Dead to Sin

Romans 6:1-14

Since February, we have been studying our way through the book of Romans. We come now to the sixth chapter. As a reminder, here is a brief outline of the book of Romans:

Romans 1-3:20             -         Sin

Romans 3:21-5             -         Salvation

Romans 6-8                  -         Sanctification

Romans 9-11                -         Sovereignty

Romans 12-16              -         Service

From the middle of chapter three through the end of chapter five, we have been looking at justification by faith, otherwise outlined as "Salvation." As we begin in chapter six, chapter five has just finished arguing that the more sin increased the more grace abounded. This is the result of justification by faith. We are saved, not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy. (Titus 3:5)

In view of this free salvation, a question comes to mind, and Romans 6:1 asks that question. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”

Romans chapters six through eight deal with this question as they speak of our sanctification. What has become of sin in our lives? Having been justified by faith, how then should we live? What change should it make in our lives? How should being justified change us?

The book of Romans, up to this point, has argued strongly that we are not saved by works, by keeping the law or by any righteousness of our own. It has just argued that that the law was given so that transgression would increase. The law made sin obvious, and, rather than decreasing sin, only served to increase sin. However, in response to this increase in sin, grace overflowed to the forgiveness of our sins and to our receiving eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, it seems natural that if more sin results in more grace, we should sin all the more in order to increase grace.

This sort of thinking is natural, in other words, unspiritual and ungodly.

This is why the immediate, strong negative is given, “By no means!”

The next twelve verses, verses three through fourteen, will respond to this question giving us something we should know, something we should consider and something we should consider that would result in each of us presenting ourselves to God, our Maker.

Here are these three things in outline form:

1.       We should know that “we have been baptized into Christ Jesus.” (Verse 3)

2.       We should consider ourselves dead to sin. (Verse 11)

3.       We should present ourselves to God. (Verse 13)

Returning to the question, “What shall we say then?” the Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostle Paul, asks two questions of His own. “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” and “Do you not know?” (Verse 3)

These two questions point out both the absurdity of this kind of thinking, and the expectation that all Christians should know better. In other words, there is knowledge here so basic to our faith that every Christian should know.

Here is that basic knowledge laid out in the words of Romans 6:3-4:

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4 ESV)

These verses are a description of what happens when we are born again. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are “baptized” into Him. This is not speaking of water baptism.

Remember when people went to John the Baptist to be baptized in water, he said:

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11 ESV)

Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and fire. It is not by any works, such as baptism, done by the hands of man that we are born again. Rather, we are born again by the power of God in the person of the Holy Spirit. It is He who unites us with Christ, baptizing us INTO Christ. We are united with Christ. We are made one with Christ. Thus, we have new life, eternal in duration and quality. As described in Romans 6:4, we were buried with Him and rose with Him so that we might walk in newness of life.

This is something every Christian should know. This is the essence of what it means to be born again. This is one of the basic truths of the gospel.

The truth of our union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection has ramifications for our daily lives, and this is where the discussion moves to in Romans 6:5-11. There is something we are to consider. This section of the chapter deals with the ramifications, or the meaning of, our union with Christ.

Verse 5 starts out by saying:

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:5 ESV)

This is the underlying truth of what we are about to be told to consider.

The word consider shows up in verse 11 at the end of this section and means to count, think or conclude. It is variously translated: think, consider, count, reckon, reason, decide or conclude. The implication of these words is that we are to take the basic facts that we know and see what they add up to. We are to reason through to the conclusion of the matter. This is precisely what verses five through eleven do. These verses lead us through the reasoning that follows from our union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection.

The first part of this reasoning is that the old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be done away with. This is what Galatians 2:20 is talking about when it says, “I am crucified with Christ.” In Ephesians 4, when talking about how we were taught to live in Christ, the Scriptures say:

…to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, (Ephesians 4:22 ESV)

The “old self” is said to belong to our former manner of life, and it is also said to be “corrupt through deceitful desires.” This “old self” is obviously who we were before we were born again. This old self is done away with. However, this does not mean our personalities change or that our tastes, preferences or uniquenesses are lost. Rather, we are given a new heart, one that desires the things of God and is no longer a slave to the passions or desires of the flesh. Before this happened, we were slaves to sin with no choice as to whether or not we obeyed the dictates of the flesh. This is what verse seven of Romans 6 is getting into when it says, “For one who has died has been set free from sin.” Romans 7 will explain this more when it uses the analogy of marriage to explain how we have been set free from the law. However, the point here is that we are given new life, and this new life is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The promise of verses eight and nine is that we have a new life that is in Jesus Christ our Lord and as such, it is eternal in both duration and quality. Our joy, freedom and the richness of this new life can hardly be expressed in words, since it has to do with our being seated with Christ in the heavenly realms.

Because of these things, verse eleven leads us to the conclusion that we are to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

This “considering,” or thinking, is essential to our Christian life. We must both know the truth and think it through to its logical conclusion. However, it does not stop there. We must take the next step and act upon the truth. It is important here to distinguish between being saved by our works, and being freed from our sins. We are not saved by what we do, but we are freed from the rule, dominion and slavery of sin. As Romans chapter 6 starts out, why should we who have died to sin still live in it? Why would we want to? What profit did we have in those things that lead only to death?

Therefore, verses twelve through fourteen show us that we must present ourselves to God.

Being dead to sin does not mean that we cannot still let sin rule in our bodies. We must first consider ourselves dead to sin, and then verse twelve tells us:

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. (Romans 6:12 ESV)

We still have the option of obeying the passions of our body. Death does not mean annihilation. 

Before we are born again, the Bible describes us as dead to God and righteousness. This does not mean that we do not have a spirit and a soul, but it does mean that we are separated from God. In addition, there is an imprisonment or bondage in regard to spiritual things. The Scriptures speak of death and the grave as being equivalent. In Hosea 13:14, the Lord says, “I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death.” And in Revelation 20:14, the Scriptures speak of death and Hades being thrown into the lake of fire. In these references, both Sheol and Hades are references to the grave or the place of the dead. The grave is seen as a place of confinement. A soul is thus kept from life and from God. Therefore, not only does death imply a separation, it also implies a confinement or removal from the presence of life. Jesus used a parable where He spoke of souls being thrown into outer darkness where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30). Here again there is a removal of the soul from life. However, the soul still exists and is conscious. In regard to our death to sin, this should make us aware that sin, which was a part of us, is now separated from us, and it has been confined in that its power to dominate us is broken. Therefore, as Romans 6:14 says, “...sin will have no dominion over you...” Since we have died to sin, we are separated from sin and sin is confined, it has no power over us.

For this reason, Romans 6:13 says:

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. Romans 6:13 ESV

Sin still exists. We can still present our members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but we have no obligation to present ourselves to sin. We are now free to present ourselves to God. We are no longer separated from God. We are united with Christ, and therefore we can present ourselves to God. Presenting our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness is what it means to walk in newness of life. Before we were baptized into Christ, this was not even possible.

We have seen that it is necessary for us to know that we are baptized into Christ, to consider that we are dead to sin and then to present ourselves to God.

Is there anything keeping you from enjoying this grace which has been given to us?

Eternal Life through Christ Jesus Our Lord

Romans 5:12-21

Death is not natural, nor is it good.

We are trained to think death is natural and necessary.

The theory of evolution assumes that death is natural. We are born and we die. According to the theory of evolution, it is through this process of birth and death that all things improve.

The Bible paints a different picture. Romans 5:12 says:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— (Romans 5:12 ESV)

In this passage, we see that death entered into our world through sin. Therefore, before sin entered the world, death was not in the world. Death has indeed spread to all humanity, just as Romans 5:12 says. Until Christ returns, every person will experience the death of the body. However, 1 Corinthians 15:26 says:

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:26 ESV)

Here, in this passage, we see death described as an enemy, and we see that Jesus Christ will destroy this enemy.

According to Romans 5:13, death is in the world because of sin, and sin came into the world by one man. It hardly seems fair that we should all suffer death because of one man, especially since he lived and died thousands of years ago. He broke a rule, a rule that you and I have not even had the opportunity to break. God told him, “Don’t eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.” But you and I have not even seen the garden, let alone eaten the forbidden fruit.

Romans 5:12 says, “...death spread to all men because all sinned...”

According to this, we do not die for Adam’s sin. Death spread to all men because all sinned. We are not judged for another’s sin, but we are judged for our sin.

How is it I can be guilty of sin when I do not know the rules?

How is it that men sinned when there were no rules to break?

This question is addressed in Romans 5:13-14.

...for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. (Romans 5:13-14 ESV)

Notice here, this passage says, “...even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam.” While it says, “sin is not counted where there is no law,” it does not say there is no sin where there is no law. This is very important for us to understand, because it has to do with our salvation, and relates to our ability, or inability, to save ourselves.

When the law was given through Moses, the people of Israel thought that they had been given a means to be delivered from death. However, they found that the law, which is good and right, brought only death and condemnation. Romans 7 explains it like this:

The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. (Romans 7:10-13 ESV)

Sin is something. By this, I mean that sin is more than just a concept. Sin is a moral evil that brings death. Here, in this passage, it says, “It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin...” Sin exists in the heart apart from law. Before the law, there was sin. Genesis 6:5 says:

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5 ESV)

In this time before the law was given, the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great. In other words, we see that sin is wickedness or evil in the human heart. When God examined human hearts, He saw that wickedness was great, and every intention was only evil continually.

Do you think that humanity or the human heart has changed?

Ephesians 2 tells us that before Jesus made us alive, we were dead in our trespasses and sins. The exact words are:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— (Ephesians 2:1-2 ESV)

Humanity has not changed.

If sin in the heart meant that “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” before the flood, it means the same today. Thus, Romans 5:21 says, “...sin reigned in death.”

Sin and death came into the world through one man. Romans 5:12 started to give a comparison when it said, “just as.” Romans 5:14 points to the comparison that was being made when it says, “...Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.” Romans 5:15-17 draws this comparison in more detail. However, verse 15 points out a difference rather than a similarity. Romans 5:15 points out the “MUCH MORE” aspect of the work of Jesus Christ. Indeed, sin entered the world by one man and through this, all died. But, much more has the free gift of grace abounded because of the righteousness of the One Man, Jesus Christ. These verses say:

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:15-17 ESV)

It bears repeating, “...the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.”

Sin was there even when there was no law. The law only served to make sin apparent or evident. Sin existed and the law just pointed this out. We were dead in our trespasses and sins; however, the grace of God was much greater than our sins. The free gift of grace abounded much more than sin to bring justification. So now, according to what we just read, we will reign in life through Jesus Christ. Death has been defeated. Now, instead of death reigning through sin, those who receive the free gift of righteousness reign in life.

The idea of justification is central to reigning in life. We live, walk and breathe as children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are the meek who will inherit the earth (emphasis on the word meek). This is possible only because we are justified freely by His grace. Sin is defeated because we are justified. Death is defeated because we are justified. The passage says, “the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.”

Adam, as the father of us all, acted as the source and representative of the human race. By using this representative system, God opened the door for a representative of the human race to take upon Himself all the sins of the human race. Christ is like Adam in that He represents the whole human race, just as Adam represented the whole human race. However, Christ is unlike Adam in that in His righteousness and obedience He brought life to the whole human race, whereas Adam’s disobedience brought death.

Romans 5:18 restates this comparison and leads to the conclusion:

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. (Romans 5:18 ESV)

Jesus said:

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV)

Our justification has resulted in abundant life, what Romans 5 describes as reigning in life. Chapter 5 starts out by saying that because we have been justified, we have peace with God, and having peace, we enjoy an abundance of grace. The vast, limitless abundance of God’s grace is ours.

Romans 5:18 says that this justification and life are for all men.

Does this mean that all men are automatically justified?

The answer is no.

The invitation is definitely to all men. Indeed, in almost the last words of the Bible, Revelation 22:17 says:

The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Revelation 22:17 ESV)

While the invitation is there, a warning is included. In another place, John explains:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. (John 3:18-19 ESV)

In many other places, the Scriptures warn of judgment for those who do not believe in the only begotten Son of God. Romans 1:18 warned that the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against the unrighteousness and ungodliness of men. To be sure, the redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient to save all men everywhere. However, only those who believe are said to be saved.

The law still serves a purpose. Romans 5:20 says. “Now the law came in to increase the trespass...” The law still serves to show us our need for salvation. But, the good news is what Romans 5:20 finishes with, “...but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more...”

This “abounding grace” leads to eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Are you enjoying this eternal and abundant life?

If not, why not?

Our entry into this life is by believing, believing that Jesus is God’s Son, that He did for our sins and that He rose again from the dead. If we believe He did this for us, we will call upon Him to be saved. Once we are saved, we can trust Him for all that we need.

Peace with God

Romans 5:1-11

What does peace with God look like?

Peace with a neighbor might mean minding one’s own business and not bothering the neighbor.

Peace in the house might mean giving up the TV remote on occasion.

When I think of peace in relationships, I think of calm, tranquil relations, free of strife and contentions. The word peace brings to our minds a tranquil, calm morning. Peace means things like: tranquil, calm, restful, quiet and still. The twenty-third Psalm brings peaceful images to our minds when it says:

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. (Psalms 23:1-2 NLT)

Calm, peaceful, tranquil relations with God certainly seem to be indicated when we say we have peace with God. However, Romans 5:1-11 speak of so much more that comes with our having peace with God.

Romans 5:1 says:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1 ESV)

Observe, “…we have been justified by faith.” Justification is important here because sin is the obstacle that keeps us at enmity with God. All our works are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), not because God is picky, but because our hearts are “...deceitful above all things, and desperately sick...” (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV) God, for His part, has always wanted peace. He searched for Adam and Eve in the Garden after they sinned. He continued to pursue humanity through the millennia. He even gave His Son in order to bring about peace. However, humanity has loved sin and evil deeds more than peace. In Isaiah 65:2, God says:

All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. (Isaiah 65:2 NLT)

When we turn from our sins to the open arms of our Father God, we are justified by faith. In other words, when we believe in Jesus, God declares us righteous. To justify means to declare righteous. Righteous means to be morally right, justifiable or virtuous. (Google Dictionary) When Romans 5:1 says we have been justified by faith it is telling us that God, Himself, has removed the obstacle that kept us at enmity with Him. Now we have peace. This peace is through Jesus Christ our Lord. The famous commentator Matthew Henry says of this peace:

There is more in this peace than barely a cessation of enmity, there is friendship and loving-kindness, for God is either the worst enemy or the best friend. (Matthew Henry)

We receive immeasurable treasure when we have peace with God. Romans 5:2 says:

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2 ESV

The immeasurable treasures are contained in this word grace. Grace means unmerited favor. In other words, God favors us even though we do not deserve it. Salvation is so much more than the forgiveness of our sins. When we are saved, we gain peace with God and a standing in His favor.

By standing in His favor, we partake of His tremendous riches in glory. This is the grace in which we now stand. In speaking of the grace in which we stand, in another place the Holy Spirit says:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7 ESV)

Here, in this passage, the “immeasurable riches of his grace” are spoken of. Because we have been justified and thus have peace with God, we partake of these “immeasurable riches.” Romans 5:1-11 begins to explain and enumerate some of these “riches of his grace.” By no means is this an exhaustive study of these riches, but it is instructive and helpful.

Verses 2 through 5 of Romans 5 speak of our rejoicing in the glory of God, rejoicing in suffering, and gaining hope, perseverance and character. Each one of these is part of the immeasurable treasure, but they pale in comparison to the real treasure of these verses. Verse 5 says, “...because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” The Holy Spirit then is the source of the hope, endurance and rejoicing mentioned in these verses. The Holy Spirit pours out God’s love in our hearts. The Holy Spirit transforms us and gives life to our inner person. Notice that the text of Scripture says, “...who has been given to us.” Think on this. The Holy Spirit is God, a member of the Trinity. God is perfectly one yet existing in three persons. God has given us Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. This is made possible by the peace we have with Him.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is immeasurable. We cannot put a value on such a gift. However, in explaining how we received peace with God and the accompanying gift of the Holy Spirit, Romans 5:6-8 goes on to say:

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8 ESV)

The grace in which we now stand includes the price that God was willing to pay for peace. The text references the fact that God was willing to pay this price while we were still sinners. Verse 10 makes it clear that we were enemies of God. God demonstrates His love by these actions. The best reference to this love is John 3:16, “...For God so loved the world...” Before God gave the gift of His Holy Spirit, He gave the gift of His Son. This truth is the demonstration of the fact that we can have no greater friend than God. Romans 8:31-32 puts it in these terms:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32 ESV)

God gave us the gift of His Holy Spirit. God gave us the gift of His Son. It is impossible that God should withhold from us any good thing. Romans 5:9-11 continues with the benefits of our peace with God by saying:

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:9-11 ESV)

We cannot improve on these words. Having been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Our salvation is certain. Nothing is more certain in all of life than the salvation of anyone who trusts in Jesus. These verses say “much more” twice and then “more than that” once. There is a building up to a high point. We are justified, much more, we are saved, much more we are reconciled, more than that we rejoice in God. The might and power of this salvation go beyond what we could even ask or think.

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, symbolizing the access to God the Father we are all given through Jesus Christ, our Lord. To say we rejoice in God, points to this unrestricted access we have been given. God gave us His Holy Spirit, God gave us His Son and God has given us Himself. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Does your life lack the peace that passes understanding?

Do you find yourself unable to rejoice in God?

Are you experiencing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life?

From what we looked at today, the problem is not with God.

Jesus said:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 ESV)

Why then are we weary and heavy laden?

We find ourselves not enjoying these benefits of peace, because we love our sin. We are no better than the Israelites of whom God said:

All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. (Isaiah 65:2 NLT)

Are you ready to give up your own evil path and crooked schemes?

There is a way that leads to peace with God.

If we turn to God’s outstretched arms, He will instantly receive us and accept us, giving us peace.

God's Promises

Romans 4:13-25

Chapter 4 of Romans starts out by exploring what Abraham found about being a friend of God. Was it by works or by faith that a person became a friend of God? In other words, was it a position one earned or was it a gift?

Verses 13 through 25 build on these thoughts, but from the perspective of the promises of God. Verses 13 through 25 explore the promises of God, and how we receive them. Are the promises something we earn, or are they a gift?

God’s promises to Abraham include the whole world and eternity. God’s promises to Abraham are gigantic and wonderful in scope. Genesis 12:2-3 begins the revelation of God’s promises to Abraham when it says:

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:2-3 ESV)

In several places in Genesis, God expands and explains this promise. God promised the birth of Isaac through Sarah and that Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars. God’s promises were as impossible as they were huge and wonderful. To begin with, Abraham had no children at the time. In addition, the promise concerned the far distant future of which no human could have any knowledge.

Romans 4:13-25 uses the example of God’s promises to Abraham to explain the truth that God’s promises are received by faith. These verses show us four aspects of God’s promises: 

Verses 13-15 show us that God’s promises are not earned.

Verses 16-17 show us that God’s promises call into existence the impossible.

Verses 18-19 show us that God’s promises require perseverance.

Verses 20-25 show us that God’s promises depend on God’s ability.

We will look at each of these in turn.

First, verses 13-15 tell us that God’s promises are not earned. These verses say:

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. (Romans 4:13-15 ESV)

The problem with trying to earn God’s promises is that no one is good enough. These verses say, “...the law brings wrath...” In other words, the law only reveals our shortcomings. The law does not provide a way to earn God’s promises.

This is contrary to how we experience life.

When we are young, if we do not study and do our homework we will not advance to the next grade, keep up with our peers or be treated with favor by our teachers and parents. As we get older, if we do not show up to work on time, work diligently and produce the required results, we will not live in a nice house, enjoy good food or be accepted socially. In our experience of life, keeping the law or conforming to whatever standard is required brings good things.

It is necessary for Scripture to stress that God’s promises are not dependent on our conforming to the law, because this is foreign to our way of thinking and different from how we experience life. Humanity thinks in terms of “karma.” Even the Bible teaches a form of this when it says, “...whatever a man sows that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) This is indeed the natural order of things. If one sows a lot of wheat, he will reap a lot of wheat. If one sows a lot of generosity and kindness, he will reap a lot of generosity and kindness. However, God’s promises are greater than the natural order. God’s promises go beyond nature and deal with things that are impossible within nature. This is why the law only brings wrath. This is the purpose of the law. The law exists to make clear transgressions. This is its function. Thus, the law makes it clear that we all fall short of the glory of God. Thus, Scripture teaches us:

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags... (Isaiah 64:6 NIV)

This is why Romans 4:15 explains that the law brings wrath. If God’s promises were based on law, works or “karma,” then they would be wages, something that we earned. However, God’s promises are far beyond anything we can ever earn, build or accomplish.

This brings us to the second aspect of God’s promises:

Verses 16-17 show us that God’s promises call into existence the impossible.

Verses 16-17 say:

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Romans 4:16-17 ESV)

Notice these verses end with the statement, “...who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”

In the beginning, God spoke things into existence. He created the world and all it contains out of nothing. God calls into existence things that do not exist. This activity of God is way beyond nature. Natural law cannot account for “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” In nature, the dead do not come back to life. However, God does bring the dead to life just as Romans 4:17 says.

When God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, Abraham did not have a single descendant. God spoke it into existence. God’s promise to Abraham was impossible from a human point of view. No amount of human effort, planning or works could accomplish what God was promising. This is a gift of grace. The Bible tells us:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)

God’s promises are not based on what we can see or understand. However, our faith is based on something more certain than even natural law. Our faith is based on God’s word. Romans 4:17 quotes God as saying, “I have made you the father of many nations.” Abraham’s faith was based on these words from God. The God, who created everything out of nothing by speaking, spoke these words. Abraham believed these words from God and through believing, according to Romans 4:16-17, became the father of all who believe.

However, believing is not always easy. God asks us to believe things that are impossible from our human perspective. Abraham was old. Sarah, his wife, was old. They had no children and could not hope to produce a child naturally.

This brings us to the third aspect of God’s promises:

          Verses 18-19 show us that God’s promises require perseverance.

Romans 4:18-19 says:

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. (Romans 4:18-19 ESV)

This passage says, “...he believed against hope...” God speaks into existence things that are not, but we do not always see the results immediately. The text points out that not only did Abraham believe against hope, but he also did not weaken in faith even though Sarah and he were both as good as dead. Abraham waited twenty-five years after having received the promise and Scripture says he did not weaken in faith.

Faith is hoping in things that we cannot see, and it requires us to persevere. Moses led the people in the wilderness for forty years based on God’s promises. David ran and hid from Saul for years based on God’s promises. Noah spent one hundred years building a huge boat based on God’s promises. Every man and woman of God must learn to wait upon the Lord. This is why James 1:2-4 says:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4 NIV)

Believing God’s word at times requires us to “believe against hope.” Our eyes and human senses sometimes seem to contradict the word of God. At times like these, we must hold on to what we have been told in the word of God.

This confidence in the word of God brings us to the fourth aspect of the promises of God.

Verses 20-25 show us that God’s promises depend on God’s ability.

Romans 4:20-25 says:

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:20-25 ESV)

Notice here the statement, “...fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” Abraham’s confidence was in God’s ability. We have already stressed that God’s promises go far beyond anything that we can do humanly. Clearly, God’s promises depend on God’s ability.

Luke 18:18-27 tells of a time when Jesus encountered a rich person who wanted to be saved. The passage is as follows:

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’ ” The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Luke 18:18-27 NLT)

“What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

Humanly speaking, it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

What challenge to your faith are you facing right now?

What is the impossible thing that you must trust God for right now?

Is it financial?

Is it family?

Is it health?

Be sure your confidence is in God’s word, His promises, and then trust that He is able to do what He has promised.

The biggest promise God has made is to forgive our sins and thus open up the way for us to live in His presence forever. Sometimes it is hard to believe we can be forgiven, and when we continue to sin it seems hard to believe that we can be freed from the power of sin. However, these things are part of the promises of God.

God’s promises cannot be earned.

God’s promises call into existence the impossible.

God’s promises require perseverance.

God’s promises depend on God’s ability.

Justified by Faith

Romans 4:1-12

Abraham was a great man.

We know that he started his life is Mesopotamia in a place called Ur. He was born close to two thousand years after the creation of Adam and close to two thousand years before the birth of Christ. Ur is near the Euphrates River in what is now southern Iraq, and is in the place known as the cradle of civilization, which is also near the site where the Tower of Babel project was undertaken. Ur was a prosperous place at the time, and it was a hot bed of idolatry, immorality, humanism and materialism. It was in this place and from these people that God called Abram. Genesis 11 tells us that Abram moved with his father, his nephew and his wife to Haran, which represented a move north. Genesis 12 tells us that after Abram’s father died, God appeared to Abram and told him to go to a land that God would show him. According to Acts 7:2, Stephen said, “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, 'Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.'” (Acts 7:2-3 ESV) From this account, we understand that God appeared to Abraham before he ever left Ur. God singled out Abraham while he was still far from God.

God singled out Abraham. He even appeared to Abraham and said:

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2 ESV).

What was it about Abraham that God singled him out?

Indeed, this is what is behind the question in Romans 4:1.

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? (Romans 4:1 KJV)

Just as God promised, Abraham’s name became very great. To the Jews and to Paul, he was the father of their nation. The view of the Jewish teachers and scholars was then and still is that it was Abraham’s greatness that caused God to choose Him. Tradition has it that Abraham started out helping in the building of the Tower of Babel, and became convinced of the error of this activity as he contemplated the greatness of the God who had created everything. He began to search for God and in the sincerity of his search was able to find God. None of this is supported by the Bible, which includes the Hebrew Scriptures. It is the teachings and fables of men. This teaching, although much longer and more involved, concludes like this:

Thus, in a sense, G‑d did not choose Abraham. It was his inherent superiority, and the fact that he was ready to give everything up for the sake of G‑d, that compelled G‑d to choose him.^[1]

Of course, no one teaching represents the views of everyone, but this does represent the predominant view of Judaism.

From this view, the Jewish people took great pride in their ancestors, especially Abraham. This is why, when they argued with Jesus about who He was, they said:

"We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" John 8:33 ESV

Their position as descendants of Abraham was very important to them and according to their beliefs made them special. Therefore, Abraham is an excellent example to demonstrate that we are not right with God because of the things we do.

Romans 4:1-2 begins this argument by example with the following statement:

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. (Romans 4:1-2 ESV)

Consider the sentence, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about...” If Abraham’s works were so perfect as to make him right with God, then surely he could boast. If a person is so good that his good works are in excess of what is required for salvation, then that person has much to boast about. This idea of people being so good as to save themselves and others is still taught today, and is often thought of as what makes a person a “saint.” But, notice that this text says that even such a person could not boast before God.

We have just been over a section of Romans that taught very clearly that all have sinned and no one is able to save himself or herself. The argument of Romans 4 is that no one is made right with God by being good enough. Therefore, the next verse of Romans 4 says:

For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:3 ESV)

Notice that it says “counted.” This word is also translated as credited or reckoned. So, if there is a ledger book, a credit is on the positive side. It was not Abraham’s works that were credited to him. It was his faith.

Next, the text enters into some of the logic behind justification by faith and not by works. Verses four and five state:

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness... (Romans 4:4-5 ESV)

The Jews thought and even taught that Abraham’s behavior obligated God to choose Abraham. We also have this same tendency. We secretly think, “I have been good; therefore, God owes me.” This treats God’s goodness as wages. We earn what we receive from God. If we have money, we have it because we earned it. If we have health, we have it because we earned it by taking care of our bodies and exercising. If we are the head of a department or manager, we are in our position because we earned it.

Without denying the hard work that is required for any one of these things I have mentioned, it is important for us to grasp the truth that everything we have, we have as a gift from God. Speaking from a human point of view, the wisest man who ever lived said:

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. (Ecclesiastes 9:11 ESV)

Romans 4:3 points out that wages are not a gift because it is making the argument that we are made right with God as a gift. This is why the next example the author of Romans uses is that of David. He says:

David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.” (Romans 4:6-8 NLT)

Do you see how happy the person is who has received righteousness as a gift?

How blessed and happy is the person who has received the forgiveness of his or her sins!

If we are to talk about wages, we must remember that each of us has earned death. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 NLT) Now, we know that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

Justice does not weigh good works against bad works. For example, if one person murders another person, that person is judged as a murderer. It does not matter that they loved their mother and sister. James 2:10 teaches that a person who has broken only one law has become a transgressor of the whole law. It is not a question of how good or bad a person may seem in our sight. Notice that Romans 4:5 says, “... but believes in him who justifies the ungodly.” According to the principles taught here, we are all ungodly. However, the good news is that we are justified freely by His grace. Oh, how incredibly happy we are! We are free from the certain penalty of death that was our just wages.

Romans 4:1 asked a question concerning what Abraham had found, and answered that what Abraham found was that a person is justified by faith. Romans 4:9 asks another question. It asks:

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? (Romans 4:9 ESV)

Here again, it is important to understand Jewish tradition. According to the Law of Moses, a Jewish male who was not circumcised was to be cut off from his people. Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with Israel and was considered necessary for taking part in the covenant promises. One could not be a Jew without circumcision.

Until the time of Jesus, only one people and one nation were entrusted with the Scriptures and the Temple. There were God-fearing Gentiles, and because of the dispersion of the Jews throughout the ancient world, the Jewish Scriptures were known in places far from Israel. We see this reflected in the visit of wise men from the east coming to see “He who was born king of the Jews.” Now, the question has become, does one need to become a Jew in order to receive the righteousness that comes by faith? Do we need to become Jews? This is what is meant by “the circumcision.”

To answer this question, Romans 4:10 says:

How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:10 ESV)

Circumcision is not necessary for one to be made right with God. Abraham was right with God by faith before He was circumcised, and received circumcision as a sign of this relationship with God.

This is so important for us to understand. Romans 4:12 says:

...who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:12 ESV)

It is the faith of Abraham that is our example.

God did not single out Abraham because Abraham was great. Abraham was great because God singled him out.

For us, this means that we do not need to be baptized before we are saved. We are baptized as a sign of the faith that saves us before we are baptized. It means that we are not made right with God by going to church, giving offerings and serving others. We go to church, give offerings and serve others because we are right with God.

We do not have to become anything before God will accept us, forgive our sins and make us His friends. God takes us right where we are and makes us new in Christ. We are reborn, made new.

Think about this.

God does not need another Abraham. He raised up Abraham, calling him out of Ur because God had a purpose. God has raised you up, calling you from wherever you have come, because God has a purpose. God wants you to trust Him, trust Him for everything. The forgiveness of our sins is the biggest and most difficult thing for us to trust Him with. Start with that, and then trust Him for everything else as well. God does not want your greatness. He is great and will do great things in and through you. He is able to do greater things than we can even ask or think. He tells us to trust Him. He counts our faith in Him as righteousness.

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^[1] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2013020/jewish/Was-Abraham-Jewish.htm