Romans 4:16-25 BY FAITH, IN ORDER THAT IT MAY BE BY GRACE
BY PROMISE AND FAITH; NOT LAW AND WORKS (v. 16)
FOR THIS REASON. Promise promotes faith because it lifts the emphasis off of our doing and places it on God’s doing. It places salvation in God and Christ and we must lift our minds up higher, dwell on heavenly things, and recognize that our citizenship is in heaven. All of this promotes faith. They are things unseen things of the spiritual world and not the present evil world. When our religion primarily deals with life on earth faith is diminished and spiritual talk is not easily accepted. In this way we cannot hear the voice of the Shepherd and are much like Nicodemus not being able to believe in heavenly things (John 3:12). If salvation is by Law then it is by our working and becomes a wage due us. However, if salvation is based on a promise then it is by our faith in that promise and becomes a gift of grace. This is the beauty of our salvation. When the work is required of us we fall short but when it is required by God, He satisfies the requirement. Because salvation is by faith, anyone of faith will receive the blessings of the promise. Salvation therefore may be “from the Jews” (John 4:22) but it is offered to “whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed” (Romans 9:33KJV).
THE PROMISE. This refers to the promise made to Abraham as referenced in verse 13. It is the promise that in his seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed and he will become a father of a multitude of nations. This promise was not made through the Law. It was not given because of the good things that Abraham had done. The promise was made “through the righteousness of faith” (v. 13). God made this promise because Abraham believed Him.
GUARANTEED TO ALL THE DESCENDANTS. The promise of this blessing is for those of the all but also for those of the faith of Abraham. It is also for those who are not of the Law. All men will be justified by the One God through their faith in Him (Romans 3:30). It is the existence of the faith of Abraham that makes us his descendants and not the blood of Abraham. In other words we saved because we are of his faith not his flesh. Being of Abraham’s flesh, being a Jew has great benefit as we have studied but it doesn’t make us righteous. Being of Abraham’s faith does make us righteous. When we have Abraham’s faith, it does not matter whether we are of the Law or not. It is the presence of faith that makes us “Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). This, brethren, is a guarantee!
ABRAHAM, WHO IS THE FATHER OF US ALL. Abraham is the father of those of the Law and those not of the Law. He is the father of those of the circumcision and not of the circumcision. The dividing wall has been abolished and the two have become one through the blood of Christ and faith in Him (Ephesians 2:11-22). Jesus made it clear who were the descendants of Abraham; who were the children of Abraham. He said “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham” (John 8:39). He then goes on to say, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father” (John 8:44). Abraham is the father of those who believe on the Son of God and those who trust in Him. These men were seeking to kill Jesus, “a man who has told you the truth, which [He] heard from God; this Abraham did not do” (John 8:40).
DEFINING FAITH (v. 17-21)
IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. Abraham believed in the presence of God. He wasn’t approved by God (Hebrews 11:2, 39) because he believed in the presence of men. There is temptation to do that very thing today. Men are quick to uplift men. In a desire to be pleasing to men we can believe in their presence we can obey in the presence of other but what about when they are not there. Who are we when no one is watching except the all seeing eye of God. God is the One with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13). He is the Judge (James 4:12). We do well to believe in His presence. After all, He is the One who gives life to the dead and will quicken our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11KJV). We were dead in trespasses and sin but He made us alive (Ephesians 2:5). He is the One who “formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [soul]” (Genesis 2:7). By His word He calls into being that which does not exist.
IN HOPE AGAINST HOPE HE BELIEVED. The promise given to Him by God far out weighed his logic. Faith does this. Many are on a quest bundle all the things of God into reasonable and understandable theological explanations, but many times faith contradicts logic. This is the case here. When Abraham contemplated his own body being as good as dead and the deadness of Sarah’s womb, there may have been temptation for him to doubt but when he contemplated the promise of God things changed. The hope that emanates from the promise of God brought belief. Hope stirs up the heart of a person producing belief and giving glory to God. Man must constantly have before the promises of God if he is going to make it from here to there. The promises of God produce hope and “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5) and in hope we have been saved (Romans 8:24).
GREW STRONG IN FAITH. Abraham, after the consideration of his and his wife’s ability to give birth to a child, grew strong in faith. How did he do this? What was the difference? It was “with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief.” The world and the earthy part of a man would tell him that bearing a child was impossible but with God all things are possible. He considered that and “grew strong in faith being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” Abraham believed that God was going to do exactly what He had promised – give him a son. This faith led Abraham to disregard his own ability and circumstance and believe that God would provide. This kind of faith characterized Abraham’s life and it also characterizes the lives of his descendents. Notice also that Abraham grew strong in faith. Faith isn’t something that you simply have or don’t have. There are “measure(s) of faith” (Romans 12:3) and faith can be “increased” (2 Corinthians 10:15) and “greatly enlarged” (2 Thessalonians 1:3).
RIGHTEOUSNESS CREDITED BY FAITH (v. 22-25)
BELIEF WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. This point cannot be emphasized enough. Abraham’s faith being credited to him as righteousness is a foundation for salvation in Christ. Just as with Abraham, our faith is credited to us as righteousness. Therefore, it is written, “Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also.” It was recorded that Abraham was justified by faith so that we could read it and live by faith as well, also being justified. We are the ones “to whom it will be credited.” Abraham believed God as we believe “Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” Listen to the Galatian account, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer” (Galatians 3:8-9). It was the promise of God, the gospel that was preached to Abraham that brought about belief and therefore justification. He did not preach to Abraham works to do or rules to obey; He preached the gospel. When the gospel of God falls upon the ears of those sensitive to God it produces faith and when faith is present the works will follow. “You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected” (James 2:22).
JESUS OUR LORD. Jesus “was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.” The reason for Christ being delivered over was “our transgressions.” He was delivered over because you and I and everyone else overstepped the line that God drew. We offended Him and therefore Jesus was given as a sacrifice for those very transgressions. It was God who did this. Jesus Himself said “No one has taken it (His life) away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from the Father” (John 10:18). “But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10). God delivered Jesus over because of our transgressions.
He was also raised because of our justification. He was raised from the grave on account of or in order to our justification. Not because we already had it but in order that it may be available. Some other translations read that He was raised “for our justification”KJV,DRB,ASV. No doubt, we are justified “freely by His grace” (Romans 3:24), “by His blood” (Romans 5:9), “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 6:11), “by His grace” (Titus 3:7). Here we are told that our justification has to do with His being raised. For Paul will later write “and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are sleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Praise God!