Text1
2. Righteousness
reckoned: justification 4:1-25
a. Abraham’s history shows righteousness is
reckoned through faith 4:1-8
1.) The Evidence 1-3
Chapter
4
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather
according to the flesh, has found? 2
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? "And Abraham
believed
God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 3
2.) The Explanation 4-8
a.) What of Works? 4
4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as
a favor, but as what is due.
b.) What of faith? 5-8
5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him
who justifies the ungodly, his
faith4
is reckoned as righteousness,
6 just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man
to whom God reckons5
righteousness apart from works: 6
7 "Blessed
are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
8 "Blessed
is the man whose sin the Lord will not
take into account."
b. An explanation
of who is justified 4:9-12
1.) The
one who is justified, is justified by faith, not by circumcision 9-10
9 Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon
the uncircumcised also? For we say, "Faith was reckoned to
Abraham
as righteousness."
10 How then was it reckoned? While he was circumcised,
or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
2.) Why
was Abraham reckoned righteous in uncircumcision? 11-12
11 and he received the sign
of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he
had while uncircumcised,
that he might be the father of all who believe without being
circumcised, that righteousness
might be reckoned to them,
12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only
are of the circumcision, but who also follow8
in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while
uncircumcised.
c. Answer to why
we are justified 4:13-17a
1.) Law can not
inherit the world 13
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that
he would be heir
of the world was not
through the Law, but through the
righteousness of faith. 9
2.) Law works wrath 14-15
14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is
made void and the promise is nullified;
3.) righteousness-
by faith through grace 16
16 For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in
accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain
to all the descendants, not only
to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith
of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
d. When we are justified 17b-25
1.) Abraham believed in God 17b
17 (as it is written, "A
father of many nations have I made you")
in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the
dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 12
2.) Abraham believed in the unseen 18
18 In
hope against hope he believed, in order that he might
become a father of many nations, according to that which had been
spoken, "So shall your descendants be."
3.) The consideration of faith: The ability of
God 19-20
19 And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated
his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years
old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb;
- yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,
4.) The assurance of faith 21
5.) The persuasion of faith 21b
6.) The effect of faith:
reckoned
righteousness 22-24
22 Therefore
also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
23 Now
not for his sake only was it written, that it was reckoned to him,
24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned,
as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
7.) The
goal of faith – Jesus who was raised from the dead 24b-25
Thought
questions for chapter 4
- What is the most hopeless situation you can recall ever being in?
The first month of our marriage.
- If you only had Abraham’s example in this chapter to go by, how would you define the word “faith”?
Faith is accepting the reality of God’s promises in spite of
outward appearances.
g. How was Abraham able to grow strong
in the faith? Vs. 20-21
He realized God could do what HE promised to do.
- How is the power of the Gospel (1:16) reflected in this chapter?
The power of God is the ability of God to bring about His promises.
- How are Christians today either like or unlike Abraham?
We are like Abraham in that we believe without seeing, but unlike him
in that we rarely are put to the test as he was (with Issac)
- What are the most important things to consider in this chapter in light of Phil 4:8?
Faith Trust (in God) Hope Jesus’ attoning work
For Further Thought
How does Abraham demonstrate his faith?
See Gen 15, 17, 18
By believing that God would bless him not just with land, but also
with offspring. This confidence (faith) is exhibited in chapter 18,
where Abraham "“bargains” with God.
How would you compare the personality
of Abraham to Paul?
Abraham was a weaker person than Paul, for he had
moments of weakness where he represented his wife as his “sister”.
Paul, once convinced of something, became utterly relentless in the
outworking of that conviction. Both Abraham and Paul showed great
faith, however.
How does Abraham demonstrate his faith?
See Gen 15, 17, 18
By believing that God would bless him not just with land, but also
with offspring. This confidence (faith) is exhibited in chapter 18,
where Abraham "“bargains” with God.
What are the main points of the chapter
and how do they fit into the overall plan of the book?
Vss 3-9 Reckoned as righteousness vs. 10
Reckoned while uncircumcised vs. 16 righteousness of faith to all.
These three establish righteousness’: method, time, and extent.
From God’s perspective, what is the
relationship between righteousness and faith as concerns human
beings?
Righteousness in human beings does not exist
without faith.
Compare James 2:14-16 with Romans
chapter 4. Do they compliment or conflict?
Compliment. Abraham offered up Issac; this was an
exhibition of his faith.
In what sense are our sins the reason
for Christ’s death, and our justification the purpose of his
resurrection? See Isa 53:4-6; 8b, 11; 1 Pet 2:24; 1Cor 15:17
Christ is our sin-bearer. Because God raised
Jesus, He will raise us (Rom 6:1-6).
By way of illustration
Corrie
ten Boom, in her book Tramp for the Lord had these words to say
regarding forgiveness:
It
was 1947--. I had come from Holland to defeated Germany with the
message that God forgives. It was the truth they needed most to hear
in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental
picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander's mind,
I like to think that that's where forgiven sins are thrown. "When
we confess our sins," I said, "God casts them into the
deepest ocean, gone forever--. Then God places a sign out there that
says No Fishing Allowed!" --James S. Hewett, Illustrations
Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 217.
Faith
in Christ is more than mere intellectual assent. It is believing with
the heart, with the will, with adoration and with action. Years ago a
party of visitors at the national mint were told by a workman in the
smelting works that if you first dipped your hand in water, a ladle
of molten metal might be poured over the palm of the hand without
burning it. A husband and wife were part of this party of visitors.
"Perhaps you would like to try it," the workman said to the
husband. The husband drew back sharply, "No thanks," he
said, "I'll take your word for it." The workman turned to
the wife, "Perhaps you would like to try it." She replied,
"Certainly." She pulled up the sleeve of her blouse and
thrust her hand into a bucket of water. Calmly she held her hand out
while the metal was poured over it. In nature of Jesus' parable, we
might ask which of the two really believed the workman? The husband
believed at one level -- but he wasn't willing to put his belief to
the acid test. The wife, on the other hand, was willing to take the
kind of risk faith in Christ demands.
One
Sunday, a minister began his sermon: "I'd like to make three
points today. First, there are millions of people around the world
who are going to hell. Second, most of us sitting here today do not
give a damn about it." After a lengthy pause he continued: "My
third point is that you are more concerned that I, your pastor, said
the word 'damn' than you are about the millions of people going to
hell." Having undivided attention, he proceeded to preach an
excellent sermon on putting faith into action.
Faith
is the key that opens the door to heaven. You know, you could have a
key ring with a lot of keys on it, like this (use actual key ring as
object lesson if you have one); they will look somewhat alike. But
I'll tell you this. If you go to the front door of my house, you
could try all of these keys except the right one, and they would not
open that door. The right key to heaven is called faith, saving
faith. That is what will open the door to heaven. There is nothing
else in the world that will open that door. What is it? FAITH.
- D. James Kennedy
4
Means confident TRUST
5
Means gives a credit to.
7
See Psa 32:1
8
In rank – a military term
10
Settled anger
14
To fall to one’s side
15
To acquit, to declare righteous—a legal term that is used in a
trial.
pp
Isa 53:5,6; rom 3:25; 8:32; 2Cor 5:21;
Gal 1:14; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Pet 3:18
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