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JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

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Romans chapter 4

In the previous chapter we see that no one is justified by complying with the works of the law, but that the righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

The "law of faith" is superior to the law of Moses (3:27), and this is of special interest to the Jews, because there is no discrimination between them and the Gentiles. As all have sinned and therefore were deprived of the glory (or presence) of God, all are justified freely by His grace through propitiation by faith in the blood of Christ.

Justification by faith is not new, since it was also by their faith that the believers of the Old Testament were justified. We have here, as an example, mention of two of the most important characters of the Old Testament.

The faith of Abraham – verses 2 to 5

Abraham lived before the law of Moses was given. The Scriptures (Old Testament) declare, “Abram believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15: 6). Abram trusted in the Lord, and believed when the Lord promised that would give him a child, and that it would generate a very numerous offspring.

He was justified by his faith and not by his obedience: this was the consequence of his faith. If he had been justified by his obedience (works of righteousness) he would have reason to be proud before men (Ephesians 2: 9), as he would have conquered justification by his work of obedience, which would then be the reward for his work.

However, the Scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (v.3): to him who believes on He who justifies the ungodly (v.5) his faith is accounted for righteousness. It may seem odd, but he who is justified has not worked good deeds first to be worthy of being pardoned and justified.

The ungodly (the person who does not recognize or respect God) has no merit or personal goodness, and even doing his best he will never have enough perfection to be righteous before God. For more good deeds he might do, they will never be able to ensure his justification.

Instead, it is sufficient for the ungodly to believe in the Word of God and to put his faith and trust upon the Lord, because He justifies the transgressor and iniquitous. This is not a virtuous action that gives merit, because merit does not come from his faith, but from the Person he trusts.

Note that God justifies the ungodly, not who already considers himself righteous out of his own merit. God gives grace, but does not pay a supposed debt to he who works.

David's faith – verses 6 to 11

David confirms justification by faith, being another example taken from the Old Testament, who declared, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit...." (Psalm 32: 1-2). God assigns justice by His grace, despite his transgression and iniquity. David went through this experience himself and his faith justified him, just as happened with Abraham.

Abram was justified by his faith before he was circumcised: circumcision was only the external sign of the faith that inspired Abraham; it was followed by the Covenant that God made with him and his progeny, by virtue of the faith that had justified him. It was also the seal of the righteousness of the faith he had when not yet circumcised: while a sign indicates the existence of what it represents, a seal authenticates, confirms, guarantees or certifies that the object it is placed upon is genuine. In the case of Abraham, it confirmed that he was considered and treated by God as righteous due to the faith he had before he was circumcised.

His example shows that the blessing that David speaks of is valid both for the Gentiles (uncircumcised) and for the Jews (circumcision). Therefore, Abraham became the father, or predecessor, of all those who believe, even not circumcised, and of all those who, being circumcised, follow the same faith that Abraham had before being circumcised. All are his children because they imitate his faith, not because of birth from him.

Messianic Jews and Gentile believers – verses 12 to 25

This passage does not teach that Gentile believers become the Israel of God. The Israel of God consists only of the Jews who accept the Messiah Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. They are the "Messianic Jews" (a translation of "Jewish Christians". Let us see:

There is a difference between being descendants of Abraham and sons of Abraham. The Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees "I know that you are Abraham's descendants" but continued saying "If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham” (John 8:37 and 39). It was not the physical descent (circumcision) that identified them as being "children of Abraham", but it was necessary that they followed him by placing their faith upon the living God. Those of the circumcision, which believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, are the true Israel of God.

The faith of Abraham was independent of the law, as well as the promise given by God to Abraham that his descendants would possess the Earth, because the law was only given to the people of Israel hundreds of years later through Moses. Therefore, that promise had nothing to do with the law, but came by the righteousness of the faith of Abraham.

The term "heir of the world" means that Abraham is the father of Gentile believers, as well as Jewish believers. He was made "father of many nations", not only of the nation of Israel. The Jews considered themselves the heirs of the world (because of the promise) due to being physically descended from Abraham, but they were wrong, because the promise came by virtue of the righteousness of faith, therefore it only applies to the spiritual children of Abraham.

Therefore, we see that Abraham's spiritual paternity covers the Israel of God and those saved from other nations, Gentile believers. Otherwise, faith would be worthless and the promise would be null.

The faith of Abraham "was in God", and it is by grace (a free gift, without considering worthiness) of God that justification comes only by simple faith (if justification by merit were possible, there would be no grace). Thus it became possible to fulfil the promise made to Abraham that his descendants (all those who, like him, are justified by faith), would inherit the Earth. Abraham believed in God's promises (Who would give him land, a son, a great progeny), and gave proof of this with his obedience, being fully convinced that God was powerful to fulfil them.

Similarly, we are also justified by faith in God who rose Jesus our Lord from the dead: he was delivered to death because of our transgressions, rose again proving that God accepted the sacrifice of His Son.

When the promise of a great progeny was first made to Abraham, he was 75 years old (Genesis 12: 2-4) and still could generate children, so that he had Ishmael from Hagar, a servant of his wife Sara (Genesis 16: 1-11). When the promise was repeated, he already was 100 years old, and both he and Sara had by then lost the physical capacity to have a son (Genesis 17:15 -21). Even so, Abraham believed in God's promise, sure that He was powerful to fulfil His promise, and was strengthened in the faith, giving glory to God. This was imputed to him for righteousness, because God was pleased to find a man who trusted His word.

This fact was registered not only as a tribute to Abraham, but also as a lesson for us who believe in God to the point of believing in His word that tells us that He raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. In other words, Abraham was justified because he believed that God would give life to their weakened bodies, and we are justified because we believe that God gave life to what was already dead, raising Him from the dead.  Abraham believed a promise, we believe in His Word. He believed in something that had to happen in the future, we believe in a supernatural fact that happened in the past.

The Lord was delivered to death "because of our offenses ": This means that He died because we trespass, and to be able to take our guilt upon Himself. He is risen "because of our justification", that alienates the guilt. There could be no justification if He remained dead: the resurrection assures us that His work was completed and that God is eternally satisfied with the redeeming work of our Saviour (paying Himself the price of our guilt).

 

R David Jones

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1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
7 "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS ARE FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS ARE COVERED;
8 BLESSED IS THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD SHALL NOT IMPUTE SIN."
9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,

 

12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,
15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
17 (as it is written, "I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS") in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE."
19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
22 And therefore "IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him,
24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.