Intro
Follow with me as we read Romans 4:1-3:
“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’”i
In those verses, Paul quoted Genesis 15:6, demonstrating that Abraham was justified by faith, not by works. When Abraham entrusted himself to God and his promises, the righteousness of Christ was imputed to him. He was declared righteous before God’s court of justice. We processed that extensively during the last few messages.
A LOGICAL ARGUMENT FOR JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH (VV. 4-5)
Now in Romans 4:4-5, Paul sets forth a logical statement from ordinary life to further support his insistence on justification by faith. He writes: “Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.”
No one would deny Paul’s statement in verse 4. If a person does his job and gets his paycheck for doing that job, the employer is simply paying a legitimate debt. That employer is not demonstrating generosity. He is not giving the employee something that has not been earned. He is simply paying a debt. The “wages,” Paul says, “are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.” The word translated gift is charis, translated grace in the NKJV.
Grace is the alternative to payment for works. This alternative is stated in verse 5: “However, to the one who does not work [or has not earned the payment] but trusts [believes] God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited [logizomai] as righteousness.” Mounce’s Reverse Interlinear says, “but entrusts himself to the one who justifies the ungodly.”ii Have you entrusted yourself to the God who justifies the ungodly? Are you trusting God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ or are you laboring to earn your salvation.?
Your justification is either by works or by grace. Romans 11:6 tells us it must be one or the other: “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” (NKJV).
Paul has already declared justification by grace in Romans 3:24: “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” The New Testament makes it very clear that our justification is by grace alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
The amazing thing about God’s grace is that God “justifies the ungodly.” The message of most religions is that God justifies the godly: Become godly, then God will declare you righteous. But it cannot work that way. If it worked that way, no one would be saved because no one can make himself godly.iii That requires a divine work of grace.
Salvation by grace reveals something about God that was not previously known. In his acts of creation, God’s majesty and greatness are exhibited.iv The magnitude of the galaxies, the vastness of the universe, the billions of stars reveal the omnipotence of God. The order and beauty throughout creation reveal aspects of his wisdom. His holiness is evident in his creation of the angels and his righteousness judgment of those angels that rebelled. There is much known about God by his creation. But there is something about his nature that is not revealed in all that.
Only in the redemption of fallen man is his grace revealed. Only there do we see the depths of his mercy and love. Only when he sent his son to Calvary do we see the extent God is willing to go to rescue the helpless. But the objects of his grace are not just helpless. They are irreverent; they are defiant; they are rebellious. He is not just the God who justifies the helpless. He is not just the God who justifies the needy. His love and mercy go beyond even that. He is the God who justifies the ungodly. If he did not justify the ungodly, you and I would never be justified.
Throughout eternity, God will be glorified for this amazing aspect of his nature. Ephesians 2: 6-7 says, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” God’s way of justification reveals something about who he is that is not known in any other way.
The angels are intrigued with this revelation of grace. In 1 Peter 1:12, that apostle referred to the gospel of grace and added: “things which angels desire to look into.” The holy angels have experienced God’s goodness in their relationship with him. But they have not experienced the redemptive grace that you and I have received from the Lord. They are interested in learning as much as they can about the Lord by observing his grace esxpressed toward us. As the songwriter declared:
“Amazing love how can it be
that you my king would die for me
amazing love I know it’s true
that it's my joy to honor you “v
Justification by faith does not wait for you to become godly and then declare you righteous. When you bow to him in your ungodly state, when you throw yourself on his mercy and grace, he forgives you and declares you righteous. He does that based on what Jesus has already done for you at the cross. The declaration is based on the great transaction of Calvary, not on any goodness in you.
How many people get this wrong in their thinking? They know they are dirty, rotten sinners. So, they decide to clean up their lives in order to come to God. But that order of events does not work. We come to God in faith, destitute of our own righteousness, and he justifies us and begins a work of sanctification in our lives. One verse of the song “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy” warns:
“Come, ye weary, heavy-laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.”
The worst of sinners can come to him in faith and receive instant mercy and grace. This is why the gospel is good news. This is our message to the lost. This is my message to anyone who feels he is too bad to be saved. Jesus came to save sinners.vi That is the glory of justification by grace.
That is the way of salvation that David experienced. Abraham was before the law of Moses. David was during the law. You and I are after the law.vii But we are all saved by faith in Christ and the satisfaction of justice at the cross.
DAVID’S TESTIMONY OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH (VV. 6-8)
In Romans 4:6-8, Paul quotes a second Old Testament passage to prove justification by faith.viii
“David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits [imputes] righteousnessix apart from works: 7 ‘Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.’”
In verses 7-8, justification is described in terms of God not imputing a person’s sins in his heavenly ledger. Forgiveness of sin is simply the other side of the coin in which righteousness is imputed to the one who believes. God does not forgive sin without imputing righteousness; he does not impute righteousness without forgiving sin. As we have taught, the imputation of the believer’s sin-debt to Christ for payment and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the believer are two sides of the same transaction at the cross. So, in verse 6 Paul refers to justification in the positive terms of righteousness being credited to the believer. Then he supports that in verses 7-8 with David’s declaration quoted from Psalm 32:1-2. There David refers to justification in the negative terms of sin not being imputed or credited to the believer’s account. For the believer, these are two sides of the same event.x
Notice the phrase at the end of verse 6: “apart from works.” Paul has to stress this lest someone adds a little works to the equation. The carnal mind tends to do that. Saving faith is repentant faith. Biblical faith is not just mental ascent. It is not just performing a ritual to get God’s favor. The faith that saves changes the person’s direction in life. The belief is such that it produces good works in the person’s life. But good works add nothing to justification. Christ’s works are more than enough! Saving faith is reflected in the person’s behavior.xi That’s what James was teaching in the second chapter of his epistle (vv. 17-26). That’s what John was teaching in 1 John 3:7.xii But we must not confuse works as a fruit of salvation versus works as a basis of salvation. The basis of our salvation is Christ’s work, not our own. There are no works of penance necessary for the forgiveness of sin. No self-flagellation is required. The Latin phrase, sola fide, means faith alone. It was a hallmark of the Protestant Reformation. We are justified by faith alone, “apart from works.”
We must keep this in mind when evangelizing the lost. God justifies “the ungodly.” People do not have become godly in order to be justified. They must genuinely put their trust in Christ and his work on the cross.xiii But that is all that is required.
The challenging thing in evangelism is this: I cannot see inside a person’s heart.xiv I cannot tell whether a person’s immediate response reflects saving faith or not. I must simply proclaim the gospel and invite people to respond to the offer. I may lead individuals in a prayer to assist them in responding. But that person must “believe in his heart,” and only God knows whether that has happened or not. I encourage the person to “take God at his word” and believe the promise of the gospel. The assurance of salvation must come in that person’s spirit by the Holy Spirit according to Romans 8:16. The evidence that I can observe over time is the change in lifestyle.xv If there is no change, there is real cause for concern. Saving faith produces good works, but good works do not produce saving faith.
David uses two words for sin in Romans 4:7-8: “Blessed are those whose transgressions [anomia] are forgiven, whose sins [hamartia] are covered. 8 Blessed is the one whose sin [hamartia] the Lord will never count against them.” The Greek word anomia is translated “lawless deeds” in the NKJV and “iniquities” in the RSV. It literally means lawlessness. In Greek, nomia, means law. As in English, the prefix “a” [alpha] negates nomia so that the word means without law.xvi This indicates rebellious, irreverent action that transgresses the boundaries God has set for human behavior.
The other term used for sin is hamartia. It is a broader term than anomia. All iniquity is sin, but not all hamartia is iniquity. Its basic meaning is “a failing to hit the mark.”xvii We all come short of the glory of God.xviii We all come short of the perfect righteousness God requires. Harmartia can include the omission of acts one should do as well as inappropriate acts.
In Psalm 130:3, David poses the question: “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (NKJV). The biblical answer is “no one.” But David immediately gives God’s solution in the next verse: “But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared” (NKJV). Have you experienced his forgiveness—his tender mercies in your life? Did it not leave you with a reverential awe in your heart toward your heavenly Father? The fear of the Lord is developed through revelation of his character. One side of that is to observe the severity of his wrath.xix The other side of that is to experience his love and kindness through forgiveness of sin.xx Blessed are those who are justified by faith. “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them” (Rom. 4:7-8).
In beautiful poetic form, David states justification in three ways:
(1) “whose transgressions are forgiven”
(2) “whose sins are covered” and
(3) “whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
The word translated forgiven is aphiemi. Its basic meaning is “to send away.”xxi This is wonderfully symbolized by the scapegoat in Leviticus 16 that carries the sin away. When we are forgiven God removes our sin from us “as far as the east is from the west” (Ps. 103:12).
What does David mean when he says our “sins are covered”? They are removed from God’s sight by the blood of Jesus. They are not just hidden from God. They are purged by the blood of Jesus. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [of sin]” (Heb. 9:22). The sin has been justly judged on the cross. The punishment is paid by the death of Christ. It is no longer in God’s view.xxii This is symbolized by the blood on the mercy seat on the Day of Atonement. First John 2:2 says, “He [Christ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (NIV).xxiii
In Romans 4:8 this great work of grace is described as the Lord not imputing (KJV) sin to the person. In a variety of ways, our text today has taught justification by faith. James Dunn insightfully writes, “Paul clearly regards all these phrases as synonyms: reckon righteous [Rom. 4:6] = forgive acts of lawlessness = cover sins = not reckon sins.”xxiv The forgiveness of sins and imputation of righteousness is our justification.
Conclusion
So, in Romans 4:1-8 Paul has proven from Old Testament Scripture that justification is by faith, not by works. He uses two premier examples of this: Abraham and David. In the remainder of this chapter, he will continue to use Abraham’s experience to teach this vitally important theme of justification by faith.
ENDNOTES:
i All Scripture quotes are from the New International Version (2011) unless indicated otherwise.
ii William D. Mounce, The Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011). Accessed at www.BibleGateway.com.
iii Cf. Isa. 64:6; Jer. 13:23.
iv Ps. 19:1.
v Chris Tomlin, “Amazing Love How Can It Be.” Accessed at https://www.azchristianlyrics.com/chris-tomlin/amazing-love-how-can-it-be/. See Romans 5:6-8.
vi Cf. Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10; 1 Tim. 1:15.
vii Cf. Heb. 8:8-13.
viii According to Deut. 19:15, legal matters must be established by more than one witness. Paul is proving his point with more than one witness of Scripture.
ix “That Paul puts dikaiosunen as the direct object (in place of eis dikaiosunen in Gen 15:6) confirms that he does not think of God accepting faith merely as a substitute for righteousness, but that righteousness is actually accorded.” James D. G. Dunn, Romans 1-8, WBC 38a, David Hubbard and Glenn Barker, eds. (Dallas, TS: Word Books, 1988), 205-206. “For faith is a simple receptivity, and it would be strange to fall back on the sphere of meritorious work when explaining the very word which ought to exclude all merit.” Godet, Commentary on Romans, 171.
x This two-sided act of imputation is equivalent to justification.
xi Cf. Luke 6:43-46.
xii “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (NKJV). For further explanation, see Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IN: WestBow press, 2019), 172-173.
xiii When we expound Romans 4:18-21 we will talk more about the kind of faith that is saving faith.
xiv Cf. Rom. 10:9. Cf. 1 Sam. 16:7.
xv Cf. Eph. 2:1-5; 1 Cor. 6:9-11.
xvi “Anomiai here represents peša’. Of the Hebrew roots denoting ‘sin’ pš is the most active and positive, signifying, as it does, rebellion against the divine authority, the deliberate and open violation of God’s commandment, transgression; and it is this positive sense of open rebellion against God which anomia expresses in other Pauline occurrences. . . .” 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), 233-234. Cf. Isa. 53:6.
xvii Joseph Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1896) s.v. “hamartia.” If an archer shoots his arrow toward a target, and that arrow falls to the ground before reaching the target, he has missed the mark.
xviii Cf. Rom. 3:23.
xix Cf. Luke 12:5.
xx Cf. Rom. 11:22.
xxi James Strong, New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010, Biblesoft, 2006) s.v. “NT 266.”
xxii Thayer defines epikalupto as meaning “covered over so as not to come to view, i. e. are pardoned, Rom. 4:7 from Ps. 31:1 (Ps. 32:1).”
xxiii For further explanation see Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IN: WestBow press, 2019), 43-49.
xxiv James D. G. Dunn, Romans 1-8, WBC 38a, David Hubbard and Glenn Barker, eds. (Dallas, TS: Word Books, 1988), 207.
