Righteousness Through Paul's Teaching in Romans 4:1-15
Righteousness is by faith, not works
The Gift of Grace
The Gift of Grace
Overview: Righteousness is a five-letter Word
Overview: Righteousness is a five-letter Word
•
Many taught that Christianity was merely a
continuation
continuation
of the Jewish pursuit of “spending
one’s life trying to achieve the righteousness of
God by carefully
obeying
obeying
His laws and
meticulously
observing
observing
His rituals.”
•
That Christianity was merely a “new life made
possible by the atonement of Christ, which one
joined by
following
following
Him in
obedience
obedience
to the
Father.”
Overview: Righteousness is a five-letter Word
Overview: Righteousness is a five-letter Word
•
So Paul’s declaration, “A [person] is
justified
by
faith
faith
apart from works of the Law” (
3:28
3:28
),
sounded like a radically new doctrine, especially
to Jewish believers.
•
To demonstrate that the doctrine of
justification
by grace through
faith
faith
was not new at all, Paul
drew upon two familiar icons of Jewish faith and
practice:
Abraham
Abraham
(
4:1-8
4:1-8
) and the rite of
circumcision
circumcision
(
4:9-12
4:9-12
).
1
1
What then shall we say that
Abraham, our forefather according to
the flesh, discovered in this matter?
2
2
If, in fact, Abraham was justified by
works, he had something to boast
about—but not before God.
Paul continues his argument . . .
Paul continues his argument . . .
•
As Americans, we draw upon the examples of our
founding fathers: George Washington, Benjamin
Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Similarly, Jews
would look all the way back to
father Abraham
father Abraham
,
the physical progenitor of the Hebrew race
through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob.
•
If an honest examination of his life revealed a
man justified by
obedience
obedience
to the laws and rituals
handed down by God, then all who desire the
righteousness of God should
follow
follow
his example.
•
After all, Abraham was the
physical
physical
and
spiritual
spiritual
father
father
of God’s specially chosen nation.
•
Paul then posed a
hypothetical condition
hypothetical condition
he knew
to be
false
false
but assumed to be true for the sake of
examination: “
If
If
Abraham was justified by
works” – that is,
if
if
Abraham could be considered
righteous because of what he did –
then
then
Abraham
had the right to praise (
boast
boast
) about his own
accomplishments.
•
The Rabbis taught that Abraham had a surplus of
merit for his works that was available to his
descendants.
Paul built on this idea . . .
Paul built on this idea . . .
•
Assuming that Abraham was
by works, he had
something to
boast
boast
or
brag
brag
about. But, Paul
insisted, his boasting could only be before other
people,
not
before God.
•
Even so, Paul
recoiled
recoiled
from the idea. He could
barely tolerate the suggestion that anyone could
earn his or her own righteousness through
deeds
deeds
.
3
3
What does Scripture say?
“Abraham believed God, and it was
credited to him as righteousness.”
Righteousness is through faith . . .
Righteousness is through faith . . .
•
Rather than dwell on the preposterous notion
that anyone –
even Abraham
– could earn his or
her own righteousness, Paul quotes Scripture,
Genesis 15:6
Genesis 15:6
as the foundation of his argument:
“Then Abraham believed in the Lord, and He
reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
•
Because Abraham believed, God
imputed
imputed
righteousness to his account (“credited,” an
accounting term).
4
4
Now to the one who works, wages
are not credited as a gift but as an
obligation.
5
5
However, to the one
who does not work but trusts God
who justifies the ungodly, their faith
is credited as righteousness.
Righteousness is through faith . . .
Righteousness is through faith . . .
•
Paul then discussed the
significance
significance
of this
Scripture quotation. He points out that a
worker’s wages are what are
owed
owed
him because
he earned them, and are not graciously given to
him as a
gift
gift
.
•
Conversely, a person who is not working but is
believing
believing
on God who justifies the wicked (the
ungodly, impious), her or his
faith
faith
is credited as
righteousness.
•
Abraham was
justified
justified
not because he
worked
worked
for
it, but because he
trusted
trusted
God.
6
6
Whom David says the same thing
when he speaks of the blessedness of
the one to whom God credits
righteousness apart from works:
7
7
“Blessed are those whose
transgressions are forgiven, whose
sins are covered.
8
8
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count
(impute) against them.
•
This fact about Abraham was also true of David.
Here, Paul describes God’s gracious dealing with
David by quoting from
Psalm 32:1-2
Psalm 32:1-2
:
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2
2
Blessed is the man unto
whom the Lord imputes not iniquity, and in
whose spirit there is no guile.”
•
Through faith, God addresses the problem of sin
and depravity. However, our transformation is
not instantaneous. We will continue to struggle
with sin and failure until we die.
•
We must carefully distinguish between one’s
position
position
(
state
state
) and one’s
condition
condition
(
stand
stand
).
When one receives God’s grace through faith, he
or she is considered righteous and treated as
such
despite
despite
his or her current behavior.
•
POSITION
POSITION
(
state
state
)
:
:
Imagine a prisoner locked in a
cell whose sentence has been
commuted
commuted
.
Judicially and legally he is
free
free
. . .
. . .
•
CONDITION
CONDITION
(
stand
stand
)
:
:
Currently and experientially
he remains
confined
confined
. Eventually, his experience
will
match
match
his judicial state.
Faith
IMPUTATION
IMPUTATION
STATE
STAND
•
Like David, a person to whom God
credits
credits
righteousness, apart from works, is blessed.
•
Such a person’s sins are forgiven and covered.
And instead of his sin credited (
imputed
imputed
) to his
account, God credits (
imputes
imputes
) righteousness to
him.
•
By the sovereign act of God, the unjust person
who receives His grace through belief is declared
“just.”
9
9
Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for
the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s
faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10
Under
what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was
circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11
11
And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the
righteousness that he had by faith while he was still
uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe
but have not been circumcised, in order that
righteousness might be credited to them.
12
12
And he is then
also the father of the circumcised who not only are
circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the
faith that our father Abraham had before he was
circumcised.
•
Paul again raises the
question
of the Jews’ special
position. The way the
question
is worded in the
Greek
suggests the answer, that this blessedness
is for the
uncircumcised
(
Gentiles
Gentiles
) as well as for
the
circumcised
(
Jews
Jews
).
•
But in response, Paul turns again to the example
of Abraham. Paul repeats the authoritative
scriptural declaration that Abraham was
declared righteous on the basis of his
faith
faith
. Then
Paul asked whether Abraham’s justification
occurred
before
before
or after
or after
he was circumcised.
•
Answering his own question, Paul stated, It was
not after,
but before
but before
. Abraham’s age when he was
declared righteous (
Gen. 15:6
Gen. 15:6
) is not stated. But
later when Hagar bore him Ishmael, he was
86
86
(
Gen. 16:16
Gen. 16:16
).
•
After that, God instructed Abraham to perform
the rite of circumcision on all his male
descendants as a
sign
sign
(or seal) of God’s covenant
with Him; at this time Abraham was
99 years old
99 years old
(
Gen. 17:24
Gen. 17:24
). Therefore the circumcision of
Abraham followed his justification by faith by
more than
13
13
years
years
.
•
Through the centuries after Abraham, God’s
covenant people placed greater and greater
emphasis on the
outward symbol
outward symbol
of circumcision
and virtually forgot the
internal spiritual
internal spiritual
significance
significance
of their relationship with God.
•
Like circumcision,
baptism
baptism
and
Communion
Communion
are
meaningless apart from a
relationship
relationship
between
Jesus Christ the individual.
•
So, Paul needed to clarify the original purpose for
circumcision to demonstrate that participation in
God’s covenant is a matter of the
heart
heart
.
•
Because Abraham believed and received the
“righteousness of God”
“righteousness of God”
years before he was
circumcised, Paul called him the father of all who
believe, both
circumcised
circumcised
and
uncircumcised
uncircumcised
.
•
Many non-Hebrew men and women have received
God’s grace through
faith
faith
, and many circumcised
Hebrews have
trusted
trusted
in the outward symbols of
faith
faith
not centered in Christ.
•
Therefore, Abraham’s
faith
faith
gave him the role of
patriarch
patriarch
over the family of genuine believers.
13
13
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.
14
14
For if those who
depend on the law are heirs, faith means
nothing and the promise is worthless,
15
15
because the law brings wrath. And
where there is no law there is no
transgression.
•
Paul comes full circle to conclude his argument,
reiterating his point from
4:4-5
4:4-5
. Contrary to most
common misunderstanding of God’s expectation
of humankind,
we cannot be declared righteous
we cannot be declared righteous
through obedience to His Law
through obedience to His Law
. (
Please reread!
Please reread!
)
•
If it were possible to be declared righteous
through perfect obedience, there would be no
need for
God’s
God’s
grace
grace
.
•
In reality, though, we have no hope apart from the
grace of God
grace of God
because no one can earn the title
“righteous” through good deeds.
•
Even if we were to obey perfectly from this
moment on,
future
future
righteousness
righteousness
cannot erase
past
past
sin
sin
.
•
Why, then, did God give us His Law? Not to
suggest we can be saved by it. Far from it! He
gave us the Law to make our disobedience
obvious
obvious
, to demonstrate how our fallen, sinful
nature runs
contrary
contrary
to His.
•
Anyone who believes that the Law was given as a
means for people to prove their
worth
worth
will soon
be frustrated and ultimately fall into
despair
despair
.
•
The Law was given to
expose
expose
sin
sin
. Therefore,
where there is
no law
no law
, there is
no sin
no sin
.
•
Anyone who expects to be declared righteous
through obedience to the Law will experience
repeated failure
repeated failure
.
•
Our only hope is to receive the righteousness of
God as a
gift
gift
by believing God’s promise.
•
Righteousness is really a five-letter word.
You spell it
F-A-I-T-H
F-A-I-T-H
.
“Righteousness: Grace Through Faith”
“Righteousness: Grace Through Faith”
Before next class, read the below chapter in the
KJV and in one other versions of the Bible, i.e.,
NKJV, NRSV, NIV, CEV, etc …
•
Reread the Chapter 4 and 5
Reread the Chapter 4 and 5
•
Focus on verses 4:16 – 25
Focus on verses 4:16 – 25
Paul delves into the concept of righteousness in Romans 4:1-15, challenging the notion that one can achieve righteousness through works alone. He draws upon the examples of Abraham and circumcision to illustrate that justification comes through faith, not just adherence to laws and rituals. This passage serves as a cornerstone in highlighting the importance of grace and faith in the Christian faith, bridging the gap between Jewish tradition and the new covenant offered through Jesus Christ.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Righteousness: A five Righteousness: A five- -letter Word Chapter 4:1 Chapter 4:1 15 letter Word 15 Week 7 Week 7 3 March 2021 3 March 2021
Jesus Christ Jesus Christ The Gift of Grace
ROMANS 4:1 15 Overview: Righteousness is a five-letter Word Many taught that Christianity was merely a continuation of the Jewish pursuit of spending one s life trying to achieve the righteousness of God by carefully obeying His laws and meticulously observingHis rituals. That Christianity was merely a new life made possible by the atonement of Christ, which one joined by following Him in obedience to the Father.
ROMANS 4:1 15 Overview: Righteousness is a five-letter Word So Paul s declaration, A [person] is justified by faithapart from works of the Law (3:28), sounded like a radically new doctrine, especially to Jewish believers. To demonstrate that the doctrine of justification by grace through faith was not new at all, Paul drew upon two familiar icons of Jewish faith and practice: Abraham (4:1-8) and the rite of circumcision (4:9-12).
ROMANS 4:1 2 Paul continues his argument . . . 1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about but not before God.
ROMANS 4:1 2 As Americans, we draw upon the examples of our founding fathers: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Similarly, Jews would look all the way back to father Abraham, the physical progenitor of the Hebrew race through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. If an honest examination of his life revealed a man justified by obedience to the laws and rituals handed down by God, then all who desire the righteousness of God should follow his example.
ROMANS 4:1 2 After all, Abraham was the physical and spiritual fatherof God s specially chosen nation. Paul then posed a hypothetical condition he knew to be false but assumed to be true for the sake of examination: If Abraham was justified by works that is, if Abraham could be considered righteous because of what he did then Abraham had the right to praise (boast) about his own accomplishments.
ROMANS 4:1 2 The Rabbis taught that Abraham had a surplus of merit for his works that was available to his descendants. Paul built on this idea . . . Assuming that Abraham wasby works, he had something to boast or brag about. But, Paul insisted, his boasting could only be before other people, not before God. Even so, Paul recoiled from the idea. He could barely tolerate the suggestion that anyone could earn his or her own righteousness through deeds.
ROMANS 4:3 Righteousness is through faith . . . 3What does Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
ROMANS 4:3 Rather than dwell on the preposterous notion that anyone even Abraham could earn his or her own righteousness, Paul quotes Scripture, Genesis 15:6 as the foundation of his argument: Then Abraham believed in the Lord, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Because Abraham believed, God imputed righteousness to his account ( credited, an accounting term).
ROMANS 4:4 5 Righteousness is through faith . . . 4Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
ROMANS 4:4 5 Paul then discussed the significance of this Scripture quotation. He points out that a worker s wages are what are owed him because he earned them, and are not graciously given to him as a gift. Conversely, a person who is not working but is believing on God who justifies the wicked (the ungodly, impious), her or his faith is credited as righteousness. Abraham was justified not because he worked for it, but because he trusted God.
ROMANS 4:6 8 6 Whom David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count (impute) against them.
ROMANS 4:6 8 This fact about Abraham was also true of David. Here, Paul describes God s gracious dealing with David by quoting from Psalm 32:1-2: Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Through faith, God addresses the problem of sin and depravity. However, our transformation is not instantaneous. We will continue to struggle with sin and failure until we die.
ROMANS 4:6 8 We must carefully distinguish between one s position (state) and one s condition (stand). When one receives God s grace through faith, he or she is considered righteous and treated as such despite his or her current behavior. POSITION (state): Imagine a prisoner locked in a cell whose sentence has been commuted. Judicially and legally he is free . . . CONDITION (stand): Currently and experientially he remains confined. Eventually, his experience will match his judicial state.
IMPUTATION Grace STATE STAND Faith
ROMANS 4:6 8 Like David, a person to whom God credits righteousness, apart from works, is blessed. Such a person s sins are forgiven and covered. And instead of his sin credited (imputed) to his account, God credits (imputes) righteousness to him. By the sovereign act of God, the unjust person who receives His grace through belief is declared just.
ROMANS 4:9 12 9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
ROMANS 4:9 12 Paul again raises the questionof the Jews special position. The way the question is worded in the Greek suggests the answer, that this blessedness is for the uncircumcised (Gentiles) as well as for the circumcised (Jews). But in response, Paul turns again to the example of Abraham. Paul repeats the authoritative scriptural declaration that Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of his faith. Then Paul asked whether Abraham s justification occurred beforeor after he was circumcised.
ROMANS 4:9 12 Answering his own question, Paul stated, It was not after, but before. Abraham s age when he was declared righteous (Gen. 15:6) is not stated. But later when Hagar bore him Ishmael, he was 86 (Gen. 16:16). After that, God instructed Abraham to perform the rite of circumcision on all his male descendants as a sign(or seal) of God s covenant with Him; at this time Abraham was 99 years old (Gen. 17:24). Therefore the circumcision of Abraham followed his justification by faith by more than 13 years.
ROMANS 4:9 12 Through the centuries after Abraham, God s covenant people placed greater and greater emphasis on the outward symbol of circumcision and virtually forgot the internal spiritual significance of their relationship with God. Like circumcision, baptism and Communion are meaningless apart from a relationship between Jesus Christ the individual. So, Paul needed to clarify the original purpose for circumcision to demonstrate that participation in God s covenant is a matter of the heart.
ROMANS 4:9 12 Because Abraham believed and received the righteousness of God years before he was circumcised, Paul called him the father of all who believe, both circumcised and uncircumcised. Many non-Hebrew men and women have received God s grace through faith, and many circumcised Hebrews have trusted in the outward symbols of faith not centered in Christ. Therefore, Abraham s faith gave him the role of patriarch over the family of genuine believers.
ROMANS 4:13 15 13It 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. 14For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
ROMANS 4:13 15 Paul comes full circle to conclude his argument, reiterating his point from 4:4-5. Contrary to most common misunderstanding of God s expectation of humankind, we cannot be declared righteous through obedience to His Law. (Please reread!) If it were possible to be declared righteous through perfect obedience, there would be no need for God sgrace. In reality, though, we have no hope apart from the grace of God because no one can earn the title righteous through good deeds.
ROMANS 4:13 15 Even if we were to obey perfectly from this moment on, futurerighteousness cannot erase pastsin. Why, then, did God give us His Law? Not to suggest we can be saved by it. Far from it! He gave us the Law to make our disobedience obvious, to demonstrate how our fallen, sinful nature runs contrary to His. Anyone who believes that the Law was given as a means for people to prove their worth will soon be frustrated and ultimately fall into despair.
ROMANS 4:13 15 The Law was given to expose sin. Therefore, where there is no law, there is no sin. Anyone who expects to be declared righteous through obedience to the Law will experience repeated failure. Our only hope is to receive the righteousness of God as a giftby believing God s promise. Righteousness is really a five-letter word. You spell it F-A-I-T-H.
NEXT CLASS 3 March 2021 Before next class, read the below chapter in the Before next class, read the below chapter in the KJV and in one other versions of the Bible, i.e., KJV and in one other versions of the Bible, i.e., NKJV, NRSV, NIV, CEV, etc NKJV, NRSV, NIV, CEV, etc Reread the Chapter 4 and 5 Focus on verses 4:16 25
