Romans 4

Friday, 5 April 2013

How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. Romans 4:10

Paul has shown as clearly as could be done, that righteousness comes apart from the law and that it is granted by faith alone. Noting this, Paul continues to make his address to those who would still consider the law as a means to an end. His questions are meant to dispel this notion once and forever. “How was it (meaning the blessedness of being declared righteous noted in the previous verses) accounted?” In other words, where or when did this declaration originate? In follow-up he asks “While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?”

This is an immensely important question. If it was after circumcision, then the circumcision may have had a bearing on the declaration of his righteousness. This then might mean that this same declaration could be available only to those who are circumcised. If so, then anyone outside of the law would be in the same state they were always in – alienated from God and strangers to the promise. But Paul’s answer is a note of relief to those outside and it is one which comes directly from an analysis of Scripture itself… “Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.”

Abraham was declared righteous in Genesis 15:6. He simply believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. It wasn’t until Genesis 17 that the sign of his righteousness was introduced. This was many long years later and it had no bearing at all on his state before God. If it had no bearing, then why was it even given? The answer is that it was an outward sign of the change in relationship and was intended for him and his descendants afterwards to remember that relationship and live in a manner worthy of it.

This outward sign was a means of validating what occurred. It had no bearing on what happened, but it gave him the memory of, and the assurance in, the act. As an example to grasp this, let’s consider a war hero. He is involved in a great act which saves many lives and which is the epitome of braveness and heroism. Everyone knows it and calls him a hero. This is equivalent to Abraham’s faith and God’s recognition of it.

After the act, the hero’s commander submits him for an award. The award goes through the ranks and arrives at the president’s desk. The president approves it – a Congressional Medal of Honor; the highest military award one can receive. The award is then officially presented to the hero on the one-year anniversary of his act. Did the presentation of the award have any bearing on the accomplishment of the act? No. Did the presentation have any bearing on his status as a hero? No, but it does validate it. The award was given as a sign and a confirmation (or validation) of the significance of the deed, but it in no way changes what occurred. This is Paul’s point. The circumcision, in which the Jew boasts, has no bearing at all on what was previously granted.

If the war hero’s descendants carry around his award and boast in it and yet don’t live a life worthy of the act of their father, then the award means less than nothing. In fact, it has become in them as if they weren’t even a part of this noble man’s family. And now, after more than a chapter of analysis and explanation, we can return to Paul’s words at the end of chapter 2 and more fully understand what he meant –

“For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” Romans 2:25-29

Life application: Don’t let anyone steal the prize from you by insisting that you adhere to some precept found under the law. Circumcision, dietary restrictions, dress codes, etc that are found under the law will only separate you further from God if you attempt to be justified by those things. Stand firm on the fact that Abraham was declared righteous by faith alone and this is how you will also be so declared.

Lord God, I see in Your word that Abraham was declared righteous before he was circumcised. The circumcision was only an outward sign of the declaration. I also see that this is how You work at all times – declaring us righteous by faith in what You alone have done. The work of Jesus frees us from the constraints of the law because He fulfilled them in our stead. Thank You, O God, for Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, 4 April 2013

Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. Romans 4:9

Paul has been addressing David’s comments which are found in the psalms and which point to the blessedness of man to whom the Lord does not impute sin. Based on David’s words, Paul showed that this blessedness translates into “righteousness apart from works.”

Through Paul’s observations and by citing the Scriptures, it is verifiable that this state of blessedness can be obtained because David both received it and spoke of it. David was a man under the law, the law which included circumcision as one of its signs of the covenant between God and His people. So Paul now asks an obvious question – “Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only?”

The question is important because if it is only upon the circumcised, then anyone outside of the law will never be free from the sin-guilt they bear. All sins committed will in fact be imputed to them. There would then be… no hope. But Paul asks, “Does this blessedness then come ‘upon the uncircumcised also?'” If it does, then there is hope for the world at large and not just those in the nation of Israel and who had been circumcised.

In order to demonstrate that this blessed state does, in fact, come upon those outside of the law Paul will now reintroduce Abraham. Why would he do this? Abraham was the father of circumcision! What could it be about Abraham’s justification that will in turn give hope to the non-circumcised world? Stay tuned for the exciting details.

Life application: When things look hopeless and every exit is blocked, remember that God is fully capable of rescuing you from your trials. Those things that you may have overlooked are already known to Him. So trust that His plan is greater than your time of testing. Stand in the confidence of knowing that His hand is upon you and will guide you to broad places.

Precious Lord, how wonderful it is to live in Your presence and to know that You are always with me – a shade at my right hand. When life is difficult and the trials seem to big to bear, remind me of Your glorious presence and help me to open my mouth and speak to You about the cares and burdens I feel. I know that You will respond according to Your great mercy. Amen.

Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. Romans 4:8

Paul again quotes David from the 32nd Psalm.

“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

There David noted that the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin is blessed. However, the law demanded that his sin be tried and punished. He had committed adultery and murder – both capital offenses and transgressions against God. He couldn’t go back in time and undo what he had done; time is ever-moving forward. And yet, God provided atonement for him and for those who put their faith in Him through sacrifice and repentance.

The question is, “Did the sacrifices – such as those on the Day of Atonement – take away the sin?” The answer is given in both Testaments and it is “No.” The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. (Psalm 51:16, 17, Hebrews 10:4, etc). So what provided the atonement? It was faith that God would withhold His wrath for the sins committed. The sacrifices merely pointed to the final sacrifice of Jesus, even if the people didn’t know that this was the case. It was faith in God and His promises and a humble walk before Him. Passages such as Micah 6:6-8 show us this –

With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

The questions Micah asked demanded a negative response. All of the sacrifices and offerings in the world were useless without a heart for God and without faith in His providence. It is through faith that the blessedness is received. When faith is exercised, the sins are pardoned and felicity between God and man is restored.

Life application: Have faith in God’s promises which come through the Person and work of Jesus. This is what pleases God, not church attendance or charitable giving. After your faith is established, then these things have meaning, but without it they are just vapor which fades away.

Lord, I know that my sins make me deserving of Your wrath and judgment, but because of Jesus, You have granted me mercy and a pardon from the sentence. I trust that Your word is true and that what He has done is all-sufficient to restore me to You. I marvel at the perfection of what You have done through His wondrous work. Thank You, O God. Amen.

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;  Romans 4:7

This is the first half of Paul’s quote from the 32nd Psalm. Paul, citing David, shows the state of blessedness or happiness of those who are forgiven of their misdeeds. Paul changes the quote from singular to plural. David’s original words said, “Blessed is he whose…” This thought then covers all who are included – male and female, Jew and gentile.

In the forgiveness of lawlessness and the covering of sin, a person stands justified and free from guilt even though the offense(s) actually occurred. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and was responsible for the death of Uriah. Moving forward in time means that these actions cannot be undone. What has occurred is over. A finite crime thus infinitely separates man from an infinite Creator; we can never undo our deeds.

But God, the Creator of time, has the ability to do what we cannot. Thus it is the truly blessed person who obtains access to this infinite fountain of grace and mercy. When forgiveness occurs, the sins are “covered.” They can never been seen again. The Bible repeatedly confirms this –

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

For You have cast all my sins behind Your back. Isaiah 38:17

These and other metaphors are intended to show the complete and eternal nature of forgiveness and justification. When a transgression is covered, it is forever gone. When forgiveness is granted, it becomes a garment of righteousness. And when a person is justified by faith, it stands forever as a seal and a promise from God that a right relationship again exists.

Life application: The blood of Jesus Christ purifies us from all unrighteousness and ungodliness. What has been cleansed by Him is forever clean and holy. As proof of this, the believer in Jesus Christ has been given a deposit, the Holy Spirit of promise. When you err and fall short of God’s glory, remember this. Despite your faults, you are eternally safe and secure in the hands of God.

Lord God Almighty, in You I have found my rest and my peace. Surely a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. And yet, because of Your Son I have the surety of eternal days in Your presence – free from the guilt I have stored up through a lifetime of misdeeds. How can I but praise You and glorify You for what You have done. Thank You, O God. Amen.

Monday, 1 April 2013

…just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: Romans 4:6

Today precedes two verses which form a quote from the 32nd Psalm. In this quote Paul will show how “David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.” In other words, in a masterful insight into the heart of the doctrine of justification by faith, Paul will go to David, a man under the law, to show how righteousness is attained. It is by imputation from God “apart from works.”

Not only was David a man under the law, but he was also the King of Israel and the one through whom the promise of the Messiah would come (2 Samuel 7:12-16). If anyone had a reason to boast before the Lord, it would certainly be David. As the author of a large portion of the Psalms and the one who received the instructions for the building of the temple directly from Lord (1 Chronicles 28:19), David had an intimate relationship with God. He had a grasp of the intent and the purpose of the law and it is apparent through his words that he knew that the righteousness of God came not from the law itself, but from the One who gave the law in the first place.

How could David know this? Because the law not only promised life to the one who lived by it (Leviticus 18:5), but it also promised punishment and death for those who failed to do so. And David, this great and noted king, failed. When he was faced with his own sin, which under the law was worthy of death, God’s prophet spoke these words to him, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

The Lord’s mercy was bestowed upon David apart from the law. David thus deduced that if this occurred, then God’s other divine attributes were also to be realized in our relationship with Him only apart from the law. The law then must have had another purpose than to bring man into a right relationship with God. Although David didn’t have a full comprehension of the work of the Messiah, he did understand the blessedness of man who received God’s righteousness apart from the law.

In the book of Galatians, Paul will show that the law was a tutor to lead us to Christ “that we might be justified by faith.” Somehow, in his ponderings of the work of God, David understood this, even if in a limited way. The quotes Paul uses from David’s hand will clearly show this.

Life application: God authored the law which is finite in its scope and so it cannot be the full extent of our relationship with Him. However, it is eternal in its purpose; it must be fulfilled, and yet we cannot fulfill it. Therefore, the righteousness of God must come to us apart from our deeds under the law. It must come from Jesus who embodies the perfection of it. In Him alone can our righteousness be found. Be sure to give God the glory for doing through Jesus what we could never do.

Gracious and glorious Heavenly Father, I have sinned against You – my heart has been deceitful, my lips have been impure, and my actions have not been in accord with Your word. I stand before You knowing that what I deserve is to be cast from Your presence, and yet because of the work of the Messiah I am reconciled to You and brought near to Your throne. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.