WWUTT 128 Justified By Faith (Romans 4:1-12)

Abraham is considered to be one of the forefathers of the Jewish people, right? Well, he's not only one of their forefathers, he's the forefather of every Christian, because his righteousness was by grace through faith, when we understand the text.

You're listening to When We Understand The Text, an online Bible ministry committed to teaching sound doctrine and exposing the faulty. Find videos and more at our website, www .tt .com. Now here's our host, Pastor Gabe Hughes.

Thanks, Becky. Hey, we appreciate the questions that everybody sends in to the program. On Friday, we take a question from a listener or a viewer of what videos. You can submit your questions to whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com.

I already know what we're going to be addressing this Friday, because I've already gotten a couple of questions about this, so I think it would be a good topic to bring up. Should a Christian go see the movie Deadpool?

The short answer is no, they should not. But we'll give reasons as to why coming up on Friday. Now, I am a comic book fan. I collected comic books before I got married and had kids. I don't invest money in that anymore.

Deadpool was one of those comic books that I used to read a lot when I was a teenager. And so I was excited to hear that there was a film coming out, but knowing the content that is in this movie, you need to think twice before going and seeing this film.

Again, that will be the topic we're going to address on Friday. If you want to submit questions about anything else, because we're still looking for future topics, again, that email address is whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com.

Justification by Faith in Romans 4

Romans chapter 4. I think we're looking at verses 1 through 12 today. If you want to open up your Bibles and join with me there. Here's the start of Romans 4. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due.

And to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works.

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised?

It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that the righteousness would be counted to them as well.

And to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised, but also who walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. So what we have here is Paul using Abraham as an example of justification that comes by faith, not by works.

So give us a real world example, Paul. Give us a person to whom we can relate on this subject. Justification by faith and not works. And so Paul says, OK, Abraham. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather, according to the flesh?

He's our forefather, according to the flesh, not just of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles by the illustration that he gives here related to circumcision and uncircumcision. OK, for if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Remember, going back to what we had read in chapter 3, verse 27, what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. There is no reason for us to boast because we have this justification as a gift of grace from God by faith, not by anything that we did, but by God's work, by his righteousness.

We read in Ephesians 2, 8, 9, it is by grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast. Our faith is given to us by God.

As Jesus said in John 6, 29, this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent. So as we read in Romans 4, 3, for what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

And that, of course, is Genesis 15, 6, that Paul is quoting there. Abraham's belief was given by God and it was counted as righteousness. Verse 4, now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due.

So kind of breaking from the example of Abraham a little bit, Paul uses the example of a worker. And here's what he's saying. If salvation was based on works, then God, by granting a person salvation, would be paying a person what he owes that person.

If salvation was paid by works, a person worked for it, God would be giving him salvation because that's what he earned. But as we will read later on in Romans 11, 35, who has given a gift to God that he might be repaid?

In other words, no one, this is all by the grace of God and his righteousness that no one may boast. Verse 5, and to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Verses 7 and 8, blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.

Why not? Because he has attained righteousness and salvation by faith, not by works. Verse 9, is this blessing then only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.

How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. In other words, the salvation that had been given to Abraham by faith was not by his works.

It was not because he was circumcised. He had received this reward before he was circumcised. So then, Abraham's circumcision is a sign and seal of the righteousness that he had received by God, not by himself and his own works.

It is the outpouring, it is the affirmation of the belief, the faith, the righteousness that had been given by God. Abraham showed himself obedient because he had received these things. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.

The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that the righteousness would be counted to them as well. So this is why we can call Abraham a father not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles, because the righteousness that he received came even before his circumcision.

And to make him the father of the circumcised, as I'm continuing the sentence here in verse 12, to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The example that Abraham sets forth for us is not his works and not his obedience to those works, but the faith that he had by which he was saved. Whether you're talking about the Old Testament or the New Testament, salvation has always been by grace through faith.

It has never been by works. Even the Old Testament faithful were not expecting earthly things, but they were expecting heavenly promises and heavenly reward. We read in Hebrews 11, verses 13 through 16,.

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had the opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country. That is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

We are not talking about earthly rewards and promises and works. Even in the Old Testament, we're talking about spiritual things. Abraham set that example for us by faith, and so it is by faith that we believe God, and it is credited to us as righteousness.

By his work, not ours. God, we praise you and thank you for these examples that have been set forth for us in Scripture, these words that clarify for us an understanding of these doctrines and this theology, that it is not by works that we are saved, but by grace through faith.

Lord, we believe, now help our unbelief. Grow us in the knowledge of you, of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and we pray these things in his name. Amen.

This has been When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabriel Hughes. If you'd like to submit a question to this broadcast, or just send us a comment, email whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com and let your friends know about our ministry.

Join us again tomorrow as we grow together in the study of God's Word, when we understand the text.