June 19
Bible Reading: Romans 4
Romans 4:16-17, “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”
The earliest believers in the church were all Jews. And even as believers in the Lord Jesus, they still considered themselves Jews under a covenant relationship with God–a covenant relationship that involved circumcision. So, it’s not surprising that they expected all believers to follow the Old Testament covenant requirements. That was no problem until the gospel ventured beyond the Jews and into the Gentile world. Some of the Jews expected and demanded that the Gentiles be circumcised. The first Jerusalem council met to debate that very issue (Acts 15:1-21). But even after it was decided in that council to not require circumcision of the Gentiles, the matter remained a point of contention. Paul addressed that very issue in many of his epistles, and here in Romans chapter 4.
Paul had previously stated that both Jews and Greeks are under sin (Romans 3:9), and that “none is righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). So how can anyone be made righteous? Can a person be saved by his own doings? Did being circumcised guarantee one’s salvation?
Romans chapter 4 speaks to the truth, made clear in Abraham’s example, that justification is by faith alone. A key word in the chapter is the word “counted” (NASB, “reckon;” 4:3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24). The word translates the Greek “logiszomai” which “primarily signifies ‘to reckon,’ whether by calculation or imputation” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary).
Our chapter speaks to the divine means by which a sinner can be reckoned righteous. And it is not as most people think. Besides the term “counted,” two other terms are prevalent in this chapter — “faith” and “righteousness.” Those two terms are part of the divine equation. A sinner is not made righteous by his own doings, but by faith.
Abraham gained righteousness, but not by works. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). Right standing with God is not attained by man’s doings, as shown by Abraham being declared righteous before he was circumcised.
Jesus Christ, “who was delivered up for our trespasses,” has provided the means for forgiveness for all who “believe” (Romans 4:24-25). “For our sake he (God) made him (Christ) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He represents the sole means through which true righteousness can be obtained. In a divine exchange of glorious benefit to repentant sinners, God has worked an accounting miracle for those who believe. On the basis of one’s faith in Jesus, their lawless deeds are forgiven, covered, canceled out (Colossians 2:13-14; Ephesians 1:7), and they are declared righteous instead (Romans 5:1).
“Your eternal destiny depends on your understanding and personally believing the truth that Paul has been hammering on in Romans 4, that we are justified (declared righteous) by faith alone. We are not justified by works or by moral behavior, but rather by faith in the God who credits righteousness to the ungodly apart from works (Romans 4:1-8). This blessing is not based on religious rituals (Romans 4:9-12) or on keeping the Law, which only serves to condemn us (Romans 4:13-15). Rather, as Paul now shows, saving faith is rooted in God’s grace, it rests on God’s promise, it revels in God’s glory, and it relies on God’s power.”
Steven Cole
“Not the labors of my hands Can fulfill thy Law’s demands … Thou must save and Thou alone.” – Augustus Toplady
Jesus, your blood and righteousness
my beauty are, my glorious dress;
mid flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
with joy shall I lift up my head.
LookingtoJesus 