Father Abraham - Part 2 (Romans 4:9-17)
INTRODUCTION:
We began looking at Romans 4:9-17 last Sunday and only got through verse 13. This morning I want to pick up where I left off and finish up this passage. In this passage Paul uses Abraham to demonstrate for us that justification or being declared righteous by God is only by faith. It is in no way earned by religious ceremonies or rites done through human effort and it is not earned by obedience to God’s Law. Paul uses Abraham to illustrate both of these truths, by showing us that Abraham was declared righteous before God while he was still uncircumcised, before there was any distinction between Jews and Gentiles. We could say that Abraham was justified for his faith when he was still an uncircumcised Gentile. Fourteen years later he became a Jew when God commanded him and his descendants to be circumcised as a sign that he and his descendants were the covenant people of God, and as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was uncircumcised. The Abrahamic covenant was not established or founded on circumcision, but on the righteousness God credited to Abraham for his faith. Circumcision became the seal that authenticated the promises of God made to Abraham that they would be fulfilled. After establishing that justification is not by a ceremony or a rite like circumcision, we began to see also that Abraham was not justified by obedience to the Law of Moses; that the promises of God made to Abraham, that he would be heir to the world was not made through the Law, which was not revealed until 500 years after the time of Abraham, but were made through the righteousness of faith. We learned that within the Abrahamic covenant there were four main promises, a promise of a land, a promise of a very numerous people, a promise that they would bless the whole world, and a promise of a descendant who would be the person of blessing to the whole world by providing the means of salvation.
This morning we will pick up the passage in verse 14 and learn that obedience to the law of God will not make you acceptable to God, will not justify you, but only by faith through grace can you be justified. Let’s pray and then read our passage of Scripture again.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles to Romans 4:9-17. Even though we will be starting in verse 14 I will read the whole passage to pick up the context. Please stand if you are able in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
Romans 4:9-17,
“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 4:9–17, NASB95)[1]
ABRAHAM WAS NOT DECLARED RIGHTEOUS THROUGH THE LAW (Romans 4:13-15)
As we have already established, but I will keep hammering home, Abraham was justified or declared righteous because he believed God’s promise, this belief as Paul quoted from Genesis 15:6 was credited by God to Abraham as righteousness. In this same way, when a person believes in Jesus Christ, believes that Jesus Christ died on their behalf, that His death paid the penalty required for sin and believe that His resurrection is the proof that sin is paid for and that God’s wrath against sin is satisfied, and death is forever conquered, when a person believes this by faith God credits to that person Christ’s own righteousness.
We understand that Abraham’s faith was not in what he possessed, but his faith was in what he was promised. Our Scripture reading spoke of this fact this morning. Listen as I read a portion of it again. The author of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 11:8-10, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8–10, NASB95)[2]
Abraham’s faith as seen in these verses is demonstrated by the fact that he was willing to go to a place he had never seen, which God had promised would be his inheritance, but not in his lifetime, he would never possess any of it, but a field and a cave that he purchased as a burial place for his wife, Sarah. Abraham traveled to this land of promise and lived there as a foreigner in tents, never building for himself a permanent dwelling, because his hope was in the inheritance of “the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Abraham was believing in the promise to him or to his descendants that he would be heir to the world, this promise can only be a promise yet in the future, and can only be in reference to the worldwide dominion of Jesus Christ and to the spiritual seed of Abraham in him, this will be fulfilled in the millennial reign of Christ on the earth, then on into eternity future in the new heavens and the new earth. Verse 13 tells us that this inheritance was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Paul then goes on to make this point even more clear by stating, “For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;” (Romans 4:14, NASB95)[3] Those who are of the law may not only refer to those who are under the Mosaic Law, in the Greek there is no definite article before law, in the Greek it literally says “those who are of law.” Certainly, the Mosaic law is included in this, but it is even broader to refer to all those whose religion is governed by law as the guiding and determining principle of salvation, the keeping of law. “Of law” is contrasted with “of faith” in the preceding verse. Paul most likely has his Jewish critics in mind but uses this phrase to include anyone who believes in works righteousness. He says that if those whose religion is based on works righteousness are heirs of the world with Abraham, then faith is made void and the promise is nullified. Paul is saying that if people were able to earn their salvation or be declared righteous by obedience to God’s Law by keeping it perfectly then they would certainly be heirs of God. Paul’s point is that its impossible, but if it were true if would make faith void, there would be no reason for faith, and it would nullify God’s promise because you do not promise something that can be earned.
Faith and promise go together, faith can receive anything God promises. But, if God’s promises are to be received through obedience to a law which neither Abraham nor any of his descendants, nor any other human can keep, then faith is cancelled. To base a promise on an impossible requirement is to nullify the promise.
Paul goes on in the next verse to tell us why the law cannot save us, why it cannot justify us, and it is because “the Law brings about wrath.” (Romans 4:15a, NASB95)[4] What wrath does the law bring about? God’s wrath against sin, because the more a person tries to justify himself by keepings God’s law, the more he proves his inability to do so and the more he exposes his own sinfulness which brings about God’s wrath and judgment. The Law reveals God’s perfect righteousness, but at the same time in light of that perfect righteousness it also exposes man’s utter sinfulness. Paul goes on in this verse to say, “but where there is no law, there also is no violation.” (Romans 4:15b, NASB95)[5] Paul is saying that if there was no law, then there would be no sin, but because there is law, whether it be the Mosaic Law or the law written on the hearts and consciences of all mankind, there is always sin, there is always violation of that law and that violation, that sin gives rise to God’s wrath and judgment. Because of this man cannot earn his salvation, man cannot be justified by the works of the law because sin is always in the way, thus the promises cannot be obtained through works, or through obedience to the law. Last Sunday we looked at a number of verses in Galatians 3 where Paul talks about these same things. In Galatians 3:19 Paul writes, “Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.” (Galatians 3:19, NASB95)[6] The seed we learned last week is Christ, and He came to fulfill the promise of a Redeemer who would make a provision for salvation. Again, let me remind you that the Law was not given as a means of salvation, but to show us God’s standard of righteousness. As I read from Galatians 3:24 last week, “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24, NASB95)[7] Obedience to the Law will not make you righteous before God.
ABRAHAM WAS DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH THROUGH GRACE (Romans 4:16-17)
This whole passage has been building up to these last two verses, Paul uses them to summarize what we have learned, circumcision or no ceremony or rite, such as baptism or the Lord’s supper, can make us acceptable to God. Something performed by man cannot justify. Obedience to the Law of God, doing our best to keep it and follow it will not justify us, such works tainted by sin cannot make us righteous before God. Paul says that there is only one way in which we can be declared righteous or justified before God. He writes, “For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace…” (Romans 4:16a, NASB95)[8] God’s sovereign grace, without it even faith would not save us, because it is God’s grace that has provided a way for us to be saved from His wrath and judgment against sin. What is grace? God’s unmerited favor to sinful mankind, giving him what he does not deserve. The power of salvation, the power of justification is in God’s grace, not man’s faith. John Macarthur writes, “Abraham’s faith was not in itself righteousness but was reckoned (credited) to him as righteousness on the basis of the One who would Himself graciously provide for believers, including Abraham, the righteousness they could never attain by themselves.”[9]
It is by this grace of God which is the power of justification that as Paul writes in the latter half of this verse, “…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,” (Romans 4:16b, NASB95)[10] The promise cannot be obtained by obedience to the Law, but only by God’s grace through faith, when we come in faith believing in the provision made for us by God’s grace, that Jesus Christ took our place, that He became our substitute and paid the penalty for our sin through His death on the cross, that He was buried and rose from the dead on the third day, God justifies us by His grace on the basis of our faith so that the promise to Abraham and his descendants will be guaranteed, Paul says to all the descendants and it is clear that he is speaking of spiritual descendants, not physical descendants. Paul identifies two groups for us who are the descendants of Abraham, those who are of the Law, speaking of those Jews who are physical descendants of Abraham, but by faith in God and the provision of salvation made by His grace in Jesus Christ are also spiritual descendants of Abraham, and also those who are not Jews, but Gentiles who are of the faith of Abraham, they too are spiritual descendants of Abraham. Abraham is the father of us all, who by faith in accordance with grace have been declared righteous.
When Abraham was called by God out of Ur of the Chaldeans, he was an idol-worshipping pagan. Before God made His covenant with Abraham, there were no Jews and there were no Gentiles, there was no distinction. Paul is making this point here, that God credited Abraham’s faith as righteousness before there was any distinction between Jews and Gentiles, they were all simply descendants of Noah, hence they were all descendants of Adam. It is for this reason that Abraham’s faith is a universal faith that is available to all mankind. Not just for the Jews and not just for the Gentiles, but to all and for that reason Abraham became the father of us all, all who trust in Jesus Christ. It does not matter who we are descended from physically or what our religious heritage is if we have the faith of Abraham, he is our father. All of us who have put our trust in Jesus Christ came to faith in the same way as Abraham, who was a sinner just like us who trusted not in his own efforts but in God’s gracious promise.
Backing up his statement that Abraham is the father of us all who have put our faith in Jesus Christ Paul turns to Scripture and writes, “(as it is written, ‘A father of many nations have I made you’).” (Romans 4:17a, NASB95)[11] This refers to Genesis 17:5 and within our passage it is parenthetical, not because it goes off topic, because Paul uses this quotation as a proof that Abraham is the father of all who believe, he has spiritual descendants in many nations and thus has become the father of many nations. But this being parenthetical helps us with the flow of Paul’s writing, the last phrase of verse 16, “who is the father of us all” connects with the phrase after the parentheses in verse 17, “in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God.” Putting the two together we have Abraham, “who is the father of us all in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God.” Which means that Abraham is the father of us all before God, his fatherhood is due to his faith in God which was credited as righteousness and to the faith of his descendants in the same God who has justified them for their faith in accordance with His grace, just as He justified Abraham when he believed. He is the father of us all because he is the prototype of every person who has put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul continues in verse 17 by writing concerning God, “… who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.” (Romans 4:17b, NASB95)[12] This phrase points to two aspects of God’s character that Abraham had to face as he put his faith in the promises and believed the Lord. The first aspect concerning God is that He gives life to the dead. In other words, this God whom Abraham believed has the power, the life-giving power by which He can raise the dead to life. In Scripture, this ability to resurrect someone from the dead is a sign of God’s omnipotence as Paul speaks in Ephesians 1:19-20 of the surpassing greatness of God’s power which is the working of the strength of His might that He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. Abraham would have to believe in this attribute of God more than once in his life as we will see in the next section of this chapter. What was humanly impossible, Abraham being an old man and his body as good as dead and Sarah being past the age of child bearing and having a dead womb her whole life, only an omnipotent God with the power to raise the dead could keep the promise that Abraham would have a son by Sarah. Abraham believed that Almighty God would fulfill His promise.
The second part of this phrase is more difficult to interpret, Paul says concerning God that He calls into being that which does not exist. If we keep in mind that these are aspects that Abraham had to face as he put his faith in God’s promises and believed in God, then I think this phrase in that sense can best be understood to refer to the things determined by God to come to pass, the promises made to Abraham that were not yet fulfilled. The unfulfilled promises are those things which do not exist, but since they are promised by God and determined by God to come to pass, they are called by God as having being, as existing. The certainty of their fulfillment is just as secure as if they had already come to pass. It was this truth concerning the faithfulness of God to fulfill His Word that Abraham directed his faith towards, because he believed God was faithful to call into being that which did not exist, he was able to rest in this truth. God’s promise was for Abraham as good as fulfillment. The author of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB95)[13] and again from our Scripture reading, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8–10, NASB95)[14]
CONCLUSION:
Paul in this passage is hammering home this truth that salvation, being declared righteous before God is by faith in accordance with God’s grace. Nothing else, you cannot add anything to it, it is a gift of God’s grace, when we try to add something to it whether it be some ceremony or religious rite or by keeping the Law or good works we rob God of His glory and we make the death of Jesus Christ insufficient to save us. It is all paid for, Jesus Christ death satisfied the wrath of God against sin completely. Justification is the result of faith in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, which is God’s gift of grace. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we become a descendant of Abraham and heirs to the promise, we are declared righteous clothed in the righteousness of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Are sins are forgiven, are future is secure in Christ.
Who is your father this morning? Are you a spiritual son or daughter of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ, or are you a son or daughter of Satan? Those are the only two spiritual families on earth. The descendants of Satan are headed for destruction and will suffer God’s wrath and judgment against sin. The descendants of Abraham are headed for heaven and eternal rest in the house of God prepared for us by our Savior, Jesus Christ. You can become a son or daughter of Abraham today, by believing that Jesus Christ died as your substitute on the cross, that His death paid the full penalty for your sin, that he was buried and on the third day rose from the dead proving that God’s wrath against sin was fully satisfied in the death of His only begotten Son. When you believe this, you will be declared righteous by God and transferred from the family of Satan to the family of Abraham, which is the family of God.
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[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]MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Romans 1-8. Chicago, IL : Moody Press, 1991
[10]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[11]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[12]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[13]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[14]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995