Father Abraham - Part 1 (Romans 4:9-17)
INTRODUCTION:
In the end of Romans 3 Paul introduced justification by faith in Jesus Christ, or having righteousness credited to our spiritual account by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul teaches that we are justified by faith alone by God’s grace.
Last Sunday we began chapter 4 where Paul uses Abraham as his illustration of justification through faith alone and shows us through Abraham that since the very beginning, since sin entered the world man is made right with God, is justified by God through faith in Jesus Christ. We saw last week how this was true for Abraham, he believed the promise of God to send a redeemer and God credited it (his faith) as righteousness. Then Paul showed through David that righteousness could not be attained by works, because good works can never atone for sin, and sin must be paid for through an atoning sacrifice, and Jesus Christ is the perfect, sinless atoning sacrifice that has paid the penalty required for sin through His death on the cross. David says the person who is saved by the grace of God through faith alone in Jesus Christ and declared righteous because of their faith in Jesus Christ, this person David says is blessed. He has received the greatest blessing of God’s grace, justification through faith.
This morning Paul continues to use Abraham to demonstrate that justification through faith is the only way in which we can be right before God, we cannot add anything to our salvation, it has been fully paid for. In our passage this morning Paul will demonstrate that no ceremony or religious rite will make us right before God, obedience to God’s Law will not make us right before God, only if we come in faith alone as Abraham did will we be declared righteous in God’s presence. Abraham then is the father of all those who are justified by faith through grace. Let’s pray and then get into our passage for this morning.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles to Romans 4, we will be looking at verses 9-17 this morning, but I want to begin reading in verse 5 to pick up the context, because Paul refers back to the previous verses in verse 9. So I will be reading Romans 4:5-17, please stand if you are able in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
Romans 4:5-17,
“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.’ Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.’ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, 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, (as it is written, ‘A father of many nations have I made you’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.” (Romans 4:5–17, NASB95)[1]
ABRAHAM WAS NOT DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BY CIRCUMCISION (Romans 4:9-12)
Most Jews during Paul’s day and prior to Paul’s day were convinced that circumcision was a unique mark in their body that set them apart as God’s chosen people, but that it was also the means by which they were made acceptable to God. In the extra non-biblical writings of the Jewish rabbis it was written and taught that anyone who was circumcised would not be sent to hell, but was assured a place in heaven. These beliefs were so strong that they were carried over from Judaism to Christianity by a group called the Judaizers who taught that faith in Jesus Christ was not enough to justify a Gentile, they also had to be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses. So strong and prevalent did this teaching become that a special council of apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem was called to settle the matter. The decision was unanimous in the council and a letter was written to be sent to the churches that expressed the decision made by the council that declared neither obedience to the Mosaic Law, nor circumcision were necessary for salvation. You can read about this council and their decision in Acts 15.
Paul had come out of this legalistic Jewish background, but God had revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that neither circumcision nor any other ceremony or religious rite could bring salvation. So beginning in verse 9 Paul illustrates this truth through Abraham, using Genesis 17, the very passage the Jews used to prove that circumcision is the means of making one acceptable to God, to show that Abraham was not made righteous by his circumcision, but that he was declared righteous long before he received the command to be circumcised.
Paul again uses questions and answers to teach this truth as if he is having a conversation with one of his Jewish readers. Paul refers back to the blessing that David wrote of in the previous verses and asks if this blessing is only for those who are circumcised, or does it apply to the uncircumcised person as well. After all we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” So how was this credited to him? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Does this have any application for our day, we do not have Jewish people telling us we must be circumcised to be saved, but there are many in the world today within what is classified as Christian who trust in some form of religious ceremony or activity to make them right before God. Many believe that the Lord’s Supper or baptism will make them acceptable to God, but this is not so, these are false doctrines that have no basis in Scripture and to declare that they are a part of salvation again robs God of His glory and makes the death of Jesus Christ insufficient to save.
Paul is quick to answer his own question and says that Abraham was justified not when he was circumcised, but before that when he was uncircumcised. If we were to go back to Genesis and look at the time line we would see that in Genesis 15:6 he believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. At the end of Genesis 16 we are told that Abraham was 86 years old, at the beginning of chapter 17 where Abraham receives the command to be circumcised we are told that he was 99 years old. So we have a gap of 14 years between chapter 16 and chapter 17 and Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness before the event of chapter 17, so at least 14 years or more had passed since Abraham had been justified by faith. Circumcision became a mark of the covenant relationship between God and His people, but that covenant was not founded or established on the mark of circumcision, it was established on the righteousness that is by faith that Abraham had when he uncircumcised. When Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness there were no Jews, there was no distinction between Jews and Gentiles, all were Gentiles, Abraham was declared righteous, it could be said, while he was an uncircumcised Gentile.
Paul then tells us that he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised. Why did God institute the rite of circumcision on all of Abraham’s descendants. First, it was a sign, circumcision became the physical, racial mark of identity for God’s people, the descendants of Abraham, it was a mark that set Abraham’s descendants apart as God’s covenant people. Second, Paul says that circumcision is a seal of the righteousness of the faith which Abraham had while he was uncircumcised. What this means is that every time circumcision was performed it was to be a reminder to God’s covenant people of the righteousness of God that Abraham had because of faith, completely apart from circumcision. A sign points to something, a seal guarantees it as authentic. A seal on a document or letter authenticates it as genuine, circumcision was the authentication that God’s covenant promises would be fulfilled. God desired to place this seal of circumcision on their hearts, not simply on their bodies. He wanted Abraham’s faith to be their faith also. Moses had spoken of the circumcision of their hearts in the Law, Jeremiah had spoken of it in the prophets. Every male child born to Jewish parents was a testimony that man’s heart needs spiritual circumcision, needs to be cleansed by faith in Jesus Christ.
John MacArthur writes, “In a similar way, baptism symbolizes a believer’s death and resurrection with Christ. Communion symbolizes His redemptive act on our behalf, which we are to commemorate until He comes again. Neither rite has any merit in itself, and the elements of water, bread, and wine certainly have no merit or power in themselves. Both baptism and communion are outward demonstrations and reminders of the inner reality of salvation through Jesus Christ.”[2]
Paul continues that Abraham received circumcision after he was credited with righteousness “… so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.” (Romans 4:11b–12, NASB95)[3] Abraham biologically is the father of all Jewish people, but spiritually he is the father of both the Gentiles (the uncircumcised) who by faith in Jesus Christ are declared righteous and the Jews (the circumcision) who also are credited with righteousness when they walk in the faith of our father Abraham, the faith which he had while uncircumcised, they too have put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Just as Abraham was justified by faith alone in the promise of God to send a Redeemer apart from circumcision or any outward rite done by man, so is each man justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ.
ABRAHAM WAS NOT DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BY THE LAW (Romans 4:13-15)
Paul goes on in verse 13 to demonstrate that Abraham also was not justified by keeping the Mosaic Law. Again all we must do is look at the timeline given to us in Scripture to see that the Mosaic Law was not in existence until 500 years after Abraham lived when it was revealed through Moses. So to say that Abraham was justified by obedience to the Law is ridiculous since he had no way of knowing what the Law required. Just as Abraham was not able to come to God through a ceremony or rite nor could he come through the Law and the same is true for all men. The only way to be justified before God is by faith in Jesus Christ. So because circumcision had not yet been required and the Law was not yet revealed when Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness, Paul writes, “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.” (Romans 4:13, NASB95)[4] This promise of God to Abraham is what is known as the Abrahamic covenant and as Paul says here that it told Abraham that his descendants would be heirs of the world. If we look closely at the covenant and it is repeated several times in Genesis, four significant promises are seen:
First, the covenant contained a promise of land. Abraham would live in this land, but would never possess any of it, but his descendants would possess it centuries later. Second, the covenant contained a promise of a people who would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore or as the stars in the heavens. Eventually Abraham would become the “father of many nations.” Third, the covenant contained a promise of blessing of the entire world through Abraham’s descendants. Fourth, the covenant contained a promise of a Redeemer, he would be a descendant of Abraham through whom the whole world would be blessed by the provision of salvation. According to our Scripture reading this morning in Galatians 3 this promise to Abraham was a preaching to him of the Gospel. Abraham believed that Gospel, even when asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, the son of promise. The book of Hebrews gives us a glimpse of the extent of Abraham’s understanding and faith. The author writes in Hebrews 11:17-19, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your descendants shall be called.’ He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.” (Hebrews 11:17–19, NASB95)[5] Abraham believed the promise that God would send a Redeemer through the descendant of Isaac even if it required God to raise him from the dead. Abraham foresaw this coming Messiah who would be one of his descendants. It was through this coming Messiah that Abraham would bless the entire world and would be the heir of the world. Paul tells us in Galatians 3:16, “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ.” (Galatians 3:16, NASB95)[6] Then in the end of that chapter Paul writes in verses 28-29, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:28–29, NASB95)[7] In Jesus Christ we become part of that single spiritual seed that is Christ. We are all one in Jesus Christ because of our faith in His death and resurrection on our behalf. Paul is teaching that it is not human descent from Abraham but spiritual descent, by following Abraham’s example of faith, that makes a person an heir both with Abraham and with Christ. Being declared righteous was never through the Law, just as it was never through circumcision. The Law was never a means of salvation. Again in our Scripture reading this morning in Galatians 3, verse 10 says, “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.’” (Galatians 3:10, NASB95)[8] What Paul is saying here is that the person who is trusting in his own ability to save himself by obedience to the Law is cursed because it is impossible to keep perfectly God’s Law by human effort. The purpose of the Law was to reveal to us God’s perfect standard of righteousness to show that we are unable in our own power to attain or live up to those standards. This realization that we cannot live up to the standards of God’s perfect righteousness should drive us to God in faith. Again Paul said to the Galatians in Galatians 3:24, “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24, NASB95)[9]
CONCLUSION:
I wanted to get through verse 17 this week, but it is not going to happen. I am going to stop here at the end of verse 13 and we will come back to this next week and finish it up. It is the providence of God that this message fell on the Sunday that we remember the Lord’s death by partaking of the Lord’s Supper. This message is a good reminder that the Lord’s Supper does not add anything to our salvation. The Lord Jesus instituted this Supper on the night He was betrayed and arrested. He instituted it as a reminder of His death, because it was His death and His death alone that paid the penalty required for our sin. Only faith in Jesus Christ, believing that He paid the penalty for sin in His death, that His blood that was shed on the cross covered our sin in the sense that His death and shed blood satisfied God’s wrath against sin. We believe in His resurrection from the dead because if was the proof that God was satisfied, that Jesus death had paid for sin and conquered death forever. When we believe this we are declared righteous by God, He credits Christ’s perfect righteousness to us and we are justified and we can stand in God’s presence and not fear His wrath against sin because our sin is forgiven in Christ and we are clothed in His righteousness. This table is to remind us of what Jesus Christ did on our behalf so that we could be justified before God. The bread reminds us of the incarnation, that God took on human flesh, that He became like us in every way, except for sin, He was and is sinless. He had to do this because He was the only One that could atone for man’s sin. The fruit of the vine, the grape juice reminds us of His blood that was shed as the atoning sacrifice for our sin. This blood ratified the new covenant because it fulfilled the old covenant that required death for sin. Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ are blessed as David declared, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.” (Romans 4:7–8, NASB95)[10]
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[2]MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Romans 1-8. Chicago, IL : Moody Press, 1991
[3]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[4]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[5]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[6]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[7]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[8]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[9]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[10]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995