IN DEFENSE OF JUSTIFICATION BY
FAITH
(Romans Bible Study Series Tape Eight)
Recommended reading Romans 4:1-25.
Paul defines the gospel as the righteousness of God.
Righteousness is all of God's doing without human contribution. The
righteousness that God attained for the human race is made effective by
faith and nothing else. We cannot earn it by our works or buy it with our
money. Justification by faith is the only way that man can be saved.
Justification by faith qualifies us for eternity now and in the judgment.
The fruit of justification by faith is sanctification. The redemption in
Christ enables the righteousness of God to be ours, this is not only a
promise it is a historical reality. It is ours because of the doing and
dying of Christ. God is legally just in declaring sinners righteous in
Christ. Paul defends this fact strongly in the scriptures. God can uphold
His Law and at the same time justify us. Justification leaves no room for
human boasting. We have not contributed anything toward our justification.
It is given to us entirely by the grace of God. We don't deserve it; we
haven't earned it; we don't contribute to it! We are justified by what God
has done, not by what we have done. We are saved by faith, or through
faith, but not because of our faith. Justification by faith establishes
the law. What Christ did, His life and His death, met all the demands of
the Law. To establish the Law, every demand of the law must be met.
I. Paul is defending justification by faith against a three fold
opposition.
· The
opposition came mainly from the Jewish Christians who followed him
everywhere.
· The threefold
opposition that Paul faced is as follows:
1.) The issue of works as is found in Romans
4:1-8. The Jewish Christians were insistent that our works were
essential for justification by faith. Paul said we are justified
without works only by faith.
2.) The issue of circumcision. The Jews said you
could not be saved without being circumcised. Paul addresses this in Romans
4:9-12.
3.) The issue of the keeping of the Law. Paul
addresses this in Romans 4:13-17.
· To all three of
these issues Paul says no. It is important to understand that Paul is
not against works or circumcision; in fact, Paul circumcised Timothy.
Paul is also not against the keeping of the Law. The problem with these
three issues is that they are not to be used as a means of salvation.
Paul teaches them as a way of life; he is against them as a means of
salvation. Paul is against salvation by faith plus works; he is for
salvation by faith that works.
· Paul is not
saying that we do not have to do any works, that we don't have to keep
the Law, or that we don't have to keep the Sabbath. Paul is defending
the doctrine of justification by faith.
II. Paul focuses on the flesh.
· Paul focuses
initially in Romans 4:1 on the word flesh. We rejoice in Christ
and have no confidence in the flesh. Philippians 3:4-6, Paul
defines the word flesh.
· Paul describes
his own accomplishments and says if anyone should have confidence in the
flesh, he should be the one to have that confidence. Paul accomplished a
great deal from a fleshly viewpoint. Paul even states that he was
blameless regarding the rules and regulations of the church which he
describes as the righteousness of the Law. When Paul understood Christ
and what Christ had done for us, he gave up all those things as he
describes in Philippians 3:7.
· In respect to
Paul's comments about the flesh in Romans 4:1, if we are
depending upon ourselves for our salvation, that is the flesh.
III. Paul selects Abraham as an example.
· Abraham was selected because Paul
dealing with the Jews so he wanted to use someone that was special to
them.
· Abraham did
great works, far more than we have done. Notice this very point in Romans
4:2. All the works that Abraham did, did not contribute to his
justification.
· When Abraham
believed God that is when it was accounted to him for righteousness. In verse
4-8, Paul clearly shows that if we work for our justification then
it would no longer be by grace, rather God would owe it to us. Abraham
worked, not for his justification but only as fruit of justification by
faith, never as the means of justification. Paul shows that David was
justified as was Abraham.
IV. Paul begins to focus on circumcision in Romans 4:9.
· Paul spoke
positively at times about circumcision. Paul was not against
circumcision. There was an event in Acts 15:1-5, where the Jews
were stating that circumcision was essential and a requirement for
salvation. Paul and several other Apostles did not want to put a burden
on the Gentile Christians.
· Justification,
salvation, righteousness, holiness, purity, do not come through
obedience because all have disobeyed. We cannot live up to the Law. In Romans
4, Paul states that circumcision does not contribute to our
salvation.
· The reason for
circumcision is found in Romans 4:11. God gave circumcision as a
seal. A seal to confirm a fact. The fact was justification by faith.
V. How is and why is circumcision used as the seal of the
righteousness of faith?
· We must first
understand the background of the three fathers of Israel - Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob. Genesis 12:1-4, describes the calling of Abraham
by God. God promised Abraham a son to fulfill the promise God had made.
· Abraham walked
and talked with God asking Him for understanding and clarification. Genesis
15:6, Abraham believed God and it was accounted to Abraham for
righteousness. Abraham had tremendous faith in God. Abraham was
ultimately very patient in waiting for God.
· Righteousness -
whether it be imputed through Jesus Christ or imparted by our submitting
to God and obeying God, it is still God who is doing it. Our part from
beginning to end is faith.
· God wants
Abraham to reach a perfect faith so God tells Abraham to be circumcised.
God wants all doubt and unbelief removed. That is the meaning of
circumcision. From the point of circumcision forward, Abraham was to
walk by faith alone. Abraham agreed and said yes.
· Circumcision
did not save Abraham, it was only a sign and a seal. The Sabbath does
not save us it is a sign and a seal.
· We read in Exodus
31:13, God gave the Sabbath as a sign. The sign is not to the world.
The world does not know that the Sabbath is God's Sabbath. The Sabbath
is a sign between God and His people. People who have understood the
Sabbath and then leave the Sabbath do so because they do not understand
that it is a sign between God and His people. It is not a sign to the
world. Loving one another is a sign to the world that we are God's
people and that His spirit dwells in us. The Sabbath is a sign between
us and God.
· Abraham made
mistakes after he was circumcised, but he continued to walk by faith and
nothing else. Abraham was justified by faith. As a result he became the
father of all who believe as we see in Romans 4:11-12. An
individual who is in Christ is of the seed of Abraham and an heir as
Paul states in Galatians 3:29.
· Circumcision
does not justify, it confirms. The Law was given over 400 years after
Abraham was justified by faith.
VI. Faith does produce works but works are not a contribution to our
justification.
· The moment we
try to save ourselves by the Law, we come under wrath as Paul states in Romans
4:15.
· The moment we
save ourselves by faith, we have peace.
VII. God did not give the Law to solve the sin problem.
· God gave the Law to help us realize
what we truly are, so that salvation by faith may become desirable.
· Paul discusses
in Romans 4:16-17, that our salvation is guaranteed even though
we are sinners and failures. It is guaranteed because it is not of works
but of faith in Jesus Christ. It is guaranteed because Abraham is the
father of all those that believe.
· Paul tells how
faith works in Romans 4:18-25. If we are to be the seed of
Abraham and therefore the heirs according to the promise, we must have
the faith that Abraham had.
The faith we should have does not does not make us feel
guilty. We should have a faith that brings peace. God does the promising
and the performing, in these scriptures. Abraham believed and that was
all. Faith is taking God at His word. God tells us something. We do not
need evidence; we simply believe! May God help us to have the faith
to take Him at His word. |
In Defense of
Justification By Faith 