Father Abraham

Romans 3:21-4:25Chapter 3

• Paul’s theme: salvation – righteous declared

• Salvation justification by faith• Justification: the act of God whereby

He declares the believing sinner righteous in Christ on the basis of the finished work of Christ on the cross– Act, not process– Each believer has the same right

standing before God– Something God does, not man

– God declares us righteous, not make us righteous

– Legal matter– God puts righteousness in our record in

place of our own sinfulness

• Sanctification: a process whereby God makes us more like Christ– Change from day to day; justification no

change

• Justification Explained (3:21-31)– “But the righteous of God has been

manifested” (3:21)

– In O.T. revelation His law, judgment against sin, His appeals through the prophets, & His blessings on the obedient

– Apart from the law (v. 21)• O.T. law: righteousness by behaving• Gospel: righteousness by believing• Witnesses: sacrifices, types, “gospel”

Scriptures like Isa 53 bore witness to God”s righteousness

– Through faith in Christ (v.22a)• Faith: good as object; example of a chair• Law righteousness, a reward for work; gospel

righteousness, a gift through faith

– For all men (v. 22b-23)• “All have sinned, and are coming short of glory

of God” (/Rom 3:23)• God declared everyone guilty

– By grace (v.24)• Absolute attribute (what He is in himself)

– Love: God is love (I John 4:8)

• Relative attribute (how He relates to the world & man)

– When God relates love to us, grace & mercy» God in His mercy does not give us what we

deserves (hell)» God in His grace what we do not deserve

(heaven)

• Freely – without a cause

– At great cost to God (v. 24b-25)

• Free, but not cheap• Propitiation: satisfying God’s holy law and its

just demands• Blood: the price

– Illustration of Atonement Day» Two goats; temporary

– “As far as east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Ps 103: 12)

– Coal miner

– In perfect justice (v. 25-26)• God is love (I John 4:8); God is light (John 1:5)

– God of loves forgives sinners, but God of holiness must punish sin & uphold His righteous law

– God: just and justifier in Jesus– Sins back to Adam

• To establish the law ( v. 27-31)– Justification by faith

» Fulfillment of the demands of the law: Jesus» Faith makes it impossible for man to boast

• Justification Illustrated (4:1-25)– Abraham, the father of all them that believe– He was justified by faith, not works (1-8)– God promised Abraham a son (Gen 15)

» Believed: to say Amen– Counted (4:3): to put in one’s account

» Banking term: deposit» 11 times in Romans 4 righteousness» Reckoned, imputed» Christ’s righteousness put in Abraham’s account

– God justified the ungodly (4:5)» Christ’s righteousness put in our account

– Ps. 32:1-2» God forgives sins and impute righteousness

apart from works– Christians do sins & need forgiveness for fellowship

with God (I John 5: 5-7, 9)– God keeps record of good works, not sins

– He was justified by grace, not law (9-17)• Circumcision of heart• Abraham was uncircumcised & declared

righteous• 99 years old, 14 years later from Gen 15• Circumcision has nothing to do with

justification• Why circumcision?

– Sign: he belonged to God 7 believed His promise– Seal: a reminder that God had given a promise &

kept it

» Believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit» Spiritual circumcision (Col. 2:10-12)» Putting off old nature through death &

resurrection– Abraham was justified before the law– Promise before the law– Abraham, father of all believers, both Jews &

Gentiles

– He was justified by the resurrection power, not human effort *v. 18-25)• “Who quickeneth the dead” (4:17)• Abraham’s body as a picture of resurrection

– Sarah, 89 years old, beyond fertility– Walked by faith, not sight

» Abraham, strong in faith

• Sinner is dead & unable to help himself before God can save him

• The gospel is “the power of resurrection” (1:16) because of the resurrection from the dead

• Proof that God accepted His Son’s sacrifice• The key: “if we believe” (4:24)

– Dr. Ironside

– Spiritual & physical descendants of Abraham righteousness

– Abraham “ believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness”