Well, good morning. I'm glad you're here with us this morning. Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to Romans chapter 4.
Today's text is Romans chapter 4, verses 13 through 25.
! We will see in today's text, once again, that we are justified, which means to be declared righteous or morally perfect through faith alone.
Do not grow weary of hearing such good news. We will read it, and we will preach it, and we will recite it, we will pray it, we will sing it each Lord's Day when we gather.
Because of my fickle heart and wayward emotions, I need to be reminded of God's loving kindness to me in the person and work of Jesus Christ as often as possible.
And I believe that you do, too.
So, just this week, in addition, on social media, a platform that's strangely now called X, I dipped my toe into a debate amongst professing conservative Christians concerning justification by faith alone.
And to my great surprise, saw many deny this important doctrine.
Beloved, I said to you some weeks ago, we are Protestants.
And we are at our very best when we hold fast to the solas.
We believe and declare that the Bible alone teaches us that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.
And all of this is to the glory of God alone.
We do not innovate.
We hold.
We do not waver.
We hold.
We do not become distracted.
We hold.
We contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
This is the hill to die on.
For our sake, for the sake of others, to the glory of God, we hold.
And so join me as Paul continues to make his case in Romans chapter 4, verse 13, through the end of the chapter.
Beloved, this is God's word to us, written for his glory and our good.
And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
Verse 13, for the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law, there is no transgression.
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.
In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations.
As he had been told, so shall your offspring be.
He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old.
Or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.
Fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
This is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness.
But the words it was counted to him were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also.
It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus, our Lord.
Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Now, this is a lot of text for today.
Thirteen verses.
And there are phrases in here that I want to just stop on for weeks at a time.
But I think that the church will be better served to take it in a chunk and to move past it.
So, as I read that to you, if there was a phrase that popped in your mind, you said,
Oh, I can't wait to hear the extensive explanation of that.
It may not come today.
And the scripture so often gets to be unfolded or peeled back like an onion.
There's much to mine out of the text.
We won't be able to cover it all today.
Our time together is brief.
The argument can be a little bit difficult to track, but we're going to do so our best with a simple outline,
which is often three points, but today it's five.
So, let me give those to you quickly, and then we'll dive into the first point.
So, number one, by grace alone through faith alone.
We see this in verses 13 through 16.
Secondly, the object of faith, verse 17.
Thirdly, the obstacles of faith, verses 18 and 19.
Fourthly, the nature of faith, verses 20 and 21.
And lastly, the result of faith, verses 22 through 25.
So, first, by grace alone through faith alone.
Paul is going on to make this case that this is how we are justified.
This is how we are saved from the wrath of God.
By grace alone through faith alone.
He speaks in today's text about the relationship between the law and the gospel,
which we will see carried throughout the letter.
And it's an important, but sometimes difficult thing to get exactly right.
The relationship between law and gospel.
But we need to get it right.
In verses 13 and 15, Paul teaches us two important facts concerning the law.
The first one is that you cannot be saved by the law.
You are not and cannot be morally perfect.
And therefore, cannot be declared righteous because of your works.
This is an absolute impossibility.
All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Notice there in verse 13, the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be the heir of the world
did not come through the law, because it could not, but through the righteousness of faith.
This is the way that Abraham was justified.
We see that at the beginning of chapter 4.
If you weren't with us last week, I really encourage you to go back and read chapter 4, beginning in verse 1.
Or, perhaps just read from the beginning of the letter.
We are justified by faith alone.
But what do we make of verse 14?
There he says,
It is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs.
If this is the case, faith is null and the promise is void.
It doesn't seem to suggest that some people are able to keep the law?
If anybody were to do it, then the promise would be void.
But perhaps we're helped by another translation of this verse from the NASB 95,
where there it says,
For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified.
You'll also notice in verse 16 that same thing.
Not only to the adherent of the law, but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham.
So this verse could be understood sociologically or nationalistically.
I think that the former is correct.
I think Paul is meaning to reference the Jewish people,
but I think more than that what he's saying is those who attempt to live by the law.
Which largely would have been the partly Jewish audience that he's writing to here,
but also applies to us.
Those who have God's law and try to live by it.
Endeavor to be a people of or adherence to the law
and to find our justification there.
If we were able to do so,
then the promise that comes through faith would be void.
But nobody can.
Nobody has and nobody will be a faithful adherent to the law.
And therefore, faith is not null and the promise is not void.
If you back up a little bit into Romans chapter 4,
there in verse 9 and following, Paul says,
is this blessing then only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised?
For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
How then was it counted to him?
Was it before or after he had been circumcised?
So here there, him keeping the law.
God commanded a thing that he did.
He says,
No, it was not after but before he was circumcised.
He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith
while he was still uncircumcised.
His obedience and circumcision was the evidence of the faith
that he had already expressed in God's promises.
The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised
so that righteousness would be counted to them as well
and to make him the father of the circumcised who were not merely circumcised
but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had
before he was circumcised.
So if you're tracking with me, I hope that you are.
The point is that you cannot be saved by the law.
Secondly, we learn in verse 15 that the law exposes our sinfulness.
There Paul says,
again, this is a verse I think we could spend much time on,
but he says,
in brief,
the law brings wrath,
but where there is no law,
there is no transgression.
Now he is not saying that we get to remain blissfully ignorant.
Not at all what he's trying to say.
He's not saying run from any command
because he's made the case extensively in the previous chapters
that whether Jew or Greek,
we have sinned.
Hear what he says in Romans chapter 3, verse 9 and following.
He says,
we have already charged.
And he's referring to chapter 1, verse 18,
all the way through chapter 2, verse 29.
We have already charged that all,
both Jews and Greeks,
are under sin.
As it is written,
none is righteous.
No, not one.
No one understands.
No one seeks for God.
All have turned aside together.
They have become worthless.
No one does good.
Not even one.
The law,
whether written on paper
or written in our hearts,
exposes our rebellion
against the most holy God.
It makes us aware of a need.
And that need is met by Christ.
The law is meant to lead us to Christ.
Let me show you another place that Paul speaks to this
in Galatians chapter 3.
I think it would serve you to join me there.
Galatians chapter 3.
This letter being written specifically
to address a heresy that was being taught
in the church
where Jewish people
who had professed faith in Christ
were coming and telling
Greek-professing Christians
that they must be circumcised
in order to be found right with God.
You're going to be justified
by faith plus circumcision
is the claim that they were making.
And Paul is addressing this
and he is clear and pointed
in his words.
But he says this beginning in verse 23.
Now before faith came,
we were held captive under the law,
imprisoned until the coming faith
would be revealed.
So then the law was our guardian
until Christ came
in order that we might be justified
by faith.
But now that faith has come.
We are no longer under a guardian
for in Christ Jesus
you are all sons of God
through faith.
So here we see
in our text for today,
Romans chapter 4,
the law brings wrath.
It shows us our transgression.
And here Paul says
it's a guardian for us.
Let me read to you a quote
from an article published
in Ligonier Ministries
Table Talk magazine.
I'd like to attribute it
to an author
but they didn't
so I can't.
But from Table Talk magazine
an author writes,
in ancient Rome
the guardian was a slave
entrusted with the care
of another's child
when the child reached age six.
Until the child reached adolescence
the guardian was like a nanny
who watched over the child
and ensured that he made it
to and from school.
The guardian was not
a professional teacher
but he did serve as a tutor
who at home reviewed
with the child
the material learned
in the classroom.
Additionally,
the guardian was the child's
main disciplinarian.
He corrected bad manners
and helped his charge
learn etiquette.
Depending on the individual,
a guardian might discipline
the child harshly
with canings and whippings
or with greater tenderness
and care.
Some children hated
their guardian.
others formed a strong
lifelong bond with him.
This background enriches
our understanding
of the purpose of the law
and why it is no longer
the defining principle
of the life of the believer.
If the Mosaic law
is like a guardian,
then by definition
it was not a permanent guardian
since the job of the guardian
was over when the child
was grown up.
Though the believing community
learned much from the law,
just as a child
learned manners
from his guardian,
the law had the important job
of taking us to school,
of leading us to Christ.
So this is the point of the law
Paul is arguing here
in Galatians, right?
To move us along,
to bring us up
into adulthood, right?
Into a proper understanding
of the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
It prods us
in that direction.
So,
the law exposes
our sinfulness
that we might
by faith
believe in Christ.
Verse 16,
that is why
it depends on faith.
In order that the promise
may rest on grace
and be guaranteed
to all his offspring,
right?
The faith that is granted
by grace.
God,
in his loving kindness,
saving a people
for his praise.
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.
We are justified
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in Jesus Christ
alone, right?
Beloved,
this is of dire
importance.
And brings us
to our next point.
Let's observe
some things
about Abraham's
faith.
So,
the object
of Abraham's
faith.
Verse 17,
as it is written,
the text says,
and this is from
Genesis chapter 17
and verse 5,
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 object
of faith,
Paul tells us,
was the God
of the promise.
This is what
Abraham believed in,
the God
of the promise.
His faith
was not
an aimless
faith.
He believed
that God
could and would
do exactly
what he had
promised to do.
Now,
this deserves
some exploration,
so join me
in the book of
Genesis,
and let's look
briefly at the
account.
We looked at it
a bit last week.
Let's go to
Genesis chapter 15
and verse 1.
Genesis chapter 15.
Begin
reading in verse 1,
and it'll lead us
to a phrase
in verse 6,
which Paul
is recounting
for us
again and again.
He's quoting
again and again.
He believed
the Lord,
and he counted
it to him
as righteousness.
So,
beginning in verse 1.
After these things,
the word of the Lord
came to Abram
in a vision.
Fear not,
Abram,
I am your shield,
your reward
shall be very great.
But Abram said,
O Lord God,
what will you give me?
For I continue
childless,
and the heir of my house
is Eleazar
of Damascus.
He's remembering
these grand promises
that God has made,
and he said,
but I'm still childless.
How will it come
to pass?
Verse 3,
And Abram said,
Behold,
you have given me
no offspring,
and a member of my household
will be my heir.
And behold,
the word of the Lord
came to him,
This man shall not
be your heir.
Your very own son
shall be your heir.
And he brought him
outside and said,
Look toward heaven
and number the stars
if you are able
to number them.
Then he said to him,
So shall your offspring
be.
And then verse 6,
And he,
Abram,
believed the Lord
and he counted it
to him
as righteousness.
He believed,
he believed
that God would do
what God said
that he would do.
Now,
this belief
is tested
later in the book
of Genesis.
So turn to
Genesis chapter 22.
A number of things
have happened.
Verse 1 says,
After these things,
I encourage you
to read them,
God tested
Abraham.
What was he testing?
He was testing his faith.
Testing his faith.
And he said to him,
Abraham,
and he said,
Here I am.
He said,
Take your son,
your only son Isaac,
whom you love,
and go to the land
of Moriah
and offer him there
as a burnt offering
on one of the mountains
of which I shall tell you.
Kill your son.
Sacrifice your son.
Right?
The one whom I've said
the promise will come.
Right?
And the account says
simply this.
Verse 3,
So Abraham rose
early in the morning,
saddled his donkey,
and took two of his young men
with him and his son Isaac.
And he cut the wood
for the burnt offering
and arose and went
to the place
of which God
had told him.
On the third day,
Abraham lifted up his eyes
and saw the place
from afar.
So he takes the things
he needs,
he travels three days
and comes to the place.
Verse 5,
Then Abraham said
to his young men,
Stay here with the donkey.
I and the boy
will go over there
and worship
and come again
to you.
Very significant verse
we'll see
in just a moment.
Right?
I and the boy
will go
and here
I and the boy
will return.
And Abraham
took the wood
of the burnt offering
and laid it
on Isaac's son
and he took
in his hand
the fire
and the knife.
So they went
both of them
together.
If you read on
or if you're familiar
with the story,
we discover that Abraham
intended to follow through
on the sacrifice
of his son.
At the very last moment,
God stays his hand
and provides instead
a ram
for the sacrifice
and then restates
the promise
that he made
to Abraham.
So we pick up
in verse 15.
And the angel
of the Lord
came to Abraham
a second time
from heaven
and said,
By myself
I have sworn,
declares the Lord,
because you have
done this
and have not
withheld your son,
your only son,
I will surely
bless you
and I will surely
multiply your offspring
as the stars of heaven
as the sand
that is on the seashore
and your offspring
shall possess
the gate
of his enemies
and in your offspring
shall all the nations
of the earth
be blessed
because
you have obeyed
my voice.
Now remember,
the whole matter
was a test
of his faith
so his obedience
proved
his belief.
This is why
we have to read
and understand
the Bible
in its context.
You can simply
pull out verse 18
and go,
See?
It was the obedience
that justified him.
But if we look
at the narrative
in its total,
no, no,
it's his obedience
that simply showed
that he believed.
It's a confident belief,
an unwavering
belief
in God's providence.
It evidenced
his faith.
But it was
his faith
that was counted
to him
as righteousness.
Now with this
in mind,
I want you to join me
in a New Testament
text.
Go to the book
of Hebrews,
chapter 11.
Remember Genesis 22
and verse 5.
I kind of
pointed out
to you.
The author
of Hebrews
in chapter 11,
a chapter that
begins with a
definition of faith.
There he says,
Now faith
is the assurance
of things
hoped for,
the conviction
of things
not seen.
And he launches
into this great
hall of witnesses.
All of these
people that
by faith
were commended
before God.
And in verse 17
of Hebrews 11,
he says this,
By faith,
Abraham,
when he was
tested,
offered up
Isaac,
and he who
had received
the promises
was in the act
of offering up
his only son,
of whom it was
said,
Through Isaac
shall your
offspring
be named.
And then,
verse 5.
Verse 19
is widely
agreed to be
divine commentary
on Genesis 22,
verse 5.
Remember it said,
Abraham said to
his young men,
Stay here with
the donkey.
I and the boy
will go over there
and worship
and come again
to you.
I and the boy
will go,
will worship,
and I and the boy
will return.
Listen to the
divine commentary
from Hebrews 11,
verse 19.
He, Abraham,
considered that God
was able even
to raise him
from the dead.
Abraham went
to go sacrifice
his son,
believing in God's
promise.
God had said,
It's going to be
through Isaac
that all of my
promises will be
realized.
And Abraham had
the kind of faith
that believed
that promise,
so much so
that God would
still accomplish
his purpose.
We'll just let it
read the scripture
for us.
That's okay.
So, Abraham
believed that God
could and would
do what he had
promised to do.
This is incredible.
I don't know how
you wiggle out
of justification
by faith alone.
I don't understand it.
I think, perhaps,
people have different
Bibles than
I have.
Verse 17
of Romans 4,
as it is written,
Genesis 17, 5,
that 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.
Little stars go off
in your head.
Right?
He gives life
to the dead
and calls into
existence
the things
that do not
exist.
I think here,
Paul is talking
about God's
massive might,
his bringing about
the creation
of the world,
to give us
confidence that
he can also
bring about
faith in us.
It wasn't
humanly rational
for Abraham
to think that
he could be
the father
of many nations,
but he believed
in the God
who made
the promise,
despite the
obstacles to
that belief.
So let's
consider briefly
the obstacles
of faith.
Point number
three,
verses 18 and
19,
the obstacles
of faith.
In hope he
believed against
hope that
he should
become the
father of
many nations,
as he had
been told,
so shall
your offspring
be.
He did not
weaken in
faith when
he considered
his own
body,
which was
as good
as dead,
since he
was about
a hundred
years old,
or when he
considered
the barrenness
of Sarah's
womb.
I notice
two obstacles
in these
verses.
Do you see
them?
Let's
note the
easy one
first from
verse 19.
It was not
biologically
possible for
Abraham and
Sarah to
have a baby.
Not biologically
possible.
I sometimes
just adore
Paul's writing
when he calls
Abraham here
that he was
as good as
dead.
He was
essentially a
dead man,
and then he
parenthetically
says he was
almost a hundred.
He was 99
years old.
They would
require divine
intervention for
this promise to
come true.
Abraham had to
believe that
God would
bring this
thing to
pass because
it was not
biologically
possible for
this to be
the case.
God calls
us to the
same kind
of faith,
a faith that
rests on
his word,
on the things
that he
has said
would happen,
his character
and his
promises
for us.
This is an
astounding
hurdle to
overcome.
God told him
a thing would
happen that
was not
biologically
possible to
happen and
he believed
that it
would come
to pass.
But there's
also a second
obstacle that
I notice.
There's an
interesting turn
of phrase at
the beginning
of verse
18.
In hope,
he believed
against hope.
Paul distinguishes
between belief
and hope.
They are similar,
but they are not
the same.
I'm going to
spare you the
Greek this
morning for
the sake of
time and
perhaps my
small understanding
of Greek.
Hope is the
desire for
something that
may become
true.
The desire for
something that
may become
true.
In this case,
that he should
become the
father of
many nations.
Paul says,
in hope,
he believed.
He had faith
that the thing
hoped for,
God's promise,
that he would
become the
father of
many nations
would come
to pass.
He hoped
that it
would be,
and he
believed in
hope.
Recall the
author of
Hebrews'
definition of
faith from
the beginning
of chapter
11.
Now,
faith is
the assurance
of things
hoped for,
the confidence
of things
hoped for,
good promises,
things we
would like to
see come
to pass.
hope.
So,
what does
Paul mean
in hope?
He believed
against hope.
It feels
contradictory,
doesn't it?
I think that
Paul is
communicating that
an obstacle to
Abraham's faith
was that the
promise was
such a grand,
wonderful promise
that it just
seemed too
good to be
true.
I mean,
what a thing
to hope in.
A man
with no
heir,
he's 99
years old,
he has no
heir,
no potential
posterity,
a man who
Paul says
was as good
as dead,
to hope
that he
would have
children,
and grandchildren,
and great
grandchildren.
Not only that,
but that he
would be the
father of a
thousand generations
that would
span the
globe,
and they
would belong
to God.
A grand
number for
the praise
of our
God.
What a
thing to
hope in.
Now,
I am
approaching my
mid-forties,
which is not
very old in the
grand scheme.
It's far away
from 99.
But I can
already feel a
tug in my
soul to make
my last
years last.
I want to
leave behind a
rich legacy
of faithfulness
to our God,
which expands
beyond my
biological
children,
and grandchildren,
and great
grandchildren.
That's one of
the reasons I
love pastoring
a church.
I love that
you're having
children,
and we're
raising up
generations that
we are
endeavoring
prayerfully,
and fervently
to see be
faithful for
our God.
Maybe this is
why I
sometimes wear a
cardigan and
start to forget
things,
because I'm
looking forward
to where we
might go
someday.
What a
thing to
hope in.
The thing
that Abraham
was hoping
in was much
higher.
He was going
to be the
father of
the nations
that would
praise God.
What an
incredible,
lofty thing.
So in hope,
Abraham believed
against the
audacity of
his hope.
What a
massive promise.
It's a very
cool turn
of phrase.
In spite of
the obstacles
of faith,
he had
faith.
So let's
look fourthly
at the
nature of
faith.
We're going
to land the
plane very
soon.
Verse 20
and 21.
No unbelief
made him
waver concerning
the promise
of God,
but he grew
strong in
his faith
as he gave
glory to
God,
fully convinced
that God
was able
to do
what he
had promised.
So let's
note two
things about
the nature
of faith.
And we've
said this
to some
extent already.
Number one,
faith is
unwavering.
Notice in
verse 20,
no unbelief
made him
waver.
And in
verse 21,
he was
fully
convinced.
Now,
I don't
think that
he had
no doubt
ever.
In fact,
if you read
the account,
there's some
doubts that
creep in.
I don't
think this
is suggesting
that he
never had
any unbelief,
that his
faith was
absolutely
perfect.
I think we
see Abraham
have some
weak faith,
but it
ultimately
did not
cause him
to abandon
his faith.
He was
fully
convinced
that this
grand thing
that God
had promised
would come
to pass.
John Calvin
wrote of this
text,
Believers
are never
so enlightened
that there
are no
remains
of ignorance,
nor is
the heart
so established
that there
are no
misgivings.
Secondly,
notice about
the nature
of faith,
that faith
grows as
we center
it on
God.
Paul says
he grew
strong.
He grew,
which means
there was
a process.
He started
at one
point and
grew strong,
got stronger
in his
faith as
he gave
glory to
God.
Beloved,
the meter,
the measure
of your
faith,
the place
that you
focus your
attention,
should not
be on
your self.
It should
not be on
your
performance.
It most
certainly
should not
be on
your
feelings,
but should
be centered
on God,
the one
who is
unchanging
and the
one who
made
the promise.
His faith
grew and
our faith
will grow
as we
center our
faith
on God
himself.
Fifthly,
and lastly,
the result
of faith,
verse 22
through the
end of
the chapter.
That is
why his
faith was
counted to
him as
righteousness.
But the
words it
was counted
to him
were not
written for
his sake
alone,
but for
ours also.
It will
be counted
to us who
believe in
him who
raised from
the dead
Jesus,
our Lord,
who was
delivered up
for our
trespasses and
raised for
our
justification.
the salvation
of Abraham
and the
salvation of
all his
spiritual
offspring.
This is the
result of
faith.
Paul will
speak of
Jesus'
active
obedience to
the law
in chapter
5.
Here he
focuses our
attention on
his passive
obedience,
his sacrificial
death on
our behalf,
and his
third day
resurrection.
Jesus died
in our
place,
took the
wrath of
God on
himself that
we deserve.
And he
rose three
days later
proving that
he is the
Christ.
Paul here
helps us to
see that
God's promise
to Abraham
is fulfilled
in the
person and
the work of
the Lord
Jesus Christ.
He'll write
later in
Romans chapter
10,
verse 9
and 10,
if you
confess with
your mouth
that Jesus
is Lord,
and believe
in your
heart that
God raised
him from
the dead,
you will
be saved.
For with
the heart
one believes
and is
justified,
and with
the mouth
one confesses
and is
saved.
So we
believe and
confess that
the Bible
alone teaches
us that we
are justified
by grace
alone,
through faith
alone,
in the
person and
work of
Jesus Christ
alone,
all to the
glory of God
alone.
Let's pray.
as