Several years ago Buick ran a series of ads to promote a new line of cars. General Motors typically manufactures full-size cars. These cars aren’t exactly considered cutting-edge among most young people. So Buick decided to target a younger audience by attempting to bridge the gap between the Buicks of old and the Buicks of new. The campaign centered on the slogan: “This isn’t your father’s Oldsmobile.” Buick made every effort to convince young people that the new Buick is much better and much different than the old. Obviously, the Bible is not Buick because the Bible does the very opposite. Instead of the new and improved, the Bible returns to the tried and true…the Old Testament. Paul devotes the entire fourth chapter of Romans to Abraham. This chapter contains what could be Paul’s slogan: “This is Our Father’s Faith.”

Last week in Romans 3:21-26, Paul expounded the guts of the Gospel, but he hasn’t yet finished what he wants to say. So this morning in 3:27-31, Paul raises three questions as he closes the chapter. These three questions begin to interpret and apply Paul’s teaching in the first three chapters and serve as an introduction to what follows. In these five verses, Paul asks and answers each question very briefly. He then follows up each answer with a more extensive explanation in 4:1-12. In these 17 verses, Paul explains three essential truths related to justification.

1. Justification Excludes Pride (3:27-31). The first question is found in 3:27: “Where then is boasting?” Paul replies, “It is excluded.” Men can’t boast about receiving something that they didn’t earn! Paul writes in 3:27 that boasting has been “excluded” not by a law of works but “by a law of faith.” This is a wordplay in which Paul uses the concept of “law” to contrast works and faith. In 3:28, Paul then insists, “a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

As I mentioned last week, the word “justify” means “to declare righteous.” The term comes from the courtroom of the first century. As a trial drew to a close, the judge, having heard all the evidence, would pronounce his verdict. To justify a person meant to declare they were not guilty in the eyes of the law. Yet, there’s another more contemporary way to understand the term. If you have a computer you probably know what it means to have justified margins. A “justified” margin is one that is absolutely straight from top to bottom. The computer arranges the words and spaces so that all the lines end up at exactly the same place. In that sense to justify means, “to make straight that which would otherwise be crooked.” Now take those two concepts and put them together. When you trust Jesus Christ as Savior, God declares you “not guilty” of sin and “straight” instead of “crooked” in His eyes. As we’ll see in a few moments, this can only take place “apart from works of the Law.” Justification excludes pride with regards to works, but it also excludes pride with regards to race.

In 3:29, Paul records the second question: “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also?” The Jews may have thought God’s only interest was in them and that He could care less about the Gentiles. But Paul affirms that “God is one” and deals with both Jews and Gentiles on the same basis. God has worked salvation in such a way that the Gospel is for everyone. Are you sharing the good news of God’s grace with people of all races or have you let barriers of age, class, color, or status creep in? This Easter season why not talk to someone outside of your own circle about the love of Christ?

While justification excludes pride in works and one’s race, it doesn’t exclude the Law. The third question is found in 3:31: “Do we then nullify the Law through faith?” Paul replies with a heart, “May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” The natural question that follows is: Then why should we “establish the Law”? The Bible gives us at least four reasons.

(1) The Law shows us our sin. Without God’s Law, we’d never know God’s demands. One of the purposes of the Law is to show us that we fail to measure up to God’s perfect requirements.

(2) The Law shows us our need for Christ. We must remember that the Law was never meant to save. Rather it serves the Gospel by removing all boasting about how one might be saved. Galatians 3:24 says the Law is a “tutor” who leads us to Christ. The Law was instituted for that purpose, to drive us to Christ.

(3) The Law was fulfilled by Christ. Only one Person has ever kept God’s Law perfectly. In His sinless life and sacrificial death Jesus fulfilled the righteous demands of the Law on our behalf. When we trust Christ, His obedience is credited to our account. He obeyed and we get the credit! We disobeyed and He took the blame! That’s the wonder of the Gospel.

(4) The Law is fulfilled in us through the power of the Spirit. Paul will develop this point more fully in chapter 8. For the moment let’s simply note that when we trust Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us to enable and empower us to daily please God.

[Now that he's briefly answered three pertinent questions, Paul transitions into chapter 4 to answer these same three questions in even greater detail. The second essential truth that Paul explains is...]

2. Justification Excludes Works (4:1-8). In 4:1, Paul brings up Abraham. Why does he use Abraham as his primary case study? For several reasons: (1) Abraham is one of the central characters in the Scriptures. He’s mentioned 285 times with over 70 references in the New Testament. (2) Abraham was a man of great works. He kept the commandments to such an extent that the Lord called Abraham His “friend.” Yet, even Abraham was saved by faith, apart from works. (3) Abraham was justified before circumcision while he was still a Gentile. Therefore, he forms a perfect model of Jew-Gentile unity, which Paul hopes the church at Rome will develop. (4) Paul wants to prove that the Gospel isn’t new, but was taught in the Old Testament.

Paul asks a question in 4:1: “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?” Paul is addressing the question: How did Abraham get to be righteous before God? He gives two arguments, one logical and the other biblical, concerning Abraham’s justification. The two usages of “for” in 4:2 and 4:3 introduce the argument concerning Abraham.

Paul begins with the logical argument in 4:2. He picks up on the concept of “boasting” in 3:27 and states, “If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.” Paul’s point is that even if works justified Abraham, he still couldn’t boast before God. It’s impossible to boast before God. Even a man as great as Abraham must boast only in God’s righteousness. In 4:3, Paul follows up his logical argument with a biblical argument. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6, which doesn’t say one word about Abraham’s good works. Rather, it says that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” To believe is to be persuaded. It’s to place one’s trust in God’s promises. It’s to believe God’s promise apart from any works. The issue is that faith excludes boasting because the one with the faith doesn’t do anything. Works is antithetical to faith. In 4:2-3, Paul sharply contrasts “belief” with “works.” Why? Because faith and works are antithetical, or opposites, like water and oil that don’t mix. To do good works is one thing; to believe God is another thing.

The key to Paul’s explanation is in the term “credited.” The word “credited” means “to take into account or credit something to someone.” It’s an accounting term that refers to the actual counting of something either to our credit or our loss. When we’re justified by faith, our sins are not reckoned against us as they should be, but the righteousness of Christ is graciously put to our credit. Paul is saying that mankind has a choice. We can be credited for our works, as payment for what’s owed, or we can be credited with righteousness for simply trusting God. The point of this passage turns on what you want credited to your account. Do you want God to credit you with what you’re owed according to your works or do you want Him to credit you with righteousness for your faith?

The simple equation is: Belief in the promise of God plus nothing equals righteousness (B + N = R). The next two verses exhort people not to mingle faith and works when seeking eternal life and forgiveness.

In 4:4, Paul states the negative side of the principle is that a person who “works” receives what’s due or owed, which is contrary to grace. Imagine your current job. You’re working hard for your employer. By the end of the month you’ve worked well. Now you’re eager to collect your paycheck. But your employer seems very causal. He says, “Well, I’m not planning to give you anything. But I’ll give you a gift to keep you going.” What would you say? “What do you mean you’ll give me a gift? I don’t want a gift. I want my salary, my wages. I’ve worked hard for it. You owe it to me.” That’s Paul’s argument. When a person works, his wages aren’t credited to him as a gift. But the point is that salvation doesn’t come by way of works. It comes freely. It’s not earned; it’s a gift. If God justified people on the basis of their works He would owe them something. Yet, I assure you, God isn’t going to be in debt to any man.

The positive side of the principle is found in 4:5: “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” The scandal of the Gospel is that we’re justified by doing absolutely nothing! It’s effortless. It’s shockingly free. This is the strongest statement of justification in the Bible. Another startling statement is found in this verse: “God justifies the ungodly!” He has to because there are no godly for Him to justify! He puts our sins on Christ’s account that He might put Christ’s righteousness on our account. What an amazing plan orchestrated by an amazing God!

The story of Abraham confirms that salvation is a matter of grace, not obedience. The record of Abraham that we find in the Bible indicates clearly that Abraham wasn’t obedient. In Genesis 11, we’re first introduced to Abraham. Although Abraham was from a pagan land, God sovereignly called him and told him to go to Canaan. However, he disobeyed and took his family with him. Then he disobeyed again, because God told him to leave Ur and go to Canaan, yet he stopped in Haran and stayed there 15 years. He disobeyed God for 15 years. Then he disobeyed again! In Genesis 12, God came again to Abraham and said, “Leave Haran and your family and go to Canaan.” He disobeyed again by bringing Lot with him. Finally, after reaching Canaan during a famine, Abraham disobeyed again by going to Egypt. Then while in Egypt he disobeyed yet again, by lying saying that Sara was his sister so that he wouldn’t get hurt. After his excursion into Egypt, Abraham returned to Canaan and God reiterated His covenant to him. As part of this covenant, God promised him that He would grant him innumerable descendants. Yet, Abraham disobeyed again. In order to begin his line of descendants, he committed adultery with Hagar. Obviously, Abraham wasn’t perfect. That’s why good works didn’t save him. Abraham’s only hope was to be saved through the mercy and compassion of God.

According to Jewish Law, two or three witnesses settled a question. So in 4:6-8, Paul calls another witness from the Old Testament to testify to justification through faith: one from the Law and one from the Prophets (cf. 3:21). Before Paul develops his argument further, he takes a moment to demonstrate that the case of David is similar. Abraham wasn’t an exceptional case. David was also declared righteous “apart from works.”

The Jews also held David in high regard. He was a man after God’s own heart. In case his audience missed the point about Abraham, Paul refers to David in 4:6: “who speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works.” This passage makes it clear that the “crediting” of righteousness to David wasn’t part of what was owed but was in fact in spite of what was owed.

In 4:7-8, Paul quotes from Psalm 32, which is a Psalm of David. It was obviously written after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Paul quotes from this psalm because David uses the word “credit” in it. This links Paul’s words in 4:3-5 and the stories of Abraham and David.

While David recognizes that he’s sinful, he knows he’s been forgiven. The basis upon which he’s been forgiven is that God will “credit” something other than what’s in and of himself. This is precisely Paul’s teaching. God “credits” us with perfect righteousness when we trust in Jesus. Although we, like David, aren’t righteous in ourselves, God justifies the ungodly.

David knew that he could rest in a righteousness available from God. Although the Law existed in David’s day, he refuses to quote it or even refer to it. David finds his refuge against sin and guilt in God. He experiences the great blessing of being justified. These two verses are not only for David; they are also for us. They teach us three valuable truths about justification. First, when we’re justified our “lawless deeds have been forgiven.” The word “forgiven” means to “send away.” It has the idea of physical removal from one location to another. When God forgives you, He removes your sins from you and takes them so far away that you will never be able to find them again. Second, when we’re justified our “sins have been covered.” The word “covered” means to “cover so completely that it can never be uncovered again.” Lastly, we can have confidence that our “sins the Lord will not take into account.” If a believer cannot earn God’s forgiveness, how much less can an unbeliever!

[After making an irrefutable case that justification excludes pride and works, Paul now explains that...]

3. Justification excludes race (4:9-12). At first glance we might be inclined to think that 4:9-12 are intended to prove that Abraham was saved by faith and not by works; specifically, not by the rite of circumcision. Although this is true, it’s not the main point Paul is striving to prove. The point which Paul is driving at is the universal nature of justification by faith and that it’s not for the Jews only, but for Gentiles.

Was Abraham saved as a Jew or as a Gentile? Was Abraham declared righteous as one who was circumcised or as uncircumcised? It was under the circumstance of uncircumcision that Abraham was justified. Abraham, in Genesis 15:6, was declared righteous, on the basis of faith, fourteen years before he was circumcised. Technically then, Abraham was saved as a Gentile and not as a Jew for he didn’t enter Judaism by circumcision, nor did he have the Law to keep. What a blow to the Jew who maintained that one couldn’t be saved without becoming a Jew by circumcision and keeping the Law!

In 4:10, Paul asks the obvious questions: “How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?” He then states that Abraham received God’s righteousness, “Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.” So why did Abraham get circumcised? What’s circumcision for? If circumcision doesn’t automatically save, what’s its purpose? Paul answers that for us in 4:11-12.

This first half of 4:11 defines circumcision in two specific ways. First, circumcision was a “sign” of new life. In Genesis 17, Abraham received a new name, was made a new person, and was given a new enablement. Circumcision was a sign of what happened to Abraham after he was declared righteous. Circumcision was also a sign that the promises of salvation would come through Abraham’s line. Abraham and Sarah were miraculously given God’s strength to conceive and bring to birth the miracle child Isaac. From this beginning the Savior would come in the line of Abraham. This is why a Jewish boy was circumcised at birth. As soon as he was born he was a member of the people in whose line the Savior would come. One only had to be born into Abraham’s line to be the “seed of Abraham” in a nationalistic sense. Circumcision was a sign of new birth and a sign of the coming Savior. It summoned Abraham to new obedience; because he was a new person a new obedience was expected of him.

Second, circumcision was a “seal” that God had given the promise and would keep it. Believers today are “sealed” by the Holy Spirit. We experienced a spiritual circumcision in the heart not just a minor physical operation, but the putting off of the old nature through the death and resurrection of Christ.

What then is the value of circumcision? If entrance into Judaism through circumcision doesn’t in any way contribute to one’s justification, what good is it? Circumcision isn’t the source of one’s salvation, but the sign of it. It’s a symbolic testimony to what has happened inwardly in the man who’s been justified by faith.

The outcome of all this is that Abraham is the “father” of all who are justified by faith. He’s a model in that his faith led him to a high level of obedience apart from the Mosaic Law. He’s a model of how faith works its way through to godliness. He’s a model of contentment. The majority of his reward came after the grace. He’s a model of persistence. He persevered in his faith despite obstacles. The record of “Our Father’s Faith” should motivate us to reach new heights and be a man or a woman who will pass the baton of faith to the next generation.

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Copyright © 2001 Keith R. Krell. All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, C 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission.

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: by Keith Krell, Timeless Word Ministries®, 2508 State Ave NE Olympia, WA 98506, 360-352-9044, www.timelessword.com

All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission.
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