Romans 4

The Apostle therefore poses the question, “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?” In other words, let us look at Abraham and what transpired in his life. If Abraham were justified (i.e., saved) by his works, “he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.” That is, if Abraham was saved by his own merit, he would have cause to boast, but not before God. (The word translated as glory {καυχημα kauchema} has the sense of boasting.)

The Apostle therefore appeals to the Old Testament Scripture (Ge 15:6). “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Though Paul has used the word translated as counted (λογιζομαι logidzomai) several times already in Romans (2:3, 2:26, 3:28), he now uses it in a major doctrinal way for the first time. It is a word which had judicial as well as financial implications. It has the sense of being recorded in a ledger, accounted, computed, or calculated. It particularly has the sense of all of the above being done mentally, such as coming to a conclusion, making a decision, or figuring something out. The word might be used in any of the following scenarios: Computers compute. Calculators calculate. Accountants account. Judges issue decisions. Each of these illustrate the sense of the word logidzomai which will be used frequently through Romans 4. Because Abraham took God at His Word (i.e., believed Him), therefore his faith was entered into God’s ledger as righteousness. In other words, God accounted to Abraham righteousness based upon his faith in God’s Word.

In contrast, the person who works for a paycheck does not receive it by grace. Rather, he is owed it. It is not the goodness of the employer in providing a paycheck to the employee. The employee has earned it. However, in the matter of salvation, what we have earned is God’s wrath as noted in chapters 1-3. Therefore, justification can only be by God’s grace. Hence, all we can do is trust the grace of the One offering it. Faith derives from grace. We are guilty before God and therefore deserve His righteous judgement. The only possible alternative is to trust His grace and His mercy to be justified.

That thought is further reenforced here. In God’s records (i.e., in the mind of God), our faith in His grace is a direct substitute for the righteousness He demands. The several English words (faith, believe, belief, believing, trust, trusting, etc.) all derive from the basic Greek word (πιστις) pistis or its verbal form (πιστευω) pisteuo. Both have the fundamental idea of total confidence in, total reliance upon, total dependance upon another, or complete trust in a statement, thing, or a person. Faith, by its very nature, always has an object. It is whata person is trusting in. The object of faith here clearly is God and His Word.

The Apostle now buttresses his case by illustrating the principle that righteousness is imputed without works. He quotes David in Ps 32:1-2. (The word translated as imputeth is once again {λογιζομαι} logizomai. See comments thereto in verses 3-4.) It is noteworthy that being justified without works is described as a blessing. Indeed it is! (The word translated as blessed in verse 7 {μακαρισμος makarismos} can have the idea of ‘congratulations.’) In quoting Ps 32:11, Paul notes the blessing it is to (1) have our iniquities forgiven;

(2) our sins covered; and (3) our sins not imputed against us. Both iniquity (ανομια anomia—which is willful, rebellious sin) as well as sin in general (‘αμαρτια hamartia—missing the mark, and thus coming short) is dealt with.

In quoting David and the Old Testament perspective, there indeed was a great blessing in having sin of any kind forgiven, covered, and not accounted against one. In the New Testament perspective, our sin has not only been forgiven, it has been washed away by the blood of Christ and not accounted against us. The agent of such justification is faith! It is blessed indeed.

Paul now addresses a point many a Jew probably had overlooked. Abraham’s justification had nothing to do with his circumcision. Abraham’s justification took place in Ge 15:6. He was circumcised in Ge 17:11-24. That was approximately fifteen years later. Paul therefore poses the question, “cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.” The blessing is justification. Does it apply only for Jews (the circumcision)? Or, is it available for gentiles also (the uncircumcision)? Recall that Abraham was justified by faith. (Once again, the word translated as reckoned is {λογιζομαι} logidzomai.) Was Abraham therefore justified after he was circumcised or before? He was justified when he was uncircumcised!

Abraham’s circumcision thus became a sign of his justification. The word translated as seal (σφραγις sphragis) has to do with a signet ring, which placed its impression in the soft wax of a seal. It was the token, or the imprint, or the signature of the one placing it. Abraham’s circumcision was a symbol of the justification he already had received. To that extent, New Testament baptism is similar to circumcision. It is an outward expression of the inner experience. The whole system of baby baptism collapses under the force of Paul’s simple logic. Abraham was justified years before he was circumcised—as an adult no less.

Therefore, Abraham became a father to not only those who are circumcised (i.e., the Jews), but also to them who are uncircumcised (the gentile who believes), “that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.” Verse 12, more or less, reiterates the thought for emphasis. Abraham is a father to not only the circumcision (the Jews) but also those who “walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised.” Evidently, some Jewish believers in the Roman church had difficulty with the idea that gentiles could be justified and not be circumcised. Paul’s forceful logic demonstrated that Abraham was justified when he was not circumcised. In similar fashion today, people may be justified who are not baptized. In fact, baptism has nothing to do with it even as circumcision had nothing to do with Abraham’s justification.

Paul now addressed another concern of the Jewish mind which has parallels to this day. Keeping the Law had nothing to do with Abraham’s justification. (Likewise, keeping the Ten Commandments or other moral codes for a gentile today has nothing to do with being saved.) The Law of Moses was not given until four-hundred years later. Obviously, it had nothing to do with Abraham’s justification. God’s promise and covenant “that he should heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

The Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 15 was confirmed in the simple fact that Abraham believed God. If keeping the Law of Moses given four-hundred years later confirmed that covenant, Abraham’s faith would be void, and God’s promise (His covenant) “of none effect.” (The purpose of the Law was to codify God’s moral laws and thereby provide a judicial basis for His wrath. Abraham could not have transgressed the Law of Moses because it had not yet been given.)

The whole point is how it, justification, is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might besure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham: who is the father of us all. Several comments are in order. (1) Once again the principle that faith springs from the more basic principle of grace is set forth. We deserve God’s wrath, yet in His grace He offers salvation to the condemned. Our only recourse is to trust Him. That is faith. (2) Because of the principle of faith, the promise God made to Abraham’s descendants (his seed) is therefore made sure. God made His covenant to Abraham upon his faith. Therefore, faith continues the covenant. (3) The promise (covenant) of God applies therefore not only to those who are under the law (the Jews) but also to anyone else who believes as Abraham did. (4) Therefore, Abraham is the father of us all—to the Jew and to the believing gentile. Hence, we all are under the promise or covenant God made to Abraham.

Accordingly, Paul quotes from Ge 17:5 how that God made Abraham a father of many nations. He then proceeds to embellish the principle of faith in Abraham and the circumstances of faith in his life. Recall that God promised him a posterity when he was seventy-five years old. That promise was repeated when he was ninety years old. Yet, he still had no children. The reference to “God, who quickeneth the dead” refers to how God enabled Abraham and Sarah to have the vitality to have children. He “against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations.” He believed God’s promise that his posterity would be like the stars of the heavens and the sand of the seashore. And even though he was ninety nine going on one hundred, being not weak in faith, when God told him and Sarah they would have a son, he considered not that both he and his wife were beyond the age to have children. In other words, even though it was humanly impossible, he took God at His Word. He simply believed God.

The word translated as staggered (διακρινω diakrino) has the basic sense of ‘doubt.’ Abraham did not doubt “the promise of God through unbelief.” Rather, “he was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” It is noteworthy that when Abraham took God at His word, simply trusting Him, it glorified God. Taking God at His Word, to this day, brings glory to Him.

Moreover, Abraham was fully persuaded that, what God had promised, He would perform. There is nothing complicated about it. Faith is taking God at His Word. It is simply trusting what He has said. As Abraham therefore simply trusted what God said, his faith was “imputed to him for righteousness.” In God’s ledger, Abraham’s faith in Him was entered as the righteousness of God. In God’s mind, trusting Him is a substitute for righteousness. It equals righteousness. When Abraham trusted Him, God imputed, or recorded, or accounted, or determined him to therefore be righteous in His mind. As far as God was concerned, the simple fact that Abraham trusted Him was the same as if he were altogether righteous. In God’s mind, Abraham’s faith became synonymous with righteousness.

Paul now makes the final application. The record of Abraham’s imputed justification “was not written for his sake alone.” The promise is also for us “to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” If we today in simple faith will trust God who raised Jesus, we too will be justified. The principle is the same as it was for Abraham.

Notice finally, how the Apostle described our Lord. He “was delivered up for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” The first phrase “delivered up for our offences” may be an allusion to Isa 53:12. Christ died for us (Ro5:12). He became sin for us who knew no sin (2Co 5:21). His resurrection completed His redemptive work thus making possible our justification. The greater truth of Romans 4 is the simple premise that all are justified by faith in the God of Abraham and Jesus.