What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
~ Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
In these early chapters of Romans, Paul is working his way through the issue of faith versus works. To help build his case he wants to take a look at Abraham in order to help us see the issue a little clearer.
The Jews put ALOT of emphasis on Abraham being their Father. They took pride in the fact that they were his descendants, and as such inherited these awesome promises from God. Scholars have pointed out that in many Jewish writings, especially from the first century, it was obvious that the Jews held up Abraham as not just their ancestor but also as a model of faithfulness to the law.
But Paul wants to draw some lines here.
He starts by quoting Genesis 15 — “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” A crucial phrase in this verse is “credited to him as righteousness”, but what does that mean? Some interpreters think that this phrase is trying to say that Abraham’s faith WAS a form of righteousness. In other words, Abraham believing God was in some way itself a righteous act. But Paul doesn’t say it that way. He says that Abraham was “credited” with righteousness. Without becoming overly technical, it is a way to say that Abraham is given a righteousness that does not inherently belong to him. When Abraham believed God, God granted him the status of “righteousness”.
Paul want to make sure we are clear on this, so he continues to explain in detail using the illustration about wages and gifts. This is a little confusing to our ears because of the phrasing that Paul uses, but one commentator laid it out this way:
- When we “work,” an employer pays us wages not “as a gift” but “as an obligation”.
- God is a God of grace, who always gives freely and without constraint. He can never be “obligated” to any person.
- Therefore, God cannot “credit” human beings anything on the basis of their “works”.
The keys to understanding this correctly are the ideas of “gift” and “justifying the ungodly”. Paul insists throughout all of his letters that God’s grace is a gift. That one is pretty easy to get. This bit about God justifying the ungodly, though. We need to be careful about that one. One way many people have mis-applied this passage is to read that and come away thinking, “oh, I can do whatever I want!” It seems to suggest that Christians are “off the hook” going forward. After all, if Christ has already pleased God in our place, is it really all that important that we continue to please God as well in our day to day?
Paul will actually address that in more detail in Chapter 6, but for right now we just need to remember that you can’t take this snippet of a verse in a vacuum. Paul does argue that God makes us right with Him before we ever stop sinning, but he also says that God “regenerates” us and “sanctifies” us and causes His Spirit to dwell in us as well. God transforms us from within! This is how Paul (the faith guy) can agree with James (the works guy). A genuine Christian will always reveal the inward transformation through outward signs of a new life of obedience.
In verses 13-17, Paul restates the truth about Abraham’s righteousness. Then he takes it one step further. Remember, most Jews during Paul’s day taught that Abraham’s stature and role meant that he was in effect being obedient to the law of Moses. Paul wants to make clear that this ISN’T the case. First of all, Abraham preceded the law by more than 400 years. Paul will lean into this fact more in Galatians 3, but here in Romans, Paul sticks with the core meaning in the text. The promise to Abraham did not come because anyone obeyed the law, but “through the righteousness that comes by faith.” In other words, the promises of God come because of faith.
And here’s that next step Paul is taking. Paul says the promises apply to ALL of Abraham’s offspring. When God says to Abraham, “I have made you the father of many nations” he meant it in the physical sense. Abraham’s descendants will become Israelites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, Amalekites, Kenizzites, Midianites and Assyrians (among others). But Paul is saying that God meant that Abraham would be the father of many nations in a spiritual sense as well. In that sense, if we have the same faith that Abraham had, we are part of his spiritual offspring. And as part of his offspring, we can participate in the promises of God! So, FAITH IS A BIG DEAL for Paul.
Here are three big takeaways:
FIRST – Faith is distinct from the law. The law is something you DO. Faith, by contrast, is an ATTITUDE. It is a posture that we take that expresses a willingness to receive the GIFT that God wants to give us. In our world today, we measure everything with some form of achievement. Everything we do in school seems to be either graded, timed, or measured in some fashion. It doesn’t get much better when you get out into the work-world either. What title do you have, how many contracts did you sign, how many deadlines have you met, have you been promoted faster than your co-workers. Even our personal lives are achievement oriented. Do I have the latest electronic device? How many followers do I have on social media? How big is my bank account or how flashy is my car or how many rooms does my house have…. It goes on and on! We are so accustomed to living this sort of life that it can creep into our thinking when it comes to our relationship with God, too. Maybe that relationship has started to become based on what we are doing for Him instead of on what He has done for us.
SECOND – Faith itself has no power. Instead, the power comes from the one in whom we place our faith. Abraham recognized God as the one who has the power to deliver on His promises. It wasn’t Abraham’s faith that had that power, but it was the God in whom that faith believed who does. Sarah was barren. They had no children and they were already getting old and well-past the time when children were to be expected. Yet, God promised Abraham a son and Abraham believed He could do it. And He did. You and I with our faith really don’t have the power. Instead, we look to the power of God to fulfill the promises that He has made.
THIRD – Faith is based on God’s Word. It is not based on the evidence gathered through our senses. Again, Abraham had no reason to think that he would ever have a son – except that God SAID HE WOULD. Even when we don’t see how in the world God is going to pull this off, we remain strong in our faith that He will. Abraham was put to the test a little later when God ordered him to take Isaac (that son that was promised) and offer him as a sacrifice. Even then, Abraham had faith that God could still keep His Word and fulfill the promises. Having passed the test, God rescinds the order and provides a ram to sacrifice instead. Some people have described Faith as “a leap in the dark” but this isn’t really accurate. Abraham didn’t blindly or arbitrarily put his faith in God. Abraham had God’s word to hold on to even when it wasn’t clear how that word was going to work out. We have God’s word written in Scripture. We also have God’s living Word in the person of Jesus. We even have God’s Spirit dwelling inside us and if we listen He will guide our steps.
Faith can be hard to hold on to. Jesus talks about the Gospel being like seeds scattered. Some lands on good soil and grows. But some lands on rocky ground and the faith that grows initially doesn’t have deep roots and withers away when things get hard. Some lands among thorns and while their faith tries to grow strong, it gets choked out by worries and chasing after worldly things. Some seed lands on the path and is snatched away quickly. So, yes — do the things. Tend your soil. Take out the rocks. Get rid of the thorns and weeds. Do the things you need to in order that your faith has a chance to grow. But remember that ultimately what really matters is who you place that faith in to begin with.
Receive His gift of grace.
Recognize that the power belongs to God.
Remember to listen to His Word wherever you find it.
And pray for God to increase your faith.
~ Clay
Fowlers in Japan 