Understand Christianity

STUDIES IN THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
“The Faith of Abraham and Ours"
Romans 4:1-25

Introduction: After explaining God’s righteousness, the Holy Spirit then offers an extended illustration of God’s righteous as seen through the lives of several Old Testament characters. 

1. Chapter four begins a presentation of classical reasoning. 

2. Note the structure that begins each new section with the question,                                                   
 “What shall we say then?”  4:1; 6:1; 7:7; 8:31; 9:14,30.

3. The things that the Holy Spirit is saying challenge common thinking and    worldly logic.

4.  Keep in mind that 3:21-5-21 deals with how God saves sinners - not our response to Him.

 5. Remember that God has virtually no commands for you to obey until chap. 12.

  I. The Teaching of Justification by Faith (1-8)  (Outline from Griffith Thomas)

1. The necessity of faith (1-2)

2. The object of faith (2-3)

3. The principle of faith (4-5)

4. The acceptance of faith (5)

5. The outcome of faith (6-8)

 1. The question (9)

2. The answer (10)

3. The proof (11)

  4. The purpose (12)

1. The meaning of the promise (13)

2. The way of the promise (14)

3. The principle of the promise (15)

4. The proof of the promise (16)

5. The confirmation of the promise (17)

1. Faith and the Divine Person (17)

2. Faith and Divine Power (17)

3. Faith and the Divine Word (18)

4. Faith and special difficulties (19)

5. Faith and victory (19-21)

6. Faith and the result (22)

7. Faith and our example (23-25)   

In what areas are you being stretched in your life to trust God’s promises? So far in Romans we have seen that the reason why the “good news” is so good is because Paul has spelled out for us how bad off we were in our natural state and what God has done about it.  Last week we saw that God provided salvation for us the way He did for two specific reasons.  One was to meet the demands of God’s law for the forgiveness of our sins by becoming our substitute on the cross.  The second reason why God did what He did the way He did was to uphold His own righteousness.  Chapter 4, then, offers an extended illustration of Abraham as an example of one who accepted the promises of God by faith.  No greater example could be offered to the Jew than the father of the Jewish race and the best example of all a person could be, according to the Jews.  The question Paul anticipates being asked by the Jews is, “What was it about Abraham that caused God to choose him to be the ancestor of His special people?”  In other words, “What did Abraham do to make himself so special?”  Or, “What makes Abraham so different from other people?”  Paul then proceeds to answer that question by pointing out that Abraham did nothing to place himself in that special position.  Abraham simply believed God.  And when he did, God credited to him the righteousness of God.  In others words, Abraham’s faith was the ground of his salvation, NOT the condition of his salvation.  Through the illustration of Abraham, Paul proves what makes a person right with God is not their performance, or good works, but simple trust in the promises of God.  (Ill.) How was a person saved in the OT?) Believing Jews looked forward to the fulfillment of God’s promise of the Messiah, while the Christian looks back to the finished work of the Messiah.

The natural response on the part of the Jew is that that teaching cannot be right because it is opposed to everything they have been taught.  But Paul counters by arguing that it is not a new teaching, but it is at the very foundation of the Jew’s religion.  Paul then continues with Abraham as his example and even includes David, another respected Jewish figure to prove his point. 

Such human reasoning apart from God’s illumination comes to the logical conclusion that humans must earn God’s favor by what they do.  Here precisely is the great dividing line between Jewish legalism and genuine Christian faith.  Basic Christianity says that all a person can do is simply take God at His word.  God’s love for us, His salvation, is never based on what we do to earn His favor; it is simply a matter of trust, as Abraham’s life proves.  

 (Ill.) This issue continues to be the great divide between genuine Christianity and all other religions and approaches to God.  Every other approach to God is based on what we do to win God’s favor.  (List the religions, cults, etc.)   

Perhaps this is a good place to address the relationship of the teaching on faith and the use of Abraham as an example in Romans and James.  Those who have some acquaintance with their Bibles know that Romans places a heavy emphasis on faith as opposed to works, while James seems to emphasize works as opposed to faith.  (Read James 2:14-26)  On the surface it appears that there is a contradiction between these two teachings.  However, on closer examination, it should be noted that Paul refers to events recorded in Abraham’s life in Genesis 15, while James deals with events recorded in Abraham’s life in Genesis 22, some 40 years later.  As is so often the case, apparent conflicts can be resolved by paying attention to the contexts.  Each one is dealing with a different aspect of faith.  Paul is emphasizing faith as against legalism.  James is emphasizing works as against formalism. Paul is saying that works must come from a genuine faith.  James is saying that faith must be demonstrated by works.  Rather, than these two biblical writers being opposed to each other, they are really complementary.  Each one is addressing a different issue.(Ill.)Luther-James)

This second section of chapter four (4), beginning in verse 9, seeks to prove in more detail the truth of 3:21, that the righteousness of God that Paul is addressing in Romans was taught by the Old Testament.  This message, then, is not just for the Jew, but for Jews AND Gentiles.  Note how he does this.  First, he raises the question in verse nine (9); then he answers it in verse ten (10); finally in verses (11-12) he proves his point.  From there he goes on to show how God makes good on His promise to Abraham (Genesis 17:1-11).  The significance of this promise to Abraham flows to all who have the faith of Abraham.  With that promise comes the responsibility of carrying that message to all the world. 

Abraham’s faith is an illustration of faith in us.  The same faith that brought justification and the righteousness of God to Abraham is the same faith God requires from us.  Look at the closing description of Abraham’s faith in chapter four (4:17-25).   In short, Abraham is called on to walk by faith.  And so are we.  We are to walk by faith when we do not see the results; when it seems impossible; when faced with difficulties.  We are called on to simply believe the promises of God.