Justified By Faith
Romans 4:1-5
November 4, 2007
At the end of Romans 3 Paul revealed a truth
That is one of the most foundational to the Christian faith.
Romans 3:21-22 “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;”
And of course this is after he had reminded us:
Romans 3:19-20 “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”
Paul reminded that in order to justified before God,
Man should not seek out to be perfect according to the Law,
Man should respond to God with faith.
It is not that faith saves. It doesn’t.
God saves, but there is something in the heart of God
That is motivated by the faith of mankind,
So when man responds to God in faith, God responds to man with mercy.
Romans 3:24 “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;”
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”
Although Romans 3 is the first time Paul stated it in such direct terms,
HE HAS ALLUDED TO THIS ALREADY TO THE ROMANS.
Romans 1:5 “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake,”
Romans 1:8 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.”
Romans 1:11-12 “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
Romans 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
And then last Sunday night he gave perhaps
The most direct statement about this truth in all of Scripture.
Romans 3:28 “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”
In that statement, not only is Paul giving truth, he is defending it.
“For we maintain…”
Paul was defending, because the truth of “justification by faith”
Is always under attack.
(What greater ploy could Satan have than to pervert salvation?)
AND TODAY, THERE ARE STILL TWO GREAT ENEMIES OF THIS TRUTH
1) LEGALISM
LEGALISM SEEKS TO ADD TO GOD’S REQUIREMENT OF FAITH.
In Paul’s day legalists claimed it was faith + circumcision
That is why Paul opposed Peter to his face, when Peter catered to the Judaizers.
Peter’s actions threatened the truth that every man is equally acceptable by faith.
Galatians 2:15-16 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
Legalism attacks the justification end by saying God’s justification must be earned by something more than faith.
There is still however a second major enemy to the doctrine of “justification by faith”
2) LIBERALISM
LIBERALISM TAKES AWAY FROM THE REQUIREMENT OF FAITH.
They water down the faith that God wants.
They claim God will accept you without giving Him true faith.
Liberals are those who say “Lord, Lord, but do not do what He says”
Liberals are those who claim to believe,
But if it were not for the fact that they say they believe,
You couldn’t tell it at all.
Legalists promote a justification that is not what God offers.
Liberals promote a faith that is less than God requires.
This morning, we are going to look at
“THE FAITH THAT GOD ACCEPTS”
IS THERE A FAITH THAT GOD DOESN’T ACCEPT?
James 2:19 “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”
We want the faith that God accepts.
But first we will divide our text in Romans into 2 points, and go from there.
#1 EXAMPLE OF FAITH
Romans 4:1-3
Now the main point to those three verses is obviously the fact
That justification was credited, not earned.
BUT THIS MORNING I WANT US TO SEE SOMETHING ELSE
All of Romans 4 deals with justification by faith
And all of Romans 4 centers on a man named Abraham
PAUL IS LIFTING ABRAHAM AS AN EXAMPLE FOR US TO SEE
And after asking if Abraham has the right to boast Paul answers the question at the end of verse 2. “not before God.”
The point is Abraham had no right
To be arrogant or boastful before God in regard to being justified.
“WHY?”
Vs. 3, “For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
THIS MORNING WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT ABRAHAM, FOR HE OBVIOUSLY HAD THE TYPE OF FAITH GOD WAS LOOKING FOR.
You can break Abraham’s life up into 5 basic segments,
Each relating to how God was working in his life.
Turn with me back to the book of Genesis, (12)
And let me quickly walk you through Abraham’s life.
1) THE PLOWING OF ABRAHAM’S HEART
Genesis 12
When I say “plowing” this is what I mean.
Just as a farmer has to get the soil ready for the seed.
God has to get the heart ready for his word
• Revealing Truth
• Conviction
• Tasting of Heavenly gifts
Hebrews 6:4-5 “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,”
That person isn’t saved, God is giving a taste of what being saved is like
It is when God first starts drawing, or wooing a person to Himself.
And this is what God is doing in Genesis 12.
(We know Abraham isn’t saved, because that doesn’t happen until chapter 15)
Genesis 12:1-4 “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”
And obviously at that point, Abraham was willing to give a little faith.
Hebrews 11:8 “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.”
But despite responding correctly,
We know Abraham is not fully there yet,
• Ch. 11 commanded to leave family, but took them with him.
• Ch. 12 still took Lot with him
• Was supposed to go to Canaan, ends up in Egypt (vs. 10)
• Passes Sarah off as his sister
But at this point, God is plowing Abraham’s heart.
2) THE PRUNING OF ABRAHAM’S HEART
Genesis 13-14
In this section of Abraham’s life,
God begins to reveal more of His plan to Abraham,
And Abraham is showing more of an interest in God.
Genesis 13:3-4 “He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.”
So Abraham is searching out this God.
Abraham is really feeling this God out.
And it is then that God reiterates the promise to Him.
Genesis 13:14-17 “The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. “Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”
What you have here is very much like a dating relationship.
Both are interested, both are seeking the other out,
BUT THE COMMITMENT HAS NOT BEEN MADE.
But it is obvious Abraham is interested,
For after delivering Lot from the three kings,
Abraham pays tithes to God’s priest.
Genesis 14:18-20 “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He gave him a tenth of all.”
Up to this point, they’ve been courting…
Now it is apparent that Abraham is ready to commit
3) THE PARDONING OF ABRAHAM’S SIN
Genesis 15
This is the moment when after hearing the truth, and counting the cost, You determine that you want to be saved,
You want to enter covenant with God, you want to be married to Him.
AND SO YOU COMMIT YOURSELF TO HIM.
This is what Abraham does.
Genesis 15:1-6 “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
So right there, Abraham gets saved.
Abraham responds in faith, and God responds with grace.
Abraham didn’t do anything but believe, and God justified him.
But now is when I really want you to pay attention,
Because through Abraham,
We are now going to see what his faith really looked like.
WAS HIS FAITH A MERE INTELLECTUAL EXERCISE THAT REQUIRED NO CHANGE (as a liberal would claim)?
OR IS THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM SOMETHING MORE?
Let’s look and see.
4) THE PERFECTING OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH
Genesis 16-21
This encompasses the longest section of Scripture.
We know now that Abraham is saved,
But now it is time for him to grow.
God will now grow Abraham through various experiences in life.
(16:1-6) The first incident of Abraham’s life is a really bad choice.
He was trying to make God’s promises happen by his own wisdom.
Abraham is saved, but he is still a work in progress.
In chapter 17, God begins to work on Moses some more.
After seeing Abraham make the mistake with Hagar,
God reiterates a promise to him.
Genesis 17:1-8 “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.” Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. “I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
But of course the life of faith is more than just receive so
Next God has some requirements for Abraham.
(17:9-14) God requires circumcision.
And please notice that this occurred after salvation, and not before.
THEN GOD REVEALS MORE TO ABRAHAM
Genesis 17:15-22 “Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. “I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.” When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.”
NOW THIS WILL PROVE TO BE A CRUCIAL POINT FOR ABRAHAM
Abraham doubts that Sarah will have a son, and actually asks for Ishmael
BUT NOTICE HOW EMPHATIC GOD IS
“No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and his descendants after him.”
Sometimes God has to correct you and get you properly focused.
The chapter ends with the circumcision of Abraham (17:23-27)
And then another key moment.
God states the promise again.
Genesis 18:9-14 “Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
GOD IS DRILLING IT IN TO ABRAHAM
CH. 20 WE LEARN THAT ABRAHAM STILL HAS SOME GROWING TO DO
WHY?
Because he passes off Sarah again.
Genesis 20:1-3 “Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.”
God makes promises to His people that cannot be revoked,
But Satan still seeks to nullify them.
If Satan can get Sarah pregnant by another man, the whole thing is shot.
But God would not allow it.
Not only does he warn Abimelech,
But seems to make it physically impossible
For him to have relations with her.
Genesis 20:17-18 “Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.”
And so early in Abraham’s Christian walk he is up and down.
He is growing, having obeyed in some things,
But it is obvious he struggles at times.
And then something happens.
Genesis 21:1-7 “Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
God comes through on His word.
AND ABRAHAM’S FAITH GROWS LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Our faith grows enormously
When the God we have trusted comes through.
That is what God has been doing all this time. (perfecting)
He has been setting Abraham up through various experiences
To prove Himself to Abraham, and thus perfect Abraham’s faith.
And now look at Abraham.
He drives Ishmael away (21:8-21)
His faith is apparent to others.
Genesis 21:22 “Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do;”
And Abraham is now trusting God with everything.
Genesis 21:33 “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.”
All of that sets us up for what we really need to see.
After tracing Abraham’s life we understand why chapter 22 takes place.
5) THE PROVING OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH
Genesis 22
Genesis 22:1-2 “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”
Certainly that seems strange – But it isn’t to God.
Genesis 22:3-5 “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”
And apparently it isn’t to Abraham, for Abraham doesn’t even hesitate.
WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE ABRAHAM WAS SO WILLING?
Because of what the writer of Hebrews said.
Hebrews 11:19 “He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.”
HOW COULD ABRAHAM BE SO SURE?
Abraham had tried over and over to do it another way.
But God was emphatic that Isaac was the franchise.
And we know Abraham believes this.
Genesis 22:6-8 “Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.”
And of course Abraham reveals the measure of his faith.
Genesis 22:9-10 “Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.”
Boy that is quite a difference from the man who has so much doubt that he went in to Hagar isn’t it?
BUT THEN WE FIND THAT ABRAHAM’S FAITH IS PROVED.
Genesis 22:11-14 “But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”
The preacher in Santa Fe made a huge thing of God’s statement.
God said, “now I know that you fear God”
That preacher said, “now you know?” “now you know?”
WHY WAS THE VERDICT STILL OUT ON ABRAHAM?
Because until this point, Abraham had done nothing but receive.
Abraham proved he trusted God through sacrifice.
DO YOU SEE WHAT REAL FAITH IS?
DO YOU SEE WHAT THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM LOOKS LIKE?
His faith was not some intellectual belief.
His faith was so certain,
That he would risk everything to exercise it.
AND PLEASE NOTICE
Abraham’s faith was not PERFECT.
Abraham’s faith was REAL.
That is the example of faith.
#2 EFFECTS OF FAITH
Romans 4:4-5
When you come to God with the type of faith that Abraham had.
God will give you righteousness.
“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”
That is what I want you to understand this morning.
Romans 3:28 “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”
But that faith is not some sort of intellectual exercise.
Faith is to really trust in God for salvation,
So much so that it is revealed in your actions.
DO YOU HAVE THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM?
Romans 4:16 “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,”
AND IF YOU HAD TO PROVE IT, AS ABRAHAM DID, COULD YOU?
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
