Work Or Promise, You Choose
Chapter 4
How can a holy and righteous God be just and holy and at the same time allow sinful man to come into His presence?
It also teaches that man is a sinful creature. In fact, he is dead in his sins and trespasses.
Paul views salvation in three ways:
1. as justification (imagery from the law court),
2. as redemption (imagery from the slave market),
3. and as propitiation (imagery from the appeasing of the wrath of God).
On the subject of salvation we had better make sure we have the right answers. Our sacred opinions, and philosophies, or religious undertakings won’t do. What does God say?
We discover that there are no double standards with God.
By His own character, God must be perfectly consistent with Himself. He can not break His own Law nor violate His own nature. He can not have a way for these people to make it and a different way for them.
So to the Jews He gave the Law so they could see their condition.
The law demands perfect righteousness, but it is powerless to produce the perfect righteousness that God demands The reason is because man is sinful at the very core of his being.
Paul goes on to tell us the purpose of Christ’s death. God imputes Christ’s righteousness to our account the moment we believe on Him. This is the only way sinful man can ever have a right relationship with God.
4:1-25
The Apostle Paul says, “Let me illustrate this fact. Here is an example from the Old Testament.”
“For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Jews supposed Abraham was justified by works or the works of the flesh (4:1-2).
V1 Did Abraham behave right? Is that why the Lord went to him?
V2 If it was then Abraham could boast.
V3 Quotes Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Accounted - imputed, credited to him
V4 God is in debt with no man.
The key word in Romans chapter four is “reckoned” (vv. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 22, 23, 24). It means to charge to his account, to credit something to someone’s financial account.
V5 Faith is not our righteousness
Faith links us to the Lord and His righteousness.
Justication does not just mean forgivenss.
Not “Just-as’if-you-have-never-sinned” but it is “you-have never sinned”.
God declares you are guitless. He pronouces man just and righteous.
David understood something of this doctrine.
Ps 32:1-2
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
King David is justified by faith (4:6-9).
David is another outstanding Old Testament saint who comes to Paul’s mind. David was a good, upright, righteous, law-abiding citizen, wasn’t he? Didn’t keeping the law save him? No, he wasn’t; he was an adulterer and a murderer with blood on his hands. He was guilty. Then how in the world would God save Him?
He was lost in his sins and “God reckons righteousness apart from works” (vv. 6-8). He was the recipient of God’s grace. He humbled his heart and asked God to forgive him of his transgressions. He believed God’s word.
V9-12 Who gets this blessedness? The circumcised or the uncircumsised?
Outward religious rites cannot give us acceptance before God. Rites can only reveal what already exists.
V10
Gen 17:1-27
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
7 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
8 "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
9 And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
10 "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;
11 "and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
12 "He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.
13 "He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."
15 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 "And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her."
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"
18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!"
19 Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.
20 "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
21 "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year."
22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
23 So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael;
27 and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Why did God wait? Because Abraham is Gentile and Jewish father.
V12 Faith is the key.
Abraham’s being a Jewish person did not save him 4:10–12).
Romans 4:9-13, 16 clarifies this point for Paul. Abe was circumcised 14 years after he believed the promise! Besides, the circumcision was only a sign of righteousness that he had already received by faith. The Jewish people thought that circumcision was what made a man acceptable to God.
V13-12 This was bigger than Abraham.
Faith people- trusters of God.
V14 Faith is void if the promise also goes tothe performers.
V15 Why wrath? Because it exposes sin.
ILL: Father in the room with rules gets fear/behavior.
Father in the room with relationship gets love/behavior.
Grace is undeserved - it can not be broken.
V16 Who is our father? Ababram.
V17-22
In regard to the promise God gave Abe that he would have the son of the promise, Abe for all practical purposes was a dead man. He was 100 years old, and his body was now dead in its ability to produce children. Sarah’s womb was barren. He was too old to have children, but he took God at His word. He believed God. He is the One who calls into existence that which does not exist. He gives life to the dead.
Over thirty things occurred the very moment we put our faith in Christ including:
· We were born again or regenerated (Titus 3:5; John 3:5, 6; Ephesians 2:1-5).
· We were baptized by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).
· We were indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).
· We were sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30).
· We received spiritual gifts for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:11).
We are in Christ; He is in us.
· We are crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20).
· We are dead with Christ (Colossians 2:20).
· We are buried with Christ (Romans 6:4).
· Made alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).
· We are raised together with Christ (Colossians 3:1).
· We are sufferers together with Christ (Romans 8:17).
· We are glorified together with Christ (Romans 8:17).
Therefore, we have died to the law. By dying with Christ, we died under the law’s penalty. All of the law’s demands were satisfied in Christ. It no longer has a hold on us.
As a result of justification by faith we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). All controversy between the believing sinner and God is over! Assurance of Salvation
Who you were before knowing Christ:
Matthew 25:26 Wicked and lazy
1 Corinthians 15:22 Dead
2 Corinthians 4:4 Blinded mind
Isaiah 64:6 Unclean thing,...filthy rags
Acts 2:40 Perverse
Romans 3:12 Unprofitable
Romans 5:10 Enemies
Ephesians 2:3 By nature a child of wrath
Ephesians 5:8 Darkness
Colossians 1:21 Alienated and hostile in mind
Psalms 5:10 Guilty
Who you are now that you know Christ:
Romans 3:24 Jusified and redeemed (already)
Romans 6:6 Old "self" was killed (crucified)
Romans 8:1 Not condemned
Romans 8:2 Free from law (of sin and death)
Romans 8:9 In the Spirit
Romans 8:14 sons of God
Romans 8:16 Spirit witnesses that we are children of God
Romans 8:17 Heirs of God
Romans 8:26 Spirit prays for us
Romans 8:29 - 30 Foreknew, predestined, called, justified, glorifed
Romans 8:33 God’s elect
Romans 8:34 Christ intercedes for us
Romans 8:37 Conquerers through Him
Romans 8:38 - 39 Nothing can separate us from the love of God
Romans 9:16 It all depends on God
Romans 15:7 Accepted
1 Corinthians 1:2 Sanctified (holy, set apart)
1 Corinthians 1:30 Wisdom, righteousness, sancification,redemption
1 Corinthians 6:11 Washed, sancified and justified
1 Corinthians 15:22 Alive
2 Corinthians 2:14 Always leads us in His triumph
2 Corinthians 3:14 My hardened mind is removed
2 Corinthians 5:17 A new creature
2 Corinthians 5:21 The righteousness of God
Galatians 2:4 Have liberty
Galatians 3:28 All are one (not inferior)
Galatians 4:7 A son and an heir
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Heaven
Ephesians 1:4 Chosen, holy and blameless before God
Ephesians 1:7 Redeemed, forgiven
Ephesians 1:10 - 11 Have obtained an inheritance
Ephesians 1:13 Sealed with the Spirit
Ephesians 2:10 Created for good performance
Ephesians 2:13 Have been brought near (to God)
Ephesians 2:19 Fellow-citizen with the saints
Ephesians 3:6 A partaker of the promise
Ephesians 3:12 Have bold and confident access to God
Ephesians 5:30 A member of His body
Colossians 2:10 Complete
Colossians 3:1 Raised up with Him
Colossians 3:3 My life is hidden with Christ in God
2 Peter 1:4 Partaker of the divine nature
If God has called you holy, what are you?
If God has called you accepted, what are you?
If God has called you complete, what are you?
If God has called you not comdemned, what are you?
If God has called you a saint, what are you?
If God says this is how you are, then how are you?
"I am a holy, accepted, complete,
not condemned , saint because
God has spoken and He alone
defines true reality!”
