Freely Forgiven
Rom 4:1-8
There is a surprising resistance to the message of “justification by faith.” Not infrequently I have been challenged by people who have said, “Do you mean to tell me that if a murderer–rapist repents and believes at the last minute before he dies he will be justified by God because of Christ, but a decent, honest, moral person who doesn’t believe will not be justified?”
I. The Lesson of Abraham, v.1
Reasons why Abraham was chosen as the example”
▸ Abraham lived about 2,000 years before Paul wrote this letter, demonstrating that the principle of salvation by faith rather than by works was not new in Judaism. Abraham was the first and foremost Hebrew patriarch. He lived 600 years before the Old Covenant was established through Moses. He therefore lived long before the law was given and obviously could not have been saved by obedience to it.
▸ Paul used Abraham simply because he was a human being. Until this point in Romans, Paul has been speaking primarily about theological truths in the abstract. In Abraham he gives a flesh and blood illustration of justification by faith.
▸ Possibly the most important reason that Paul used Abraham as the example of justification by faith was that, although rabbinical teaching and popular Jewish belief were contrary to Scripture as far as the basis of Abraham’s righteousness was concerned, they agreed that Abraham was the O.T. supreme example of a godly righteous man who is acceptable to the Lord.
A. “What shall we say” He is challenging what the Rabbis were saying about Abraham.
The majority of Jews in Paul’s day believed that Abraham was made right with God because of his own righteous character.
They believed God chose Abraham to be the father of His people Israel because Abraham was the most righteous man on earth during his time.
Like many cults today, they took certain scriptural passages and twisted or interpreted them out of context in order to support their preconceived ideas.
∙ Abraham was the prime example of a man who was justified by his works, as rabbinic literature eloquently testifies. The Mishnah’s third division Kiddushin (4.14) makes a specious interpretation of Genesis 26:5, wrongly concluding: “and we find that Abraham our father had performed the whole law before it was given, for it is written ‘Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.’ (Gen 26:5 ).
∙ The earlier Book of Jubilees (circa B.B. 100) similarly says, “For Abraham was perfect in all his deeds with the Lord, and well-pleasing in righteousness all the days of his life.”
∙ So perfect was Abraham thought to be that another book, The Prayer of Manasses, concluded that Abraham never had need of repentance: “Thou, therefore, O Lord, that art the God of the righteous, hast not appointed repentance unto the righteous, unto Abraham. . . .”
∙ What claims! 1) Abraham performed the whole Law before it was written, 2) he was perfect in all his deeds, and 3) he had no need of repentance. Conclusion: Abraham was justified by his works and therefore is an example to follow. Case closed!
Not to Paul, “What saith the scriptures?”
By using Abraham as the supreme scriptural example of justification, or salvation, by faith alone, Paul was storming the very citadel of traditional Judaism.
∙ By demonstrating that Abraham was not justified by works, the apostle demolished the foundation of rabbinical teaching—that man is made right with God by keeping the law, that is, on the basis of his own religious efforts and works.
∙ If Abraham was not and could not have been justified solely on the basis of his faith in God, then everyone else must be justified in the same way, since Abraham is the biblical standard of a righteous man.
Rom 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Paraphrase of verse 1: “Because we agree that Abraham is the peerless example of a justified man in God’s sight, why don’t we look at him carefully in order to determine the basis of his justification?”
There was, of course, no doubt about the caliber of Abraham’s life—in fact, God called him, “my friend” (Isa. 41:8) and said, “Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Gen. 26:5).
Abraham, having received such an endorsement from God, could presumably be well satisfied with his success and indulge in a little boasting about his accomplishments and God’s unstinting praise.
Paraphrase verse 2:
∙ Paul, however, remarks that Abraham might be able to boast, “but not before God.”
∙ In other words, the argument sounds great and is certainly most convincing except where it really matters, and that is “before God.”
∙ Or a man’s works might earn him the applause of men, but never the applause of God, for God’s standards are higher and holier than anything conceived by man.
∙ Abraham, however, did not trust in his own merits.
B. “What saith the scripture?”
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Paul is able to show quite clearly from the Old Testament that Abraham’s acceptance with God came through his faith, not his works, although his works were exemplary. Far from being the cause of his acceptance with God, Abraham’s lifestyle was the result of his acceptance. God did not declare him righteous because he was so good, but rather Abraham lived a good life because God had freely justified him by faith.
Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
(If you work 40 hours your check is not a gift.)
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
He is contrasting a system of works and one of belief
∙ Under a system of works, everything depends on the sinner!
∙ Under grace, everything depends on the Saviour. Under the first, God gives a fair trial!
∙ Under the second He gives a free pardon!
The expression “Him that justifieth the ungodly” is one full of hope for those who realize that the fairer the trial, the more certain we are of judgment.
∙ It is of importance to note that it is the ungodly that God justifies.
∙ God’s justification is extended to the individual as a sinner, not as a saint.
∙ To obtain a pardon and to sue for mercy in a court, a person must first plead guilty.
∙ The man who pleads “not guilty” can hope only for a fair trial.
∙ The man who pleads “guilty” can hope for mercy.
∙ God does not take sinners to heaven because they deserve it, but because of His grace.
“Section five of the Promise Keepers credo read: ‘We believe that man was created in the image of God, but because of sin, was alienated from God. That alienation can be removed only by accepting, through faith alone, God’s gift of salvation, which was made possible by Christ’s death.’
“Concerned about this development at Promise Keepers, Sengenberger had several Catholic theologians review the statement and present their objections to Wagner last summer.
“EARLY THIS YEAR (1997), PROMISE KEEPERS REVISED THE STATEMENT IN A WAY THAT PASSED THEOLOGICAL MUSTER WITH THOSE CATHOLICS. ‘Only through faith, trusting in Christ alone for salvation, which was made possible by His death and resurrection, can that alienation be removed.’
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that salvation is by faith, but not by faith alone; by grace, but not by grace alone. They add the church and the sacraments. They redefine grace so that it does not mean a man is saved by grace alone as a free gift without works or sacraments.
Righteousness was credited to Abraham’s account because of faith, not because of works! Abraham established the faith alone principle from Genesis 15:6.
The Lesson of Abraham
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves” it is the gift of God”
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. . . .
Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works” otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace” otherwise work is no more work.
The famous evangelist, Dwight Moody, was riding the Union Pacific train through Southern Wyoming. At Rock Springs, a Mormon engineer took over the train. He believed in salvation by good works. Hearing that the evangelist was on the train, he sent word by one of the crewmen to have Moody come to the cab of the engine. There they both talked about this matter of salvation. Moody kept saying, “You must accept Christ by faith.” The engineer answered, “No. You must be saved by your works.” When the train pulled into Ogden, Utah, Moody stepped from the cab. He looked up at the engineer and said, “There is not a whole lot of difference in our religions after all. It is all in the spelling!” The engineer looked rather startled. He said, “In the spelling? What do you mean?” Moody answered, “You spell yours–Do! Do! Do! I spell mine—DONE! It was all done when Jesus went to the cross.”
II. The Lessons of David (5-8)
Rom. 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
David is a good example of when a man is happy.
Was he happy because of his wealth?
Did his sin with Bathsheba bring happiness?
Did murdering Uriah solve all his problems?
The case of David. David in connection with Bathsheba, had coveted, committed adultery, and murdered, breaking 3 of the 10 commandments.
His seduction of Bathsheba and his camouflaged murder of Uriah exposed David to the death penalty on two counts, and according to the strict letter of the Mosaic law, there was no hope for him. [Ted Bundy vs. Mother Teresa] The sacrificial system of the Old Testament made no provision for willful sin. David’s case was hopeless. This is why David cried in another of the penitential psalms, born in this same period,
“For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it” thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psa 51:16, 17).
David’s desperate case cast all on God.
Out of this experience, however, David learned two vital truths concerning salvation, truths which he wrote in Ps. 32 and which Paul picks up here to further his argument.
Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.(quotes Ps.32)
The first of these truths is that
A. Blessed is the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works, (6).
“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works” (6).
David discovered the way to true happiness and to true holiness—without works.
∙ What could David do to restore to Bathsheba her chastity and to Uriah his life?
∙ What could he do to restore his own lost innocence?
∙ Nothing! His case was hopeless.
∙ But then God stepped in and in sovereign grace freely cancelled David’s sin and counted him righteous!
Simple faith in the naked promise of God, “The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die” (2 Sam. 12:13), was all that David had, but that was enough.1, Salvation is freely bestowed.
The second truth David learned was that cancelled
B. Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, (Rom. 4:7).
Rom. 4:7 “Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Dr. Harry Ironside was a great Bible teacher. Always in his interpretation of the Bible he led to Christ. Everything he said pointed to Jesus, always explaining what Jesus did and who He was and what he came to do.
Dr. Ironside told one time of a sheep ranch that he visited down in Texas. He said he saw on of the greatest demonstrations of the righteousness of God imputed to us because Jesus, as a Man, died on the cross. he said he saw something and he couldn’t figure it out. It looked like a sheep with four front legs and four back legs and two heads. It looked like a deformity. it looked like an abnormal little animal.
He said to the sheep rancher, “What in the world is this?”
The rancher smiled and said, “Preacher, this is probably a story that you will tell the rest of your life. We had a little lamb to die and a mother sheep died. There was a little lamb to die and left a mother without a baby and there was a mother that died and left the lamb without a mother. We took the little lamb without a mother and put it in the pen of the mother without its baby. The mother didn’t want any part of the baby. She would lower her head and push it away.
“Some of the help here got the idea that if the mother thought that that little lamb was really hers, she would adopt it and make it as her own. She would nurse it and raise it and that would solve the whole problem. So they took the skin off the little dead lamb and put it around the little orphan lamb. We tied it on. So that is why you see four front feet, four back feet and what looks like two heads.”
The rancher went on, “When it was covered we put it in the pen with the mother and she loved it and cared for it. There is nothing horrible about it to her. It is beautiful to her. She accepted it because it is clothed in the garments of her own.”
Micah 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Evidence in Shark’s Belly
A little over a century ago, when pirates roamed over the seas between the southern states and the Spanish main, the brig “Nancy” was pursued by the British warship “Sparrow.” She was suspected of being engaged in illicit trade and piracy, but when captured, not a scrap of incriminating evidence could be found among her papers. It was thought that she would have to be released, but the question was referred to the authorities at Kingston, Jamaica, into which port she was brought.
Meanwhile another vessel (Ferret, Lieutenant Michael Fitton) a tender of the British frigate “Abergavenney,” had been cruising the same waters off the coast of Haiti. Harpooned a shark, found a parcel of papers, tied around with string.
These papers (Which are still on display in the Institute Museum of Jamaica) were found to relate to the doings of a ship called the “Nancy” and thinking they might serve an useful purpose, the officer (Lieutenant Michael Fitton?) preserved them till they reached Kingston, which was the next port of call, arriving there just as the case of the “Nancy” came before the courts.
The consternation of the “Nancy” captain and crew may be imagined, when, jubilant at the prospect of release, they were suddenly confronted with the misdeeds—in the papers which they had thrown overboard when pursued by the warship, and which they thought were buried in the depths of the sea!
—H.P.Barker
Happiness is having you sins forgiven!
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
Karl Menninger, the famous psychiatrist, says that if he could convince the patients in his psychiatric hospitals that their sins are forgiven, 75% of them could walk out the next day. So often we do not take God at his word!
C.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin”
8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin”
We over drafted because a check we deposited bounced. When I reconciled my checking account. the overdraft charges of $100 weren’t there. I was happy? How do you suppose David felt?
Dr. Robert G. Lee, long pastor of the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, was indisputably one of the great preacher/orators of the 20th Century. He was the speaker on the Southern Baptist Convention’s “Baptist Hour” and a baker’s dozen of his messages delivered over that network were published by Broadman Press in 1950 under the title, “The sinner’s Saviour.” In the sermon, “Which Way are You Headed?” (based on John 3"36 and Matthew 7"13-14), he told this moving story”
“One pastor tells about a preacher who saw a nervous boy on the train. He was so obviously distressed that the preacher introduced himself to him and asked if he could help. At first the young man refused to tell what was wrong. But then the story came. He had quarreled with his father. He had run away from home. Homesickness and remorse had overtaken him. Now he was returning home. He had written his mother” If it is all right for me to come home, tie a white rag on the limb of the pear tree in the front yard. I’ll see it as the train goes by. If it’s there, I’ll get off at the next station. If it isn’t there, I’ll keep on going, I don’t know where.” To the preacher, the boy said, “We’re almost there now, and I’m afraid to look.” The preacher told him to lean back and close his eyes. “I’ll look for you,” he promised. And in a few minutes, he said” “Son, there’s a white rag on every limb of that tree!” And those white rags testified of the love and forgiveness in the father’s heart.”
Happy is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
