What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God! 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not counted according to grace, but according to what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
9 Therefore, is this blessing on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it counted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be counted to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. Romans 4: 1-12 LSB
Romans 4: 1-12
Vs. 1-3 Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness - It is the righteousness that comes by way of the vehicle of faith. Even that faith, which many fail to understand, because it is not derived or distilled from man. Faith is also a gift from God as we see in Ephesians 2:8, "for it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God." God owed Abraham the same thing He owes everyone in accordance with His sovereign and Holy nature, and that is death, the wages of sin. Abraham was a sinner and lost like every other man, but God came to him, made Himself known, proved His own self faithful even when Abraham lacked, and God brought Abraham not only to believe that there was a God, but to believe in the true God, and believe what He said, evidenced in Abraham's willingness to leave his own country and comforts for a heavenly promise he could not yet see. You see Abraham's faith grow throughout his life, tested, challenged and developed by God.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise, 10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she regarded Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore there were born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been remembering that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now, they aspire to a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only son, 18 to whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” 19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he also received him back. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave commands concerning his bones. Hebrews 11: 8-22
V. 4 Not to the one who works - Like I always say, over and over again, because it is the first part of the gospel. God owes no man anything other than what is in accordance with God's own nature. He owes it to His own holiness that men receive the penalty of their sin, and still so to that holiness, if He so chooses to redeem, that He takes up the ledger and pays the debt Himself, through the perfect life and atoning work of His Son. No one is owed a perfect life here because we all fall short of the mark of His perfection and expectation. No one is owed eternal life because we all sin, and God, Who is the eternal being, is infinitely opposed to our sin. If we die in it, attached to it, in denial of His opposition to it, we should not be so surprised to find ourselves forever under the condemnation of His just wrath. Playing it down won't change His mind, finding some other human to agree with you won't change God's mind, and being that man or woman that plays down what God says to the ruin of other people, that is a scary thing. The Bible makes it clear that we are dead in our trespasses and sins, and so dead people do not raise themselves, do not do good works, so remind yourself of that, what does God owe you? There is massive confusion out there about faith, where people turn it into a work, and think of it as the means to get worldly gain, and they turn faith into the practice of positive thinking or the stupid new age enlightenment stuff you here from corporations or see when your scrolling through Linkedin, "visualizing and manifesting", hogwash and snake oil. People tell you to have faith in yourself, believe in the good of man, follow your heart, but that's the wisdom of this age, not God's wisdom.
Paul now uses a common illustration to amplify his point making it clear that the legal act of declaring a man righteous (justification) is completely apart from any kind of human work. If salvation were on the basis of one’s own effort, God would "owe salvation" as a debt—instead of righteousness being a gift of God’s grace to those who believe. Since faith is contrasted with work, faith must mean the end of any attempt to earn God’s favor through personal merit and this same principle applies to us once we have become believers. We are sanctified (our daily growth in grace and progress toward greater Christlikeness) by faith not by deeds we do in our strength. Nothing of the old flesh can please God Who is holy.
Although faith is required for salvation, it has no power in itself to save. It is the power of God’s redemptive grace alone, working through the atoning work of His Son on the cross, that has power to save. Note carefully that faith is not, as some claim, a type of work. Paul here makes clear that saving faith is completely apart from any kind of human works. - Precept Austin
…38Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:… Acts 13: 38-40
…7But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. 8He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit. 9The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?…
…10I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve. 11Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.” Jeremiah 17: 7-11
9So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”…
…12The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.… Galatians 3: 9-14
Vs. 5-8 Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven - Paul continues to make his argument for justification by faith by pointing out to another of their OT heroes who needed grace. David sinned, was disciplined by God and forgiven by God. He stood in contrast to King Saul, in that David had a repentant heart, confessed his sin and sought to be brought back into communion with God the Father. Saul only cared what people thought and was more worried about an earthly kingdom. He wanted respect for his title regardless of his actions, and even sought to murder David, and David differed in that he found brokenness before a Holy and just God.
…18Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? 19He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea. 20You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old.… Micah 7: 18-20
…10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.… Psalm 51: 10-12
Vs. 9-10 But while uncircumcised - They forget, Abraham was the beginning of all of this, God called him out of a pagan world and made him a promise before the seal of circumcision was given.
11Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.… Ephesians 2: 11-13
Comment: The question of a physically circumcised Jew becoming uncircumcised strikes us as somewhat ridiculous but Josephus describes this practice writing "they (Jews who sought the favor of the Greek ruler Antiochus) desired his (Antiochus') permission to build them a Gymnasium at Jerusalem (thus emulating Greek culture - gyms were "big" with the Greeks). And when he had given them leave they also hid the circumcision of their genitals, that even when they were naked (Greeks exercised in the nude in the "gyms"!) they might appear to be Greeks. Accordingly, they (the compromising Jews) left off all the customs that belonged to their own country, and imitated the practices of the other nations (the Gentiles)." (Ant 12.241)
Paul adds in his letter to the Galatians…
For in Christ Jesus (the key word is "in" - when by grace through faith we who were in Adam [cp Ro 5:12-note] are placed forever in Christ - cp 1Co 15:22) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything (external acts/rites are immaterial and worthless, unless they reflect genuine internal righteousness - i.e., they are supernaturally motivated by a desire to please God and not by a fleshly futile attempt to merit His favor), but faith working through love (Saving faith proves its genuine character by works of love cp Ro 13:10-note). (Gal 5:6)
While he was circumcised or uncircumcised? - Paul does not leave this question open for debate but answers that it was while he was uncircumcised, which is a physical state the Jews equated with the "goyim" or the "Gentile dogs"! This was the state of their physical ancestor Abraham, whether they like it or not, or whether they accept it or not. It is an indisputable fact! - PA
Vs. 11-12 But who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised - Faith preceded the sign of circumcision. We enter the realm of Ritual vs. Reality, and we all need to ask ourselves this question: what is our hope based upon, faith in the promise of God or in some ritual or rite that we participated in? I would ask those who baptize infants, what did that infant believe, what are you hoping for in this? Does God owes us for removing our foreskin; does he owe you for crying after a presentation of the Passion and then walking forward with your feet and saying a prayer with your lips? I would say He only owes Himself, His own integrity, and He has promise His Son a redeemed people even before there were people, before time and space existed. I believe He will make good on that promise through the meritorious and atoning work of His Son and no other. To even think you can earn an ounce of God's favor is blasphemous. Jesus did it all, all to Him I owe, like the song says, sin has left a crimson stain, and He washed it white as snow.
…28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3: 28-29
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