Pastor’s Pen Pulpit                                                                                                                                            Romans

May 28, 2006                                                                                                                                              #26 in series

 

OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

Romans 4:1-8

 

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor,  but as what is due.  But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.  But 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.”

 

When the religious leaders of Israel wanted to prove a point or to defend themselves against charges made against them by the Lord Jesus, invariably they would retreat to the shelter of the great leaders of Israel (John 8:33).  Paul reminds them that, if they indeed wanted to identify with their forefathers, they must remember that their forefathers were justified by faith.

 

So what about Abraham?  How was the father of the Jewish people justified?  The man certainly was known for his good works.  In fact he could boast in his good works before men – but certainly not before God. The Old Testament clearly testifies about Abraham’s justification, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  

 

James writes about Abraham’s justification:  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac, his son on the alter?  Do you see that faith was working together with his works and by works faith was made perfect? How do we reconcile this truth with Paul’s teaching in Romans?  James is not refuting Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith.  He is giving the complete definition of that doctrine.  Both Paul and James define true faith as a living, productive trust in Christ.  Paul is saying that works do not produce justification – faith produces justification.  James is saying that faith that is not productive reveals itself to be an invalid faith. 

 

It was John Calvin who said “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.” A logical conclusion – faith and not works is acceptable to God for salvation -vs. 4, 5  “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but debt.  But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness… .” 

 

When you work on a job, on payday the boss hands your paycheck to you.  What do you say?  “Gee thanks boss, you are so gracious.  I don’t deserve this, but thanks anyway.”  No – you don’t say that.  You’ve worked hard for that money and at the end of the pay period that company owes you.  However, when a person simply believes the record of God’s Word, that justification is by faith alone – then that faith is credited to you as righteousness. 

 

Several years back I inherited a piece of property with a nice house on it.  Now I could have gone around to my friends and boasted as to how I saved my money and purchased that piece of property.  However, that would have been far from the truth.  In the same way Abraham, the recipient of grace through faith, had nothing to boast about.

 

Now Paul brings another Old Testament heavyweight into the picture to testify to the grace of God.  “Just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.” David writes in Psalm 32,  “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered: blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”  So the Leaders of Israel could not find fault with Paul’s argument.

 

We are not only justified by faith, we live by faith.  In II Corinthians 5:7 we read, “For we walk by faith and not by sight.”  Hebrews 11:6 tells us that, “without faith it is impossible to please Him.”  Remember, the greatest victories are the victories of faith.  It is not so much what we can do that counts, but what we can trust God to do.

 

We’ll take up at this point in our next pen pulpit.  God bless and have a great week of walking by faith.