#18 HCBC 2-11-07 AM
“Abraham Believed God”
Abraham was Not Justified by Works
Romans 4:1-8
How did people get “saved” before Jesus brought salvation?
How did God’s people become God’s people in Old Testament Times?
In what way was it different from the way people come into a right relationship with Him today?
If thoroughly questioned in this area most people would say that there was a difference
in how a person became one of God’s people.
This is the question we want to deal with this morning:
Was salvation any different in the OT?
If so, How?
And why it is important?
In our passage this morning, Romans 4:1-8, Paul will give a clear answer!
What we have seen in the first three chapters of Romans is the wrath of God and the grace of God!
All of mankind is in a situation of need before a holy God?
All are under sin.
No one understands.
No one is righteousness.
No one will be declared righteous by observing the law.
But a righteousness from God has been made known.
THE TRUTH
God’s Plan for Our Salvation
Our Need: righteousness
God has provided a righteousness of his own - a righteousness we do not possess!
The Source: from God - freely by his grace
This righteousness comes to us by the grace of God!
The Basis: the sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ
The death of Jesus Christ satisfied the wrath of God!
The Means: through faith
Righteousness becomes ours through simple faith!
Every false religion is founded on some form of salvation by works.
Man can become right with God only by faith in response to His grace!
Paul chooses to demonstrate this truth by using Abraham and the whole of Romans 4.
THE TESTIMONY
Why did Paul use Abraham as his example of salvation by faith alone?
1- Abraham was a man. For the first time in his letter Paul uses a human illustration.
To this point in the letter, Paul has taught theological truth in the abstract.
Now he wants to use a person to demonstrate the truth that salvation is by faith alone.
2- Abraham lived 2000 years before Paul wrote this letter.
Salvation by faith rather than works was not new in Judaism.
3- Abraham was the first and foremost Hebrew patriarch.
Gal 3:6-9 Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness." 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of
Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed
through you." 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the
man of faith.
4- Abraham lived 600 years before the law was given through Moses.
He could not have been saved by obedience to the law.
5- Abraham was the supreme example of a godly man who is acceptable to the Lord.
He is the biblical model of genuine faith and godliness.
Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his
inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Heb 11:9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign
country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the
same promise.
Heb 11:11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was
barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who
had made the promise.
Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He
who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,
6- Abraham was a righteous man!
Paul knew that the right understanding of Abraham’s righteousness was in conflict with
the religious leaders of his day!
Jewish Rabbi’s in Paul’s day taught that Abraham was made right with God
because of his own righteous character.
They believed the God chose Abraham to be the beginning of the Israelite nation
because Abraham was the most righteous man on earth at the time.
So, when Paul brought Abraham out as his illustration of salvation by trusting belief and not
works, he knew that he would be challenging the religious leaders of his day!
John MacArthur:
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 by keeping
the law, then no one could be. Conversely, if Abraham was 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.
THE TEXT
1-2 Abraham was not Justified by Works
NIV Rom 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?
NKJV Rom 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?
KJV Rom 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath
found?
NASB Rom 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has
found?
NCV Rom 4:1 So what can we say that Abraham, the father of our people, learned about faith?
kata sarka = according to the flesh
Paul’s question really is “How did Abraham become considered by God a righteous man?”
James Montgomery Boice:
God did not look down from heaven to see whether he could find someone with a little bit of human goodness (even a little bit of human faith), on the basis of which it would be possible to save that person – and then find Abraham. It is not as if God said: “Oh, this is wonderful! In the midst of this corrupt and sinful race, a race which, I have observed, thinks and does ‘only evil all the time’ [Gen 6:5], I have discovered at least one individual who wants to serve me. I see Abraham and his goodness. I think I can make something of him.”
It was not that way at all!
How could it be?
Paul has just finished quoting the Old Testament in saying:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
Paul goes on in verse 2:
If Abraham had been declared righteous because of works, he would have something to
boast about, but he wasn’t and he didn’t!
Paul will go on to demonstrate that Abraham was declared righteous because of
something other than works.
3-5 Abraham was Justified by Faith
Verse 3 --- What does Scripture say?
We could have a field day with this simple, yet profound, question!
When faced with questions, is this the first place we look for answers?
When confronted by the problems of daily life do we go to the Word of God first?
When trouble comes, do we turn to the Bible for help and hope?
Isaiah 8:11-22
On the one hand, I am convinced that God is deeply offended to see His own
people run to so many other places…
On the other hand, I rejoice that God is using more and more people to point
perplexed people to the power of His word!
Back in Romans…
What does the Scripture say?
Genesis 15:1-6
Verse 4 --- When someone works, his pay is not thought of as a gift!
When we work, our pay is an obligation!
Verse 5 --- When we simply trust God, that faith is counted as righteousness!
In regards to our relationship with God, it cannot be both ways!
It’s either working or trusting!
6-8 Justification brings Blessing
Verse 6 --- Paul says that the testimony of David affirms the truth that righteousness
comes by believing not by working!
Rom 4:6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to
whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Rom 4:7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
Blessings:
The forgiveness of sin!
The guarantee of eternal life!
The Holy Spirit to live within!
The Word of God to give life direction!
The church of God as family!
The work He has given us to do for Him!
The promise of God never to leave us or forsake us!
The work of God in our lives to make us like His dear Son!
The promise to prepare a place for us!
And the promise to come again and take us to be with Him!