Romans 4
COMMENTARY:
: 3 For what says the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. (3049 “counted” [logizomai] means to take an inventory, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose or to pass to one’s account.)
DEVOTION: Is “trust” a work? Does “trust” or “belief” require us to work? It is an attitude that we have to have in order for God to impute righteousness on us.
Abraham “trusted” or “believed” the promise that God gave him. God had promised that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. We now know that the blessing was the coming of Jesus Christ to shed HIS blood for the remission of sins for both the Jews and the Gentiles. However, at the time Abraham was an hundred years old and his wife was ninety. They didn’t have any children yet. He considered his body dead. He considered Sarah’s body dead. Yet he “trusted” or “believed” in the promise of God.
That act was credited to his account as righteousness. He was a believer in the promise. The Jews took circumcision as a sign of faith. They thought because Abraham was circumcised that was what provided salvation. Paul tells the Jews that that is not the case. Abraham was declared righteous BEFORE he was circumcised. Circumcision had nothing to do with his salvation. It was his “trust.”
One commentary states an example of an individual drowning and he lifts up his hand above the water. It is not a work but a “trust” that the person above him will reach out and grab his hand and save him from drowning. It is a step of faith.
God is the one who puts on our account “righteousness” because of Jesus’ death on the cross. Our salvation is not based on any works we do but on the work of Christ alone.
This word is used eleven times in this chapter. The two examples that are given in this chapter are Abraham and David. Abraham was not yet circumcised when he had faith in God. Because his faith was manifest before circumcision, circumcision is not necessary for faith. Belief in God is necessary.
Abraham set the example for us to follow. Abraham had to trust that God could give him a seed to have a family of faith. We are part of the family of faith. We are not all Jewish but we are all part of the family of faith. Our righteousness is based on the blood of Jesus. When we believe we are counting on the blood of Christ to give us a proper standing with God. Abraham was looking forward to the sacrifice of Christ. We are looking back to that sacrifice.
We have our names written in the book of life based solely on the finished work of Christ. Let’s get the message out to those we care about. That is one of the steps of faith: obedience to the command to reach our world. It is not a work that saves us but it shows that we are saved. Our works after salvation are a “thank you” note to God.
CHALLENGE: Salvation is not gained by our works. Our works are a manifestation of Christ working in us. We are to bring glory to God by our actions.
: 6 Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man, to whom God imputes righteousness without works. (2041 “works” [ergon] means act, workmanship, deed, labor, undertaking, activity, action, or task.)
DEVOTION: David was king of Israel. He stated that it was good that men were blessed by God not because of their works but in spite of their works.
David was noted for murder and committing adultery. He confessed his sin and knew that the LORD had forgiven him for his sin. There were consequences for his actions but they were not eternal consequences. He asked for forgiveness and the LORD gave it to him.
This was not based on his own righteousness but the righteousness given to him as a gift from God. He didn’t earn it but God in grace gave it to him.
David had faith in God to forgive and re-establish a relationship with him. He trusted in the LORD to help him through any difficulty in his life. He believed that God loved him in spite of his sinful nature.
He could not do any labor or activity that would earn him a proper relationship with God. He did serve the LORD with his actions but that didn’t earn him his righteousness. He was right with God by a simple act of God giving it to him.
We are blessed because God gives us the same gift because of HIS Son dying on the cross for our sins. It is not something we can earn but we have to simply trust in the LORD by faith that HE will give us righteousness because we realize nothing we do can earn it. We accept it by faith.
CHALLENGE: Our works are always an expression of gratitude for what HE has already given us because of the works of HIS Son. We want to serve SOMEONE who has given us so much that we don’t deserve.
: 10 How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision but in uncircumcision. (3049 “reckoned” [logizomai] means to be or become attributed or reckoned as an asset in someone’s financial account, to put into one’s account, hold a view, compute, calculate, conclude, or to ponder.)
DEVOTION: The Jewish people looked to circumcision as a sign from God that they were HIS special people. God gave this practice of circumcision to Abraham to show other nations this special relationship.
God counted or reckoned or imputed Abraham with righteousness before HE gave him the sign of circumcision. So it wasn’t the sign of circumcision that earned him the right to have a good relationship with God it was to prove that there was a relationship.
In the days of Jesus and Paul the Jewish leaders thought that because they were circumcised they were going to heaven when they died. Paul made it plain that being circumcised didn’t get them into heaven. God was more concerned with their heart being circumcised in relationship to sin.
No human work like circumcision for the Jews or baptism for believers was going to get them into heaven. There are people today who think because they are baptized they are going to heaven. That is not true.
Only faith in Jesus Christ will give individuals the privilege of the promise of heaven. Not giving money to the church. Not doing door to door visitation. Not ushering in every worship service. Not being baptized.
God wants us to serve HIM as our thanks offering to HIM, not to earn our salvation. Too often like the Jews we think that we are better than others because of our service to the LORD but in reality we are doing it for the wrong motive if this is our thinking.
CHALLENGE: Serve the LORD with gladness because you love HIM.
: 21 And being fully persuaded that, what HE had promised, HE was able to perform. (4135 “persuaded” [plerophoreo] means convince fully, to be completely confident and certain of something, to be absolutely sure, complete certainty, to fill, or to give full proof of anything.)
DEVOTION: Abraham was past his prime and Sarah was well past the age of childbearing. She heard God promise that she was going to have a baby the following year. Her reaction was to laugh. That is why the baby was named Isaac because it means laughter.
Abraham didn’t laugh at the promise of God. He believed that God was able to do anything. He even believed later that God could raise his son Isaac from the dead if he killed him in sacrifice to the LORD.
He had faith that God would do whatever HE said HE would do. He didn’t just believe but this verse states that he was fully convinced. He had no doubt.
Today we find that many people who claim to be believers don’t study the Bible to find out what God had promised them if they are faithful to their service to HIM.
There are many promises given that God is going to do in spite of some believer’s lack of faith. HE has promised us a mansion in heaven when we die. HE is going to keep that promise. HE has promised to never leave us or forsake us and HE is going to keep that promise. There are many other promises that we can find in the New Testament.
We have to believe that HE can and will keep HIS promises to us. It is not a name it and claim it occasion. It is a time to trust in HIM to give us what HE believes will help us grow closer to HIM.
CHALLENGE: HE wants us to trust HIM enough to believe that HE will give us all that we need to serve HIM with gladness.
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