Now, if you listen to every voice out there, you’d be in a fix and would never know where you stood with God. All you would know is that no matter what you did - it was never enough and it’s this attitude that Paul’s fighting against in Romans Ch 4
In Chapter 3 We saw Paul nailing the fallacy that the Law – or living right will get you to heaven. He told us in no uncertain terms that the Law can’t save us, and that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus So, after telling the Jews that the Law can’t save them and that neither will their works, now he’s goes on to tell them that circumcision won’t get them to Heaven either. So if the Law, our works and even circumcision won't help us to get right with God, then what will? And that’s the question Paul answers in chapter 4.
Unfortunately, not every one believes the doctrines of the faith. There are people who read the letter to the Romans and take issue with it. People who wouldn’t accept the truth. So as Paul continues to defend his message of salvation by grace through faith he calls a witness to the stand . And his witness is none other than Abraham, v. 1.
In 2010, Abraham is revered by over ½ the world's population. He’s held in high esteem by Jews, Muslims and Christians. In Paul's day, many people, especially the Jews, thought Abraham almost worthy of worship. So, if Paul were going to appeal to anyone to back him up and support his case, it would be Abraham.
4:1 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?
Here’s the thing: the Jews regarded Abraham as the prime example of a man who’d been saved by his works. They believed that he was the epitome of a life lived right. They believed that God accepted and justified Abraham because he’d earned it.
But in v 2 - Paul tells us that if this is true, then Abraham has the right to crow. He can stick his chest out and say, "Look at me, look at what I have accomplished."
2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about
The same thing’s true in 2010. There are denominations all around us who, in one way or another, claim to be saved by their works. Be it the Catholic who thinks he has to go to Mass, or the 7th Day Adventist who things he has to refrain from eating certain foods and watch no TV from Friday night thru Sunday Morning or maybe it's that person who believes that he’s saved by faith, but that he has to keep himself saved by all his good works. All of these people would have the right to brag about their righteousness if they have earned it for themselves. But sadly, they’re all are wrong!
When we come to faith God's way, there is no boasting in the flesh about anything we’ve done,there’ll only be boasting in Jesus and what He did for us. Notice the last phrase of verse 2, " But that was not God’s way." Paul telling us that even if it were true and somehow Abraham was justified by his works, even in that scenario God’s not impressed!
see, from the time we’re small children we’re conditioned to perform . We learn that good deeds and good performance produce rewards and that good deeds and performing well give us a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. But while the good things we do may prosper us and promote us in the eyes of men, it’ll do nothing for us in the eyes of the Lord. Why?
1 Sam. 16:7 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
God does not look on the outside, God looks at your heart No matter what we do in this world, we’re always judged by what we did last. Ask any coach and he’ll tell you that your only as good as your last game. That is why works won't cut it
Works don’t cut it because works won't last! You have to do more and more and more and eventually you come to the end of what you can do. And when that happens - you just cant DO ANY MORE. So what happens then? If I’m saved by my good works, then I’ve got to keep doing good works and even better works cos If I don't then I am doomed. And that, guys, is a pressure that no human can live under!
Think about Mohammed Ali. He’s considered by many to be the greatest boxer who ever went into the ring. He’ll always be remembered for his great victories. But, he cant do those things tonight! He lives in a body that is ravaged by the effects of Parkinson's disease and he just can’t do the things he used to do. Does that change the fact that he was a great boxer? No! The reality of who Ali is does not hinge on what he is today. He used to " float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.",but that tonight he shakes like a leaf on a tree and he even has trouble speaking coherently
People will always remember him as a great fighter. But, if he crawled back into the ring tonight and tried to fight, he’d be badly beaten and then world would remember him as a sad, washed up, has been. Ali doesn't have a thing to prove to humanity tonight. His fame doesn't depend on what he can do, it is all about who he is.
The bottom line is this: God’s not impressed with your works or with mine. All that touches God is our faith. Faith is the only thing that will save the human soul!
Paul goes on to tell us the real basis of Abraham's salvationVery simply, Abraham believed God and because of that God saved Abraham.
When Abraham was an 85 year old man, a childless man by the way, the Lord came to him and told him that he would have children. In fact, God told him that his descendants would eventually outnumber the stars that Abraham could see over head,
If that sounds crazy to you, here is something even crazier – Abraham believed God!
The Bible tells us that this faith in the word of God was the basis for Abraham's righteousness. In other words, because Abraham believed God, God saved his soul!
Verse 5 goes on to tell us that even the sinner who believes and places his trust and faith in God will be saved! What blesses me as I read this is the fact that I don't have to get good before I can come to God.
God isn't sitting in Heaven saying, "I wish that boy would get his life on track and start living for me. I sure would like to save him." If that were the case, then we’d all go to Hell. I’m glad that Jesus told us how we can come to Him when He told us to come just like we are, Matt. 11:28; Matt. 9:13.)
The handkerchief. My right hand, under the cloth represents Jesus in His righteousness. My left hand is uncovered. It represents me in all my sins. That’s how God sees me before I am saved. But, when I place my faith in Jesus, When I have a relationship with Jesus(move left hand under the handkerchief) I’m no longer seen. All that God sees when he looks at me is the righteousness of Jesus!
SO what were the RESULTS of ABRAHAM'S FAITH? Because Abraham reacted in faith to the promises of God, there were certain consequences that came into his life
· Paul illustrates them by using David’s prayer from Psalm 32:2.
6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: 7 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.
8 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.
#1 our Sins Are Forgiven – This word means "sent away".In a very real sense, when we receive Christ as our Savior, our sins are physically removed from our lives forever .
#2 our Sins Are Covered – This word means "covered so completely that they can never be uncovered. The blood of Jesus is so powerful that it covers ALL sins! All my Past sins have been covered. All my present are covered. As can be my future sins
Here’s the kicker. And this why I DON’T believe I am saved forever .I.e. once saved always saved. Yes The blood of Jesus is so powerful that it covers ALL my future sins. But only if I come to him in repentance so that he can apply it If I don’t deal with my future sins once they become my present sins then they can send me to Hell. And it wont be Gods fault
In the final analysis, we’ve been forgiven, we’ve been covered and our sins are no longer charged to our account! That’s a tremendous blessing! That is enough to make you want to shout!
Lets go a bit further:
Paul knew that the Jews were gonna have an issue with all this. And he anticipated their objections by addressing the issue of circumcision.See, the Jews attached far more significance to circumcision than we do today. For them, circumcision was the mark of salvation in a man's life! For us, it is a medical procedure that’s often performed for hygiene purposes a few days after a male child is born. The Jews, on the other hand, attach great meaning to the rite of circumcision. Rabbi Menachem wrote, "Our rabbis have said that no circumcised man will ever see hell." Another revered Jewish book makes the following claim, "Abraham sits before the gate of Hell, and does not allow that any circumcised Israelite should enter there."
In other words, they attached their eternal security to the rite of circumcision. The whole point here is that circumcision was the entry into a true relationship with God. They were sincere about it, - but according to Paul they were sincerely wrong!
Now, there’s another point of confusion for the Jews. If righteousness was reckoned to Abraham, did it come before or after he was circumcised? This was matter that needed to be addressed for the Jews. They were pinning their hopes of heaven on a ritual of the flesh. As a result, many Jews were going to die and go to Hell. Now to answer the question, we need to go to the book of Genesis. And When we do, its very clear that Abraham was saved ** at the age of 85,
Gen. 15:6. And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith
However, he wasn't circumcised until he was 99 years of age in Gen. 17: So, even though the Jews believed that circumcision was required for salvation, the very man they revered so highly was saved long before he was circumcised. This is a truth that needs to be drilled into the heads of every child of God! Salvation never has been about what we do, it has always been about who's we are! if we belong to the Lord, then we’re saved, forgiven, adopted into the family of God and declared righteous. BUT If we’ve not trusted the Lord by faith, then we’re lost, no matter what we do!
The whole point of this section is to tell men that salvation can’t be found in the rabbi's knife, the baptismal pool, the communion, church membership, or anything else. Salvation can only be found only in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Men are still saved by trusting His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Nothing else will cut it , Acts 16:31. This point is proven by taking a moment to look at two men in the Bible.
The Thief On The Cross - Luke 23:39-43 This guy trusted Jesus for his salvation and he was saved. Yet, he never went to church, never sang in a choir. He never witnessed, he never gave an offering or paid his tithe and he was never baptized. This guy did nothing but trust Jesus for salvation and he was saved! All the things he never got to do are things we should all do, but not one of those things can save us
The there’s Judas Iscariot - John 6:66-71 This is a guy who lived and walked with Jesus for over 3 years. He was active in the ministry, Yet, Jesus looked at Judas and said that he was a lost sinner!
Guys , it isn't about the things you do, it is all about Who you know. You need to know Jesus Christ. He alone is the door to salvation!
Finally, Paul moves from defending his position on salvation through faith to telling the Jews how you demonstrate that you possess righteousness.
Circumcision is a Sign The ritual in the flesh was to serve as a reminder to the Jews
that they were in a vital relationship with God and that they were to demonstrate the truth of that relationship by walking with him in faith, day by day!
If I am going to Atlanta and I see a sign that says "Atlanta 100 miles", I know that the sign is not Atlanta , neither is it in Atlanta yet the sign has value because it points the way to Atlanta
A seal is something that gets placed on a document and tells everyone who looks at it that it is the real deal. So circumcision was to be an outward symbol of an inward relationship. In that - It’s a lot like baptism. But Circumcision – like baptism – only has value as long as it was accompanied by a heart walking in surrender and obedience to the Lord! And that how it is with all the religious church stuff we do in this life. It only has value for us when our hearts are already right with God through salvation which comes by faith! The best illustration I can give you is the wedding ring I wear. This ring is a symbol of my commitment to my wife. When people see it, they know that I am married. They can see, without even knowing a thing about me, that I’m not a free man. It is a public sign that I belong to someone. Now, if I slide this ring off, do I become single? No! I am just as married whether I have the ring on my finger or not. Then why wear it? I wear it because it is a public symbol of my commitment to my wife. I wear it because I am proud of her and want the world to know that we are one! That’s why my ring is part gold and part white gold
Now, just for a moment, suppose some single guy puts on my wedding band. Does that mean that he is married to my wife? No! He’d just be wearing the symbol of a commitment that he had never made. If you can see what I am saying, then you can see the comparison between someone who has never been saved, but has been baptized and is an active church member. It just doesn't work unless it is done the Lord's way!
The whole point here is that if you are really walking in faith, then your life will show it! You will prove that you are saved,not by what you say, but rather by what you do, James 2:18.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?
I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
see, it must have been a shock for the Jews to hear that Abraham was made right with God by faith before he was ever circumcised! After all, he was just an unclean Gentile until he received the rite of circumcision . What these Jews failed to realize is that before Abraham was circumcised in his flesh, God has already circumcised his heart. And, that is the circumcision that really matters,
Guys, I am glad I am a Christian tonight! But, I’m even more glad that Jesus got me before the Christians did! see, tonight, I know that I’m saved, not because of the things I’ve done, am doing or will do for the Lord. I am saved this evening because of Who I’m trusting for my salvation!
What about you? Are you looking for some kind of a religious thing to save you? If so, it won't work! For us to get to heaven, we need to hear the same massage the Jews heard.
It's all about faith! We can't earn our way to Heaven, but we can believe our way there!
Are you doing that tonight?
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