Romans 4- Abraham justified by faith

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What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. Romans 4:1-4

The Apostle Paul uses Abraham as an example of being saved by grace through faith, and not of our own works. However Abraham is a great reminder, that God didn’t save us with “cheap grace” meaning if we truly have faith in God, then we should also be obedient and listen to God.As The Lord Jesus said “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15)  Paul begins by saying “If Abraham was justified by works, He has something to boast about, but not before God” If Abrahams was saved by his own works, then He can give himself credit for His salvation and not Christ

However as the Apostle Paul says “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, “ (Ephesians 2:8) You are saved by grace through faith and not by your own works. Abraham was obedient to God, but it wasn’t His obedience that produced salvation, it was the works of Christ on the cross that has given mankind salvation. (Romans 8:32)

You might ask, when did Abraham know Jesus Christ? Remember before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham was face to face with The Lord Jesus Christ “Then Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.” (Genesis 18:1) (LSB) God in the flesh appeared to Abraham and prophesied He would receive a son named Isaac (Genesis 18:14) Most Christians probably don’t realize, Abraham probably knew more about Christ than you do, as He met Him face to face

So Abrahams salvation is the same as our salvation, by grace through faith in Christ. As scripture tells us “Then he believed in Yahweh; and He counted it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6) (LSB) The Apostle Paul tells us the same thing “just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Galatians 3:6) Don’t forget the prophecy of Christ was foretold since the fall at the garden of Eden “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15) 

As the Apostle James said “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17) Abraham truly had faith, therefor it produced the works of obedience, if we truly have faith, then we should produce righteous fruits (Matthew 7, Galatians 5) As The Lord Jesus said “You will be known by your fruits” (Matthew 7:16) While Abraham responded in faith, all glory goes to God. Without Christ there is no salvation and there is no possibility of producing fruits. Abraham believed God and its was accounted to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3) Amen

Romans 3- Nullify The Law?

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Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Romans 3:27-31

Who can be saved? Well as the Apostle Paul says “Everyone who calls upon the name of The Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13) There is only One Way to Salvation, Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12) And this salvation from God is offered to anyone who repents and puts their faith in The Lord Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:16) This is The New Covenant in Christ (Luke 22, Hebrews 8) that Jew and Gentile can be a Child of God through faith in Christ (Galatians 4:4-6)

But what about The Law? Does the grace of God eliminate the moral Law of God? No, as we discussed previously, The Law reveals the nature of God and man. How do you know you are a sinner in need of a Savior? Look to The Law of God as a mirror, and the Holy Spirit will reveal your sinful nature. So are we saved then by “Keeping The Law”? No , look what the Apostle Paul says here “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.” You are saved by grace through faith, not by keeping The Law. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Nobody can Keep the Law and The Law will never bring you salvation. However its through The Law you are convicted of sin and in need of repentance and salvation of Christ

As the Apostle Paul states “We conclude that man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” You can’t earn your salvation, you can’t work your way into Heaven, its only by genuine faith in Christ that you can be saved and be justified before God. Humans like to save themselves, humans like to deliver themselves, but you are completely unable to. As Jesus said “Unless you are Born Again, you will not see the Kingdom of Heaven” (John 3:3) You need to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit, you need a new heart and mind, you need The Law written on your heart, this will never happen by human works in trying the “Keep The Law”

I heard it once said “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is the God of Matthew, Mark , Luke, and John. There is only One God, and He is God over the Jews and Gentiles. How are they saved? The Apostle Paul states “Shall justify the circumcision (Jew) by faith, and uncircumcision (Gentile) through faith” The Jew is saved by faith in Christ, the Gentile is saved by faith in Christ. There is only one means of salvation!

So the Apostle Paul then asks the question “Does this make The Law void through faith”? Certainly not, we establish The Law” Meaning you can’t understand your depravity without The Law, You can’t understand the nature of God without The Law, you can’t understand your desperate need for Jesus Christ without The Law, repent and put your faith in Christ for salvation, Jew and Gentile, Amen!

Romans 3- Jesus our Propitiation

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Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:25-26

So earlier the Apostle Paul taught us, what and why Christ is the good news for us all. Today the Apostle Paul teaches us how Christ is the good news. Jesus took your place on that cross, as Paul said “God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His (Christ) blood” It’s interesting when you look at the other English translations NIV states “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of His blood” The Amplified Version says this “whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith” As you look at the different translations, you get the understanding Christ died for your sins on the cross, and by our faith in Christ and his sacrifice we are declared righteous with God

The word propitiation is very interesting, Gotquestions.org says the word means  this “The word propitiation carries the basic idea of appeasement or satisfaction, specifically toward God. Propitiation is a two-part act that involves appeasing the wrath of an offended person and being reconciled to him.” The only way we can be reconciled or redeemed to God is by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, this is why Jesus is the only way to salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12) This is what Christ has done for you, because He loved you and chosen you before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)

Consider these scriptures about propitiation “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) The Apostle John states Christ is the propitiation or atoning sacrifice for us and the entire world! Remember what John the Baptist stated about Jesus “Behold The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) 

The author of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, stated the same thing “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17) Jesus Christ, our Lord, our King, our High Priest, made the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice for our sins, the sins of the people, the world. This is a difficult concept for us to grasp, that the Son of God loves us enough to die for our sins, to redeem and forgive us

What did Christ do for guilty sinners like me and you? As the Apostle Paul says here “That He (Christ) might be Just and the Justifier of him (Us) who believes/has faith in Jesus” We are redeemed and justified by our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the propitiation for our sins, who has reconciled us back to our Father, and given us the Holy Spirit, to be Children of God, Amen!