Justification is by Faith as Shown by Abraham - Romans 4

Religions go by justification by the works of the Laws. But Christianity is justification by faith in Christ and not works. This is shown in the example of Abraham. He was counted as righteous because he believed in the promise of God and acted accordingly. The promise and acceptance by God occurred before the giving of the Laws and circumcision. The circumcision was a later sign of earlier inward faith in God. This justification by faith in Jesus Christ is available to anyone who believes. Adam sinned by not believing God and Abraham was justified by believing in God. That is right isn't it?

Chapter 4 Mind-map:


The Passage:

• Faith vs Work
  • Abraham
    • What was gained by Abraham, the forefather of the Jews? Rom 4:1
      - It is Righteousness by Faith
    • If Abraham was justified by works, then he can boast , but not before God. Rom 4:2 -  Abraham was not justified by works
    • The Scripture says,"Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Rom 4:3
    • A wage is not counted as a gift but as a due of his work. Rom 4:4
    • And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as for righteousness, Rom 4:5
  • David
    • "Blessing is when God counting him righteous without the works" Rom 4:6
    • "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; Rom 4:7
    • blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin." Rom 4:8
• For WHO? Circumcised & UncircumcisedFaith Before Circumcision
  
  • Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?
    • For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. Rom 4:9
  • 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. Rom 4:10Circumcision is a sign for inner faith
  • The purpose was to make him
    • the father of
      • all who believe without being circumcised,
        • so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, Rom 4:11
      • the true circumcised are those who not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham Rom 4:12
• By Faith
  • For the promise
    • to Abraham & his offspring
    • that he would be an heir of the world
    • + did not come through the law
    • but through the righteousness of faith. Rom 4:13
  • For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. Rom 4:15
  • it depends on faith,
    • that the promise may
      • rest on grace and
      • be guaranteed to all his offspring
        • --not only to the adherent of the law
        • but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham,
          • who is the father of us all, Rom 4:16
• The Promise
  • as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"--
    • in the presence of the God in whom he believed,
    • God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Rom 4:17
• Abraham's Faith
  • In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." Rom 4:18
  • He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body,
    • which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old),
    • or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. Rom 4:19
  • No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, Rom 4:20
  • fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Rom 4:21
  • That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." Rom 4:22
• Believe in ChristSalvation is for All
  
  • But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, Rom 4:23
  • but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, Rom 4:24
• Summary
• "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Rom 4:3
  • fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Rom 4:21
  • That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." Rom 4:22
• David referred to the forgiveness of sins as well 4v7
• The promise to Abraham was given before circumcision and the giving of the Laws 4v10
• Circumcision comes after acceptance and is just a sign of the inward faith.
• All who believe in Jesus, circumcised or not, will be saved. 4v11,24
• Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Rom 4:25

Back to the Original Sin of Adam:

Eve sinned by believing the Devil rather than God. She used her senses to see that it was good for food and pleasant and chose to believe what the devil had said about making one wiser and so she ate and gave to her Adam who also ate without asking. Since it was unbelief that caused the first sin, it makes sense that God now enables us to be saved, a second chance, by believing in the redemption of Jesus Christ. God is reconciling us back to him through a relationship of trust and obedience.

See also The Branding of Believers - The Ten Commandments

Lim Liat (c) 12 Aug 2017