Romans 4 (Kyle and Adam)

by Opcomm · Published October 12, 2010 · Updated March 17, 2016

Teaching 10.12.10

Romans 4:1-2
- “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.”
  - Paul is writing this a group of mostly Jews that know only of the Old Testament
  - Really good point of bringing up Abraham
    - Abraham is a man of faith
    - He was a sweet guy but was nowhere up at God’s level
Romans 4:3
- “For what does the Scripture say? ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
  - Genesis 15:6
    - “Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
  - This righteousness came from God
    - Not Abraham’s works
  - Faith is NOT works
Romans 4:4
- “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.”
  - The wages are deserved
    - “I just did work, how is it a gift?
Romans 4:5
- “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,”
  - Because of the FAITH IN GOD
  - This is gift from God is not deserving
    - We do not deserve such a great thing
  - Either you work for something or you get something for free
Romans 4:9
- “Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
  - This sounds weird nowadays
  - Back then, if you were a none Jew
    - You had to get circumcised
      - This was a huge ritual
Romans 4:10
- “How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;”
  - Paul sets himself up for this great question
    - Was Abraham declared righteous by God before or after he was circumcised?
      - BEFORE
  - Faith is NOT ritual
  - Think of being baptized
    - When people ask if you are a Christian, you think well I was baptized
    - But do you have FAITH in God?
Romans 4:13
- “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.”
  - The righteousness is NOT by the law
  - When the Jews were thinking about the law, they think Moses and the 10 Commandments
    - Abraham came BEFORE Moses
    - You do not need the law to become righteous
Romans 4:14
- “For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;”
  - You need to choose
    - Works or faith?
Philippian 4:6-7
- “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
  - Anxious is always a bad feeling
    - But you got to give it over to God
    - Weird right?
    - But this shows how much faith you have in God to take this feeling away
  - When you have trust and faith in God
    - Then you get that good feeling
    - “The power of God”
1 Corinthians 15:17
- “and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.”
  - If you call yourself a Christian, but do not believe that Christ was raised from the dead
    - Your prayers will not be fully answered
  - We need to place our faith in something worthy
  - If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then our prayers would be worthless
  - Faith is NOT blind faith
    - God will never call us to something that is not true
A man of faith is…
- Taking steps of faith and trusts God
Hebrews 11:8
- “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.”
  - God told Abraham to leave everything except his family and go to wherever God sends him
  - If Abraham did this, then through his line Jesus will come to earth
  - This must have sounded crazy and scary to Abraham
Romans 4:18-22
- “In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” 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, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
  - A lot of problems
    - Sarah was barren and Abraham was really old
    - Still did not have any kids
  - Abraham still had faith even though he faltered for a little
  - Why did God wait so long to give him the promise?
    - Because this was more of a miracle and that it could only happen through Him
      - You never hear women at the age of 99 having children
    - Also God was teaching Abraham spiritual maturity
      - God is molding us and crafting us to give us maturity
Romans 4:23-25
- “Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”
  - With Jesus dying on the cross, when we are redeemed we will be raised to heaven
  - Taking that huge step to trust Him
  - Plus letting the Holy Spirit come into us
Galatians 3:7-9
- “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”
  - We have the inheritance of eternal life
  - We are inheritors of that promise that God gave Abraham