Romans Chapter Four                     Lesson 47

                                  Justification Illustrated

 

Introduction:

 

1. The Place of Chapter 4 in Romans

 

- Does God save one way in the time of the New Testament and a different way during the OT period??   Emphatically no!

 

2. The Method that Paul uses is to present 2 case histories

#1 is Abraham  4:1-5   his text Gen. 15:6.

#2 is David   4:6-8   his text is Psa. 32:1-2

 

3. What about these men that Paul uses in Rom 4??

- What makes Abe so important?  His place in Jewish thinking! 

 

 

This is not surprising also for another reason, the Prophet Isaiah told them to look to Abraham, you who pursue righteousness!   Isa 51:1-2

 

If  Paul can establish that Abraham had a standing with God on the basis of faith,  and that you think that you have a standing with  God based on your own works; your better than  Abe,  aren't you? 

 

 

- In Paul's argument we will see that one of the things that he's doing by using Abraham is that if he can prove to his Jewish readers that no amount of works performed by Abraham could have saved him, then where does that leave them?   

 

What about David?? Why is he here also??

- Is there a better choice to demonstrate that a justified man or woman can sin??  

 

- David though is a good example, the one after God's own heart,  that recognized his sin,  recognized his guilt and confessed it  before the Lord and he was restored to fellowship with the Lord.   [1 Sam 13:14]

4. The Structure of Romans 4

 

   1. Justification is by faith not works - 4:1-8       [4:2]

      - as proved by Abe  4:1-5

      - as proved by David 4:6-8

 

   2. Justification is by faith not rite, ritual  4:9-12   [4:9]

 

   3. Justification is by faith not by law  4:13-22    [4:13]

 

   4. Justification by faith applied to us  4:23-25 

 

 

5. Imputation in Romans 4.   [key word and concept]

- 11 times we have logidzomai, logidzomai, in ch-4  along with pistis, pistij, key word.

 

 

- Feel the weight of the word logizomai in the this chapter.

4:3; 4:4; 4:5; 4:6; 4:8; 4:9; 4:10; 4:11; 4:22; 4:23; 4:24

 

 

Abe's discovery 4:1-3

- Whatever greatness attained by Abraham, and it was truly  tremendous, he had nothing to boast of before God, it did not commend him to God.

 

Who was Abraham?

1. He was the patriarch of Israel, the father of the chosen people.

[similar in stature to the nation Israel as that great patriot George Washington is to our country.] 

 

2. He was also called the friend of God, Jas. 2:23.

3. It was his seed that was to be the source of universal blessing of all men.     Gen. 12:3 "And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 

 

Why is Abe such a good case to use to teach justification by faith not works??

 

 

 

- Thought then that Paul is building up to here is that when you bring up the name of Abraham, surely with all that he has going for him he would be an exception to justification by faith; maybe we all need to be justified by faith, but Abraham, look at his credentials.

 

 

Textual note: hapax  that Paul's use in the context shows just how precise he is here.   forefather = propa,twr

- used of a relationship that was physical only; no spiritual overtones to it at all;

 

 

 

- The question we must answer is what does "according to the flesh" mean?? clearly not talking about the flesh as the Sin Nature here.

 

- Therefore "according to the flesh" refers to human works; what he would be able to produce normally from his own ability.

 

4:1 "What then shall we say that Abraham our forefather has discovered that is according to the flesh to be the case that has abiding results?"

 

- Look down at vs:5;  Just Who does God justify?? 

 

 

Note on "discovered" eu`ri,skw  is perf. tense;  past completed action; he made that discovery once not twice and the results extends even to the present;

What is this saying then??  No one has ever been justified except the same way that Abraham was, that is what he discovered!  Sole fide!

 

 

The perfect tense of discovered in vs:1 is going to be applied to us; actually to all those in every  generation of the church age.

 

 

Look at 4:22-24;   Abraham's discovery is to be our discovery; and his BD our BD.

 

 

Discovery part #1;  Abe's deficiency  4:2