Romans 4:1-5
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, 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 the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
4:2, This should more literally be translated like the NASB’s footnote “but not
toward (πρός, pros) God,” or even better, “not
with regard to God.” Paul’s point is that if Abraham was justified because his works were so good, he would have bragging rights. But then he couldn’t have boasted about what God had done for him.
4:3, But that wasn’t the case. The Bible clearly says Abraham’s righteousness was
credited to him - not earned - because he believed God (Gen 15:6).
But Abraham actually did do something - he believed. But does believing equal righteousness? No, not even close. I can believe the police officer when he tells me I was going 15 miles over the speed limit, but that doesn’t make me innocent of speeding. The miracle of grace was that God took Abraham’s mere belief and called it righteousness!
When I was in grad school a little boy accidentally ran his bicycle into my car (which was parked in my driveway) after losing control coming down our hill. His slightly raised training wheels belied the fact that he was a new driver. It dented and scratched my rear quarter panel. He came to my door in tears, apologizing profusely for the damage. He also offered me a “dollar” from his pocket to pay for damages. He called it a dollar, but it was really a nickel – the only money he had. I thanked him for his honesty and for taking care of the damage he had caused. I accepted his “dollar” and told him that we were even – I would fix my car now. Before he left, I pretended to straighten out his jacket. Of course, I slipped the nickel back into his pocket. That little boy truly repented and truly grieved over the damage he caused. He also “believed JB and I credited his 5 cents as complete payment for the damage” (which cost me a few hundred dollars since I only had liability insurance).
That’s similar to what God does. He takes our mere belief and credits it to us as holy righteousness – full payment. Then He pays the full price for us.
4:4-5, “
God justifies the wicked (v.5).” He doesn’t justify the righteous! What a powerful thought that is!
It’s difficult for most of us to separate ourselves from the cause/effect relationship of work/earn. Perhaps this is why evangelists in underdeveloped countries tend to have more success than those in wealthier countries. Evangelizing the wealthy is so much more challenging than evangelizing the poor. The poor are already humbled. Many are already at a place of accepting assistance because they know their own efforts are inadequate.
God gives us a gazillion-dollar check we didn’t earn. His righteousness, His grace, His salvation are charity toward us - and nothing less. He gives us fish
before He teaches us to fish.
But there is a conundrum in verse 5. God is perfect and He is just. Justice requires punishment for violation of the law. But if God justifies someone who who breaks the law, hasn't He then committed injustice?
How do we resolve this?
Romans 4:6-8
6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
Now Paul mentions David - the great sinner who committed adultery and murdered his mistress’ husband. The great king from whose lineage the Messiah was born. The man after God’s own heart. What a shiny example of a filthy sinner whom the Lord declared clean through faith!
Romans 4:9-11a
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11a And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.
4:9-10, A Jew may say “Sure, God credits righteousness to the circumcised – to us. But not to the rest. We are special.” But Paul’s point is that Abraham hadn’t been circumcised yet when God credited righteousness to him. Abraham’s faith was credited as righteousness before there was even a command to obey!
4:11a, Abraham obeyed
after God declared him righteous through his faith as a “
sign... a seal of the righteousness” that he had already received from God through his faith. How can a Jew argue here?
Romans 4:11b-13
11b So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
4:11b, People outside the church likely think studying a section of the Bible more than once would be repetitive and boring. But one thing I love about studying the scriptures is that they are always fresh. The Bible is so rich, its messages so profound, and the Spirit’s illumination so bright that each time we return to a passage we gain more insight and experience - more “Aha!” moments - than before.
That would have been what Paul's sincere Jewish readers would have experienced when he pointed out something that had been masked by preconceptions for many generations but was plain in their scripture. Paul is tiptoeing into some heavy, controversial theology that carries a great deal of collateral implications. Prepare yourself for it. Here it is:
Abraham, father of the Jews, was a Gentile! He was the grandfather of Israel (Jacob), so he couldn’t have been a Jew. And The Mosaic Law wasn’t given for many generations later. The Scripture plainly says he was justified “by faith” (or “through belief”) rather than by legal obedience.
So, Abraham is the father of all Jews and non-Jews who believe.
4:12, Paul clearly says here that people who are circumcised (Jews) are not Abraham's children unless they also trust God (rather than trusting themselves) for their righteousness. That was Abraham's saving faith. He was not saved through obedience but through faith.
4:13, The Law hadn’t even been revealed in Abraham’s day. Though he obeyed God, he also disobeyed God. His obedience and disobedience were irrelevant to his righteous standing before God. God promised Abraham that he and his offspring would be heirs of the world through faith. The heirs of the world will be the offspring of Abraham’s faith.
Point Blank: Every Jew who looked at Gentiles as inferior in God's eyes automatically looked down at their father Abraham as inferior!
Abraham was not only the model for the Jewish faith. He was also the model Gentile proselyte! As physical descendants of Abraham, Jews were uniquely chosen in Abraham. They believed every Israelite would ultimately be saved by God’s grace if they maintained God’s covenant with Abraham (
Gen 17:1-14; Exod 19:3-6). Abraham’s faithfulness became to them one of his “works” upon which his righteousness was based. But Paul points out that it was Abraham’s “believing” that God credited to his righteousness — believing in God’s promise of an impossible nation of offspring whom God would bless.
Jews believed that Gentiles, however – because they weren’t physical descendants of Abraham – needed to be circumcised and submit to the righteous requirements of the Law if they wanted to become people of the covenant. Paul here tore down a foundation of the Jews’ arrogance. They believed they were in a sustained relationship to God by Abraham’s faithfulness and works. But if Abraham was justified by his “faith” rather than his “faithfulness,” then Gentiles could come in more easily. If Abraham was a Gentile and became righteous by faith, then all Gentiles could become righteous by faith without ever identifying themselves with Moses!
