Romans - March 23, 2008

Section -- Three; Justification -- Romans 3:21-5:18; continued

V. {Rom 4:13-17 } Only faith can guarantee God’s promise to Abraham and his seed
A. Introduction
1. Review — The LOM Christians can no longer claim circumcision has anything to do with having one’s sins covered, i.e., being righteousness, for such is by faith.
2. Preview — Paul now moves to the next step, the Law of Moses (any law of merit) does not make one righteous.
B. Question For Discussion — What is there about God fulfilling His promise to Abraham preventing the LOM from being involved in God’s promise to Abraham?
C. Questions For Encouraging Discussion...
1. (4:13) The word “through” (G1223 dia) is a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act, the means of delivery. The LOM Christians know Abraham was not under the LOM, thus, why does Paul stress “not through law but faith”
a. Paul is stressing Abraham’s relationship to any law of merit, not just the LOM would prevent Abraham from receiving God’s promise?
b. Abraham’s righteousness did not mean he was perfect it just means he did what God ask him to do in a way acceptable to God (cf. 3:25)
2. Why can one not receive God’s promise via any law of merit, i.e. why can God’s promises only be filled by “righteousness of faith”?
a. If receiving what God promises by flawlessly keeping law then God’s promises would never be fulfilled, for only the man Jesus our Lord and the Anointed One (Christ) was able to do so — God’s promises cannot be earned.
(1) NOTE: “Law of faith” requires obedience; “Law of works” requires flawless obedience. Law of faith called “faith”; Law of works called “works”.
3. Based on what the obedient (believing) Jew obtained what is the meaning of “world” in this passage? Consider the following...
a. {ACT 26:6-7, 22-23; 28:13} What does this say about what the Jew thought the hoped for promise was going to be.
(1) The righteous Jew would received a kingdom with the Christ as king or head.
b. {HEB 11:8-10; 13-16; 39) When God makes a promise it will come about when the conditions of that promise is obeyed. What does this say about the promise God made to Abraham?
(1) It is not a physical kingdom that God had promised to Abraham and his seed for his seed did receive the physical land.
c. {HEB 12:1-3; 18-24; ACT 2:36} What light does this shine on the meaning of “world”?
(1) The “world” is not a physical kingdom but a spiritual kingdom.
(2) The Jew was in error thinking it was to be a physical kingdom
d. {ROM 9:8; GAL 3:28} Who are Abraham’s heir of the promise?
(1) Not those of the flesh but of the spirit — not outward man but the inward man.
e. ANSWER: “World” refers to spiritual kingdom, a kingdom containing the church, i.e., baptized believers who are obedient to the end. [Col 1:13; 1Th 2:12; Act 8:12; et. al.]
4. What is the significance of verses 14, 15 beginning with “for” [KJV has “because” 15] and “for this reason”, “cause”, or “therefore” at 16?
a. Each verse is giving a reason or support for the fact stated in the previous verse.
(1) [4:14,15] “for” and “because” is G1063 gar = assigning a reason
(2) [4:16] “Therefore” is G1223 dia = denoting the channel of an act, i.e., the means of delivery
5. (4:14) Why is God’s promise nullified if a person had to be, as the LOM Christians believed, obedient to law?
a. If the promise had to be earned (requiring flawless obedience) then the promise could not be fulfilled — would be an empty promise.
b. Has already established Abraham’s righteousness based on his faith (trust) and not law (Rom 3:27-30), thus, his argument at Rom 4:14 is sound for it is based on the object under discussion — the Law of Moses.
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A LOOK AHEAD

6. (4:14) How does the “for” support position the promise is through faith.
a.
7. (4:15) Why does the law not make one righteous?
a.
OBSERVATION: “no law...no violation” is doing more than just stating the obvious+.
8. (4:15) How does the “for” support the position “law” (earning) makes “faith” (grace) void.
a.
9. (4:16) Two reasons given why promise had to be based on faith not law (flawless obedience), what are they?
a.
10. (4:16b) If the LOM Christian insisted the Gentiles had to obey the LOM to receive the promise what impact would that have on the LOM Christians receiving the promise?
a.
11. (4:17) What does this suggest about the quality of fulfiller of the promise?
a.
12. PONDER: The relationship between God (Gen 21:1-3,12; 22:2,8,12-13; and Rom 4:17 and Heb 11:17-19) and Abraham’s willingness to obey God.
a.
D. Evidence Applied [Discussion Question Answered] What is there about God fulfilling His promise to Abraham preventing the LOM from being involved in God’s promise to Abraham?
1. The LOM (any law of works) demands flawless obedience, thus, could not be part of God’s promise to Abraham for no person can flawlessly obey God’s law or any law of works or merit.
E. Conclusion — Being a heir of the promise made to Abraham because of his faith requires faith not works by those who are part of the promise, i.e., the kingdom promised to Abraham.

VI. {Rom 4:18-25} Abraham’s faith based on what God could do, not what was logical or practical
A. Introduction
1. Review — Paul has provided sound arguments using human logic with Holy Spirit inspired writings establishing it is not possible nor appropriate for the efforts of mankind (works of merit) to be the source or reason a person is righteous — only by God’s grace can one be righteous.
2. Preview — Necessary consequences, for the readers, of Abraham’s example of righteousness as the fruit of faith not merit.
B. Question For Discussion?
1. What is specifically required of Paul’s readers to be credited as righteous as was Abraham?
C. Questions For Encouraging Discussion...
1. There are two ways to be righteousness or justified before God, i.e., have one’s sins not taken into account — one is stated and one is implied; one is possible and one is not.
a.
2. (4:18) Why did Abraham, according to this verse, not give up hope?
a.
3. (Gen 16:2; 17:15-18) Abraham was 86 when Ishmael was born and 99 when he made this request on behalf of Ishmael. What insight does this give to Rom 4:18?
a.
4. (4:19-21) Why is the logical or practical situation with Abraham and Sarah having a child?
a.
5. How did Abraham respond to his and Sarah’s physical situation?
a.
6. Why did Abraham’s faith in God grow stronger?
a.
7. (4:22) What was reckoned to Abraham as equal to righteousness?
a.
8. (4:23-24) Why is what is written about Abraham’s faith also for the sake of the Paul’s readers?
a.
9. To be righteous Abraham had to have faith he and Sarah would have child, what is expected of Paul’s readers?
a.
10. (4:25) What enabled God to not apply judicial wrath to those earning His wrath (broke His law) because they did not earn righteousness? (cf. 3:25)
a.
11. (4:25) Justification means being freed from the guilt of wrong doing (sin), this was accomplished by Jesus’ death (3:25), thus, what part does Jesus’ resurrection have in our justification (cf. 1Co 15:16-19).
a.
D. Evidence Applied [Discussion Question Answered] — What is specifically required of Paul’s readers to be credited as righteous as was Abraham?
1. Paul’s readers must have faith in what God says to them as Abraham had in what God said to him — i.e., Jesus died because of their transgression and was raised from the dead.
E. Conclusion
1. Paul has provided arguments, from scripture, showing Abraham was declared righteous (saved) by God’s grace not by Abraham’s works (works of merit) — Abraham was saved by his faith (trust) because God did not own Abraham anything.
2. Abraham’s faith was not a blind faith, but a faith based on seeing God in action, the reader’s faith was to be based on evidence and sound (logical) argument from Holy Spirit inspired Scripture.
3. Faith’s fruit is trusting God in our words and deeds — walking the talk in good times and bad times, when it is logical and practical and when it is not.