferred over the NKJV because it more closely reflects the word order in the best Greek manuscripts. The NKJV leaves the impression that kata sarka qualifies heurekenai.
xiii Cf. 1 Cor. 1:31.
xiv Cf. Gen. 1-2; Col. 1:16-17; John 1:3; Heb. 1:3
xv Cf. 1 Cor. 15:28.
xvi As Moo points out, Paul generally uses the word kauchema (Rom. 4:2) to refer to the “cause of boasting.” In other texts, the word kauchesis “to connote the act of boasting.” Douglas Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, NICNT, Stonehouse, Bruce, and Fee, eds. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 246.
xvii Moo writes, “it is more likely that Paul rejects Abraham’s claim altogether: all boasting in this context, whether before God or people, must be ruled out.” Douglas Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, NICNT, Stone, Bruce, and Fee, eds. (), 261. See also Charles Hodge, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, 1947 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993),105.
xviii “It seems to me that the Apostle was so moved at this point, and so stirred in his spirit by the very suggestion, that he almost forgot words, and just says, ‘but not before God.’” D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 3:20-4:25 Atonement and Justification, 1970 (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2015), 162.
xix See Gen. 12:10-20; 16:1-6.
xx This “is an exact quotation of LXX Gen 15:6, except for the substitution of de for kai and of the form Abraam for Abram.” C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans 1-8, vol. 1, ICC, G. I. Davies and C. M. Tuckett, eds., 1975 (New York: T & T Clark, 2011), 228-229.
xxi Barnes wrestles with understandable objections to Paul’s exegetical methods in Galatians 3:16. Barnes’s conclusions are helpful, but we also accept the book of Galatians to be divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit and, therefore, Galatians 3:16 to be reliable truth. Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Explanation and Practical, Galatians, 1949 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House,1974), 339-343.
xxii “The construction with the verb believed (the simple dative) strictly means ‘believe to be true’, ‘accept what is said as correct.” Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans, 1988 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995),196.
xxiii Cf. Heb. 11:6.
xxiv This covenant foreshadowed the everlasting covenant established at the cross.
