Romans 4 outline complete

Charles e. Whisnant, November 21, 2010 45.53

If the Devil can fowl us up on how to be saved, he can damn our souls. So it is essential that we understand clearly this truth.

1A “SALVATION IS BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH.”

Abraham becomes the illustration that Paul uses to illustrate this principle of salvation.

2A A BRIEF BIO OF ABRAHAM\

Genesis 11:26. 2165 B.C. Abram was born. Genesis 11 to 25

3A God promised Abraham three things

(1) Land, (2) Seed Nation, (3) Blessings.

Through Abraham God said there would be the hope of salvation to the world, so all those who are saved are blessed with Abraham the believer. Galatians 3:9

4A GOD CALLED ABRAHAM AND SO WHAT WAS ABRAHAM RESPONSE:

He certainly was not perfect, while he believed, he did not believe God perfectly. Yet he was a model of believing God even with his imperfection.

5A WHAT KIND OF FAITH THEN DID ABRAHAM HAVE?

He never saw the fulfillment, never saw the land, never saw the nation, and never saw the blessing. He died. But he died believing that God would keep His word. That is what faith is all about.

He never landed very hard in this world. He always remained a stranger, a wanderer, a sojourner, and never returned to UR, the land of his home.

He sought for a city whose builder and maker was who? God. He had a divine perspective. He was a blessed man. He overcame his human weakness. He overcame those periods of doubt. He overcame his acts of stupidity. He maintained a life of faith He lived Hebrews 11:1: he believed but never saw. He believed what he couldn’t see, and he died not seeing but believing it nevertheless.

6A THE FAITH OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED BY GOD:

A belief in a salvation which we cannot see. A Savior we cannot see. A heaven we cannot see

1 Romans Chapter Four Outline, by Charles e Whisnant

Live in a land that we are not putting our whole life into living in.

7A THE ARGUMENT THAT PAUL IS HAVING WITH THE JEWS: ROMANS 4:1-3

Abraham was going to Heaven not by works but by faith in 4:1-3; by faith and not law in 4:9-17; and by Divine Power and not human effort in 4:18-25.

THE QUESTION THAT PAUL ASKED THEM WAS THIS: WHAT DID ABRAHAM GAIN WITH GOD BY HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS? His righteousness was nothing but a waste pile before God.

8A WHAT WAS THE BASIC DOCTRINE OF SALVATION THAT ABRAHAM LIVED OUT IN HIS LIFE?

Abraham’s greatness was that he believed God. He took God at His word. Packed up his stuff and left. Lived a life trusting God. Abraham put his faith in God.

9A THIS JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

The term is “regenerated” i.e. genesis or birth. “One has been made new.” Ezekiel 36:25-27. John 3:1-17.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ….he is a new creature… creation.” Titus 3:5.

10A John MacArthur writes that...

"Even though Abraham’s repeated disobedience was sinful and brought harm to himself and others, God even used that disobedience to glorify Himself. Those acts of disobedience testify that, contrary to rabbinical teaching, Abraham was sovereignly chosen by God for His own divine reasons and purposes, not because of Abraham’s faithfulness or righteousness. Abraham was chosen by God’s sovereign, elective grace, not because of his works or even because of his faith. His faith was acceptable to God only because God graciously reckoned, or counted, it as righteousness. It was not the greatness of Abraham’s faith that saved him but the greatness of the gracious Lord in whom he placed his faith. Faith is never the basis or the reason for justification, but only the channel through which God works His redeeming grace. Faith is simply a convicted heart reaching out to receive God’s free and unmerited gift of salvation


ROMANS 4:1-3 45.54

1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

11A JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH:1B means we have been declared righteous and made righteous. We have been made new, we have

been regenerated.

Ezekiel 36:25-27 . John 3. 2 Corinthians 5:19. Titus 3:15.

12A WHAT DO WE MEAN BY FAITH TO BE SAVED?

1B Saving faith is never the basis of justification. It’s only the channel by which justification is received. Even our faith is not ours. Saving faith is simply the hand that reaches out to take the gift that is sovereignty offered.

James 1:18

1B What FAITH does is to accept it.

God does not justify the believing person because of the worthiness of his faith, but because of the worthiness of the One who is believed in – JESUS.

Acts 13:39: It’s not the amount of faith you have that causes God to save.

13A SO WHAT THEN IS SAVING FAITH?

1B FAITH INCLUDES: FACTS F.A.I.T.H.

It is not just saying “I believe” and not knowing what you believe.

But what FACTS do you believe about God?

1 Corinthians 15:1-3 tells us: Christ died; that is, was buried; and that He rose again the third day. 1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

2B A FAITH THAT STANDS FOR AGREEMENT:

It is one thing to know the facts; it is another thing to believe the facts. But you agree with them.

3B A FAITH THAT INTERNALIZES THE FACTS AND WHAT YOU BELIEVE.


You desire to make what you believe personal. You appropriate them for yourself. John 1:11-12. Facts and belief do not get you saved, but there must be a personal appropriating, a taking for oneself.

4B A FAITH THAT TRUSTS.

Here there is a total commitment to all you know, belief, have faith in, and you have personalized it. It’s the Matthew 13 parable. He sold all he had for the pearl of great price.

WHEN YOU HAVE SAVING FAITH, YOU EXCHANGE ALL THAT YOU ARE FOR ALL THAT HE IS. That is you turn from your sin and affirm His Lordship and give Him your life. 1 Peter 2:25. It’s the 1 Thessalonians 1:9 “Turning from idols.”

5B A FAITH THAT HAS HOPE.

When you are saved you were saved in HOPE, you know why? Because you have not seen the ultimate provision of your salvation. Right? You believe in all your heart you are going to heaven, but you haven’t seen heaven.

Salvation is not some moment kind of idea, but a commitment of my eternal destiny to God.

It is giving Him my forever.

TRUE SALVATION IS NOT A ‘FOXHOLE CONVERSION.”

SAVING FAITH NOT ONLY GIVES GOD THE MOMENT BUT GIVES GOD THE DESTINY.

NOT A MOMENTARY ESCAPISM, BUT MY PLACING MY ENTIRE DESTINY IN THE CONTROL OF GOD, TO BE REVEALED IN GLORY.

11 THESSALONIANS 2:13-16; 5:8

14A Let me ask you:

Do you really know all the FACTS about Jesus Christ, the Lord?

Do you really believe in what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ? Have you really personalized the facts, and believed them, and made them your own? And then have you fully repented from your sin and turned from your old life to a new life in Christ

the Lord? And have you appropriated all you know about Jesus Christ and have you trusted Him for your future?

Romans 4:5-9 45.55

15A What Abraham Believed


He believed God for a new country. He believed God for a child He believed God for a redeemer

o Galatians 3:13-19, Hebrews 11:13, 19; John 8:56

16A Paul gives three elements of Justification by Faith and not of Works

Justified by faith and not by works: 4:1-8 Justified by grace not by law: 4:9-17 Justified by divine effort not human effort 4:18-25

17A Brief summary

Vs 1-2 Abraham gained nothing by his unaided effort. Vs 3 But righteousness by his faith and thus God gave him saving faith Vs 4-5 Abraham’s faith was real saving faith. He was committed to outward faith: obedience and

worship. Vs. 4-5 Abraham’s salvation was all by Grace. Vs 5 Believing results in righteousness. Faith is not works, but a channel where we receive the gift.

18A FOUR KINDS OF HUMAN DEEEDS OR WORKS

1B THERE ARE THE BAD-BAD WORKS

2B THERE ARE THE GOOD-BAD WORKS

3B THERE ARE THE BAD GOOD WORKS

4B THERE ARE THE GOOD GOOD WORKS.

19A SOLI DEO GLORIA – TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY

God will not share His glory with another (Isa. 48:11). Salvation was designed to give God’s glory the maximum amount of exposure. It resounds to the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph 1:6), according to the riches of His grace (v. 7), to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory (v. 12), with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory, (v. 14).

Only God gets glory for our salvation. Human merit (or works) plays no part in a person’s salvation but are merely the by-product, or fruit, of a relationship with God, established by God’s grace alone (Eph. 2:8 -10

Everything that God does is that through it, it might glory the Father.

20A WHY Y0U CANNOT BE SAVED BY YOUR WORKS:

1B Because your works make no provision for your past sins.

2B Because fallen humans cannot produce divine standards which is to be perfect.

3B Because, if you are saved by merits, then Christ’s death was needless.5 Romans Chapter Four Outline, by Charles e Whisnant

4B Because then man’s glory would be beyond God’s.

21A BUT TO HIM THAT WORKETH…NOT, BUT BELIEVETH ON HIM THAT JUSTIFIED…”

Only when one understands we are born again not by our works or how good we have become, but only by God’s grace. God’s grace is giving equality to everyone that is saved.

“HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Vs. 5

We are not righteous, but COUNTED, put in our account.

22A ANYONE COMING TO CHRIST COMES KNOWING HE IS A SINNER

1 Timothy 1:11-15. Romans 5:6;

There is only one kind of person that can be saved, born again: the ungodly.

23A DAVID THE OTHER GREAT HERO ALSO WAS SAVED BY GRACE AND NOT WORKS

Psalms 32:1-2; Psalms 31:10; Psalms 51; Psalms 84:1-3

24A BLESSED ARE THEY WHOSE INIQUITIES ARE FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS ARE COVERED. Vs 7

The truly blessed man is one who knows forgiveness. Those who possess the favor of God. They experience “spiritual prosperity”. Matthew 5:23.

25A BLESSED IS THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD WILL NOT IMPUTE (RECKON) SIN. VS 8

26A COMETH THE BLESSEDNESS THEN UPON THE CIRCUMCISION ONLY OR UPON THE UNCIRCUMCISION ALSO? FOR WE SAY THAT FAITH WAS RECKONED TO ABRAHAM FOR RIGHTOUSNESS. Vs 9


ABRAHAM: THE OLD TESTAMENT ILLUSTRATION THAT SALVATION IS NOT BY WORKS BUT BY FAITH: SALVATION IS NOT ON THE INSTALLMENT PLAN.

ROMANS 4:1-3 November 14, 2010 Charles e. Whisnant 45.56

SALVATION IS NOT ON THE INSTALLMENT PLAN: K-Mart Lay Away Plan vs. God’s Plan.

THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GOOD WORKS VS. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST JESUS

AN ILLUSTRATION OF ROMANS 3:21-31: Salvation is by Faith only. Abraham.

Why Abraham:

1. He was before Moses, he was before Israel.

To prove that Paul’s teaching was nothing new but taught in the first book of the Old Testament.

2. He was the best person to illustrate faith in God; he set the pattern on faith and believing God.

The Rabbi’s taught something very different: They said he was saved by his character. He was righteous and that is why God chose him. They said Abraham was righteous on his own terms. Truth or Fiction?

Paul uses Abraham to destroy this myth: Abram was an unrighteous man that God chose.

3. He provides an illustration of the theological truth set forth in chapter one to three.

THREE WAYS ABRAHAM IS A PATTERN OF SAVING FAITH

1 He was justified by faith not works: vs. 1-82 He was justified by grace not law: vs. 9-193 He was justified by divine power not human effort: vs. 18-25

Paul was using Abraham to knock down the very core of Judaism: The theory of works-salvation.

Paul was a good Apologist (one who defends a doctrine or ideology.)

Define the issue, document from scripture, defend from the text, defeat the other system.

Judaism said Abraham proves you can be saved by works. If you demonstrated that he was not saved by works then you prove no one could be saved by works. The first century Jews believed they owned the means to salvation.

TWISTED SCRIPTURE TO BENEFIT THEIR POSITON

Genesis 26:5 and Isaiah 41:8

THE teaching of the rabbis’ (Jewish religious leaders, a scholar qualified to teach or interpret Jewish LAW) about Abraham:

1 Abraham was one of seven men who brought back the shekinah glory to the Tabernacle


2 Abraham was so righteous he started serving God at 3 years old3 Abraham did not sin.4 Abraham was perfect in all his deeds all the days of his life.5 Therefore God chose him to be the head of the nation and he set the standard how God accepts you

into heaven. Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38 “The righteous will live by his faith.”

The Rabbi said, “The just shall live by his faithfulness.” Therefore, keeping the Law was the standard whereby God granted you enterance into Heaven.

Why would a Jew believe in Salvation by works?

The rabbinic literature of the day gave a false understanding of the scriptures. The earlier book of Jubilee (around 100) said this:

o “For Abraham was perfect in all his deeds with the Lord, and well-pleasing in righteousness all

the days of his life.” “The Prayer of Manasses” concluded that Abraham had no need of repentance. “Thou, therefore, O Lord, that art the God of the righteous, hast not appointed repentance unto the righteous unto Abraham.”

So the good Apologist that Paul was, had to go to such length to refute the preposterous Rabbinical teaching that Abraham performed the whole Law even before it was actually written, and that he was perfect in all his deeds, and that he had no need of repentance.

1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

WHAT THEN SHALL WE SAY: Shall we say "Therefore, what shall we say that Abraham, our first father, has found according to the flesh, that is, by natural human effort?" Was Abraham made right with God by faith or by works? Did he gain something by his own good works? So how did Abraham become so righteous?

2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

If then he had something which he did by his own working that justified him, then he should have something which to glory or boast of, but before God, he had not opened his mouth before God. (3:23).

While it might be true Abraham might have had some good works, those works did not measure up to God’s righteous standard.

SO HOW IS PAUL GOING TO PROVE HIS POINT?

3For what saith the scripture? 1124

Romans 9:17; 10:11; 11:2; Isaiah 8:20; Mark 12:10; James 4:5; 2 Peter 1:20-21

Abraham believed 4100 God, and it was counted 3049 (reckoned) unto him for righteousness . 1343


being proper or right in the sense of being fully justified being or in accordance with what God requires) is the quality of being upright.

Genesis 15:6: Does not say Abraham was declared righteous because of his works. Rather Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Galatians 3:6-9 “So Abraham was saved by faith and not of works.” Galatians 3:26 “”For ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ.”

What did Abraham believe about God? What kind of faith did Abraham have?

John 8:56 “Abraham rejoiced to see My day (he had looked forward to the day of the Messiah, as much as His day as he could understand).”

Vines says faith invloves three things:

A firm conviction which produces full acknowledgement of God’s revelation of Truth. A personal surrender to the Truth, and A conduct inspired by and consistent with that surrender.

Like Paul, who wrote this epistle to Rome, Abraham was sovereignly and directly chosen by God. Neither Abraham nor Paul was searching for God when they were divinely called and commissioned. Abraham had probably never heard of the true God, whereas Paul knew a great deal about Him. Abraham was seemingly content with his idolatrous paganism, and Paul was content with his traditional, but false, Judaism. When God called Abraham, or Abram (his original name) He gave no reason for selecting that pagan from the millions of others in the world. Nowhere in Scripture is the reason given. God chose Abraham because that was His divine will, which needs no justification or explanation.

Kenneth Wuest explains Abraham's act of faith writing that...

"It was the act of Abraham placing himself in such an attitude of trust in and acceptance of God’s blessings that made it possible for God to bestow righteousness upon him. It is like the proffered hand of a drowning man that makes it possible for the life guard to save him. There is nothing meritorious in the act of a drowning man in stretching out his hand in order to be saved. It is the efficient medium through which he is saved. Thus, the act of faith on the sinner’s part is not meritorious but only the efficient medium through which God is able save him. The “it” therefore refers to the outstretched hand of faith of a sinner reaching out for salvation that God grasps in His own to lift him out of the mire of sin and place him upon the Rock, Christ Jesus." Kenneth Wuest explains Abraham's act of faith writing that...

SALVATON IS NOT BY SURGERY OR RITUALS OR

Romans 4:9-12 Charles e. Whisnant December 12, 2010

A person gains entrance into Heaven by faith through Divine grace of God, made possible by Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. . God grants us by His grace new life because Jesus Christ satisfied the demand of God’s justice. The price for sin was death. And Jesus dying on the Cross was the necessary payment, required by God, so that He could redeem us from the penalty of sin. Therefore God, in bringing us salvation from this fatal sinful condition, did so by applying to our account, what Jesus did on the cross. Those, whom God saves, were able to be saved because they were purchased. They were made right with God. How? Christ satisfied God’s demand for righteousness, perfect righteousness. Therefore God was justified in saving the unjustified. What God did was to apply Christ’s work on the Cross to those whom Christ died for and God saves.


God takes the payment that Christ made on the Cross and applies that to the sinner. The sinner now is justified, that i.e. made right, made righteousness, before God. God puts Christ righteousness, His payment for sin, and work on the Cross to our account, and thus is able to grant us forgiveness and salvation.

Thus a legal payment for sin was made, and the payment for the wages of sin and death was paid for by Christ. God took that payment and applied it to the sinners account, and granted Him new life. The new life is Christ.

I was born a person who was separated from God. I was born estranged from God. I was dead spiritually because of my human nature. That is, dead in my understanding of God. I was unable and unwilling to respond to the demands of God. I was a sinner because my acts, thoughts, and ways of behaving went against the laws of God and I knew it. And as such a person I was condemned; that is I was legally sentenced for the crime of disobedience. The punishment imposed on me was the penalty or the death sentence, which in this case was HELL. The place God has reserved for those who have been found guilty before God.

I was unable to respond to God because my nature, my disposition toward God and Jesus Christ was dead. Then by the grace or favor of God, He quickened or stimulated my spirit with His Spirit and gave me an understanding of my need for Christ Jesus the Lord. He gave me the ability to know I was this person who had been rebellious toward God and Jesus Christ, or that I had just not known Him personally.

My spirit was so stimulated by the Holy Spirit, that I listened to the sermon that the preacher had preached and my Dad had preached many times, that now I was beginning to understand. And when I was asked did I believe John 3:16, and did I believe what I now know as the Gospel story, I said yes.

While I was rather young then, I believed all that I could about what it meant to be saved. I was beginning to understand the idea of what faith was. Putting my faith in what God said was true. Well I now know that faith that I had in all that God said, and the belief that Jesus Christ saved me was a result of what God did in me. He gave me the belief to believe Him.

And over the last 57 years, the same belief and faith and trust has been placed in my heart, soul, mind and understanding. God by His grace alone, and Jesus Christ’s sacrifice alone on the Cross, and His faith alone given to

me, has paid my way into a right relationship with God, giving me a new life, and makes it pos sible to be with Jesus Christ in Heaven forever. And not by any works that I have done, or desired to have, Jesus Christ has redeemed me to be one of His own.

COMETH THIS BLESSEDNESS THEN UPON THE CIRCUMCISION ONLY, OR UPON THE UNCIRCUMCISION ALSO? Vs. 9

IS THE BLESSING 3108 Spiritual prosperity. The blessing is being reckoned righteous by God apart from works. Who is this blessedness for? Who are those who are going to receive forgiveness? Who are the people God will give righteousness?

CIRCUMCISED 4061 The rite of circumcision. Jews considered such a mark of God’s favor. And they believed it had to be first removed before one could go down to hell.

UNCIRCUMCISED 202

Point: So many believe their salvation is based on works, sacrament, water, confirmation, eucharist (Lord’s Supper), Mass, extreme unction, Orders, penance.

FOR WE SAY THAT FAITH (4102) WAS RECKONED (3049) TO ABRAHAM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (1343)


Saving Faith is synonymous with trust or belief and is the conviction of the truth of anything, but in Scripture usually speaks of belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things. As to God, it is the conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things. As to Jesus, it is the belief He is the Messiah. And saving faith trusts in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God.

RECKONED means to take something that belongs to someone else and credit it to another’s account.

RIGHTEOUSNESS: Means being proper or right in the sense of being fully justified or being in accordance with what God requires.

HOW WAS IT THEN RECKONED? VS. 10.

RECKONED 3049 Means how was God’s righteousness imputed or credited to Abraham’s “spiritual bank account?”

So why circumcision? Vs 11 WHY? Deut. 30:6; Psalms 51:6; Jeremiah 4:4; 9:24-26.

AND HE RECEIVED THE SIGN OF CIRCUMCISON, A SEAL OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE FAITH WHICH HE HAD YET BEING UNCIRCUMCISED THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FATHER OF ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE. VS. 11

SIGN: 4592 Describes an indication, a distinguishing mark.

CIRCUMCISION: Was merely an outward sign in his physical flesh that he had been justified by faith and in effect received circumcision of the heart.

SEAL 4973: Used to describe an engraved object used to make a mark.

As a sign, it was evidence that he belonged to God and believed His promise. As a seal, it was a reminder to him that God had given the promise and would keep it. It was a mark of God’s physical people. It was an identification of God’s people. It was a wonderful identification of being a Jew. It was a mark of God’s covenant. It was a mark of a spiritual man.

Romans 4:13-17 Genesis 12, 15, 18. Hebrews 11:10, Galatians 3 45.57

13 FOR THE PROMISE,1860 THAT HE SHOULD BE THE HEIR2818 OF THE WORLD,2889

WAS NOT TO ABRAHAM, OR TO HIS SEED4690 THROUGH THE LAW3551, BUT THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS 1343 OF FAITH4102 (Genesis 12:3; 17:1-9; 22:17-18; 49:10; Psalms 2:8; 72:11)

1A The Promises: A gift graciously given and is not a pledge secured by negotiation. It’s a reference to the unconditional covenant that God cut with Abraham.

Abraham not only saw the physical reality of a city, but he saw the spiritual reality. He saw that the seed would become a spiritual reality.

2A The promise was: Abraham would be “the heir of the world.” (i.e.) the term used to capsule the immeasurable worth of God’s promise in the gospel of Jesus Christ has secured forgiveness of sins


through His atoning death and he has secured an eternal inheritance for all that believe. The term has in it, “future grace”. The gospel goes beyond this life. Romans 8:17. “Heir of the world:” also means all that God owns, and that’s everything in the universe visible and invisible, we will share in with Christ for eternity.

1B The promise involved a land in which Abraham would live but that would not be possessed until some five centuries later, when Joshua led the Israelites in their conquest of Canaan. (Genesis 15:18-21).

2B The promise also involved a people, who would be so numerous that they could not be numbered, like the dust of the earth and the stars in the sky (Genesis 13:16; 15:5).

3B The promise involved a blessing of the entire world through Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 12:3).

4B The promise would be fulfilled in the giving of a Redeemer, who would be a descendant of Abraham through whom the whole world would be blessed by the provision of salvation. That promise to Abraham was, in essence, a preaching to him of the gospel. (Galatians 3:8). John 8:56. Galatians 3: 8-9, 16, 29. Romans8:17, I Corinthians 3:21-23,

3A “Abraham’s Seed: Descendants. Jewish people, Arab world, nations in Genesis 25:1-4. All who trust and put their faith in Christ as Savior are spiritual children of Abraham… Note: “Seed”, that is Christ.

Paul was again saying “the promise was not through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” The fulfillment of the promise was not as a result of Abraham’s keeping the law, which did not even exist when the promise was made. (430 years later was the Law given). But because of that faith he exercised, God put righteousness to his account.

God put Abraham in rightness of character before Him as a result of the faith, or belief. Abraham’s faith was not the cause of, but the means of communication, the channel through which the life of grace comes to us.

14 FOR IF THEY WHICH ARE OF THE LAW BE HEIRS, FAITH IS MADE VOID AND THE PROMISE OF NONE EFFECT (Romans 4:16; Galatians 2:21; 3:18-23; 5:4; Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 7:19,29) (Romans 3:31; Numbers 30:12,15; Psalms 119:126; Isaiah 55:11, Jeremiah 19:7)

1A Paul is saying that if law keepers receive the promises, faith is irrelevant and of no value. In other words “God would be only blowing wind when he makes promises.” The promise is nullified if the law made us heirs of the Promise.

2A Why can’t the law save?

15 BECAUSE THE LAW WORKETH WRATH3709, FOR WHERE NO LAW IS, THERE IS NO TRANSGRESSION3847

1A The Law shows us how bad we are! The Law revealed how evil the human heart really is. We would have never known sin. We would have never known the rules of God. Laws reveal my inability to keep the law. The law brings anger, and as such, Romans 1 tells us “God gave them up, and removed the restraints from mankind to do evil.


2A The point of the Law? To show us the evil in our hearts and to prepare us for the coming Seed (Galatians 3:19) who was Christ. To demonstrate our sin and was to bring us to Christ.

3A No Law …No Violation. The knowledge of sin comes to light. (Romans 3:20). The law clarifies every violation. How?

The Law (fence) gives distinct limits to our behavior. The law draws a line as how far we can go. The Law (spotlight) exposes our guilt when we cross the fence. “No Trespassing” sign posted. The Law (video) stands as irrefutable evidence that we are transgressors. The Law (verdict) condemns us and calls for wrath.

16 THEREFORE IT IS OF FAITH,4102 THAT IT MIGHT BE BY GRACE5485 TO THE END THE PROMISE MIGHT BE SURE TO ALLTHE SEED, NOT TO THAT ONLY WHICH IS OF THE LAW, BUT TO THAT ALSO WHICH IS OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM, WHO IS THE FATHER OF US ALL,

1A WHAT DOES FAITH DO? Faith makes possible the promise. Faith does what the Law could not do and introduces the principle of Grace.

2B WHAT IS GRACE? When grace comes in, it guarantees the promises. Thank the Lord.

If we had to earn the standing we have before God (righteousness) even at the beginning of our Christian life, and it depended upon us, somewhere we would blow it and lose the whole thing. But if it comes by grace, it is purely a gift, and it does not depend upon us at all but upon God alone, then it is guaranteed to us – because we are not going to fail.

17 (AS IT IS WRITEN, I HAVE MADE THEE A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS) BEFORE HIM WHOM HE BELIEVED, EVEN GOD, WHO QUICKENETH2227 THE DEAD 3498 AND CALLETH THOSE THINGS WHICH BE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE:

Faith is the Grace of God Working in Us 45.55

Romans 4:18-24 January 02, 09 Two Thousand and Eleven


18 Who against hope 1680 believed 4100 in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed 4690 be.

Again from the human perspective, it seemed impossible. Having shown that justification is through faith not works, and that it is by grace not keeping the law, Paul now concludes by showing that it results from divine power, not human effort. (Romans 4:18-25)

GOD’S CALL TO ABRAHAM

Abraham is 60 when God said to leave Ur. He is 75 when left Haran. He was 99 when the promise of a son was confirmed.

God said go to a land that I will show you and I will give you a son so you can be the father of many. Yet Abraham was the father of nobody, he had no seed, no land and only a promise that he would. He was on the way to nowhere; he only knew God told him to do it. For some reason he believed God would fulfill the promise. God planted in his heart to believe.

Abraham finally gets to the land and he is met with famine, Pharaoh, fight, fear and foolishness. So he had to fight through all that stuff. Rocky I, II, III, IV, V. That was not easy. Abraham was not

knocked out of his belief in the promise God made him. It just doesn’t make sense to the human mind.

FOOLISHNESS SOMETIMES HAPPENS WHEN WE STILL BELIEVE GOD

Sometimes we want to personally fulfill God’s promise He made. As did Abraham. Sometimes we can produce what we believe is the promise by our own human means as did Abraham. Only to find out that was not the promise made by God. What Abraham tried to do at 86 happened only when he was 99 years old.

THE PROMISE OF A SON WAS NOT TO BE BY NATURAL MEANS BUT BY GOD’S SUPERNATURAL POWER.

THE NAME CHANGED:

Abram means “father of many.” Changed to Abraham which means “father of multitudes’ but the only fact was he was the father of only one.

THE PROMISE FULFILLED

At 86 he and Hagar had a son of the flesh named Ishmael. At 99 Abraham and Sarah had a son by the power of God named Isaac.

Galatians 4:21-23. Human effort versus divine power.

GOD’S PROMISE WAS TO BE PRODUCED BY

Faith not works Grace not Law Divine not Human effort

1. “Who against hope 1680 believed in hope” vs 18 “And being not weak 770 in faith, vs 19

Romans 4:19-21 in the Greek form a single sentence which is intended to be illustrated from the life of Abraham how he believed and hoped where there was no grounds for hope from a human perspective.


HE HOPED AGAINST HOPE. Vs. 18

Ezekiel 37:11; Mark 5:35-36; Luke 1:18 Hope is the desire for something to happen. Faith is the confidence it will happen.

HE WAS STRONG IN FAITH. Vs 19

In spite of the physiological realities of their bodies Abraham believed. Weak yes. Powerless in the flesh. Faith yes. Had no doubt of the promise. How did he have such faith for 25 years?

o He believed God. He had a confidence in God.

o He was not discouraged by his own natural physical inability to produce a child.

o He never said “God you blew this promise.”

Another example: Noah. God said built a boat. Noah went to the lumber yard, “I would like to order some lumber.”

Both had no ability to fulfill the promise, but believed it would be fulfilled. Abraham was not blind to the facts, nor did he ignore difficulties. The life of faith is not a life with no

problems or obstacles but it is a life that is lived by faith in Christ who is able.

HE KNEW THE HUMAN IMPOSSIBLITY OF HIS AND SARAH’S BODY TO PRODUCE.

2. “He considered not his own body now dead, 3500 when he was about an hundred years old and Sarah’s womb was dead.” Vs 19.

HE STILL DID NOT LOSE FAITH

3. “He staggered 1252 not at the promise of God through unbelief” 570 \o He did not waver with respect to the promise of God. He did not doubt either.

o He might have had some momentary hesitations, but that he avoided a deep-seated, permanent

attitude of distrust in the promises of God. After all he did laugh about Sarah.o He never came to believe what God said was not true. He didn’t have two opinions between

belief and unbelief. Psalms 57:7.o When from the human viewpoint things are going well, it is easy to trust the Lord. But when

things seem impossible, it is often easier not to trust Him.o All faith works through the struggles. But true faith lands on the confidence side.

o John Calvin said: “We are not so enlightened that there remains no ignorance, nor the heart so established that there is no misgiving. With these evils of our nature faith maintains a continued conflict in which conflict often sorely shaken and put to great stress but it always conquers.”Don’t misunderstand. A stressed faith is not necessarily a doubting faith, any more than temptation to sin is not actually sin. Tests of our faith are designed to strength our faith not to strip us of faith. Godet

4. “But 235 was strong 1743 in faith, 4102 giving glory 1391 to God.” Vs 20


But quite to the contrary he grew strong, means “to put power in” so to be made strong. He received enabled power from within. God took his weakness and made him strong. It was God not his faith that made him strong. “He was strengthened in his faith.

Faith always glorifies God. I John 5:10. Genesis 17:1-4. The instant effect of faith is to believe God. Psalms 91:1-4.

Examples: The Hebrew boys in Babylon. When their faith was questioned: “Our God is able to deliver us.” Paul when in shipwreck: “For I believe God.”

5. “And being fully persuaded 4135 that He had promised 1861 to He was able 1415

also to perform.”

One of the best definitions of faith in the Bible. To be completely certain. Convinced in God’s word. Satisfied fully that God would accomplish

it. “Pictures Abraham filled to the brim with no room for doubt.” The grasp by the mind of the promises of God and of His ability to make them good.

o The preaching of the Gospel, 2 Timothy 4:5,17, Colossians 4:2, Romans 14:5o Fully assured, to be fully convinced, might be fully accomplished

This is the kind of faith that was credited to Abraham as righteousness. Faith grasps the promise. Faith lays hold of what God has offered.

Faith not merely in what had been promised, but was faith in the God who had promised (He is able).

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SUCH FAITH IS EXHIBITED?

6. “And therefore it was imputed 3049 to him for righteousness 1343. Vs.22

“Credited” that is Abraham believed God and his act of faith was computed as to its value, and there was placed to his account, righteousness, and Christ’s righteousness.

His faith was provided a channel through which God worked His redeeming grace. Faith is a convicted heart reaching out to receive God’s free and unmerited gift of salvation.

7. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed 3049 to him: but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe 4100 on Him that raised 1453 up Jesus 2424 our Lord 2962 from 1537 the dead: 3498 vs. 23-24

This story which Paul is telling is not just for Abraham, but for us also. The recorded facts are permanently designed for the benefit of all believers.

Psalms 78:5-6, Romans 15:4, Acts 2:39 If we believe: Jesus: “Yahweh saved” If we believe: Lord: Power and authority by the one so called. Jesus is LORD. I Corinthians 15:1-8

Resources for the content of this sermons: John MacArthur Jr, + Charles H. Spurgeon, Strongs, Vines, The Biblical Library 22 Volumes, LKGNT, TDNT, Leon Morris, William Newell, Greek Word Study, MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Several translations, John Calvin. Notes from the sermon preached at FBC Altoona, Kansas March 20, 1983, Outline January 02, 2011.

William Newell analysis of the progressive revelation of God's character to Abraham:


There was a seven-fold revelation of God to Abraham:

1. It was as “the God of glory: that He appeared first in Ur of the Chaldees (Acts 7:2)2. He revealed Himself to him as Jehovah (Genesis 12:8; 14:22; 15:2,8) 3. As El Elyon, God Most High, Genesis 14:19-22; Daniel 3:26; 4:24. As Lord, Adonia, Jehovah in Geneis 15:2,85. As El Shaddai, the Almighty God in Genesis 17:16. As “the Everlastsing God” in Genesis 21:337. As Jehovah-jireh in Genesis 22:14. The God will provide. A Lamb for sacrifice. Genesis 22:8

Are you living by faith or unbelief? Dr. Wayne Barber

• Faith will make one see love in the heart of Christ even when he is being reproved by Him. Unbelief will imagine wrath in God’s heart, even when His Word says He loves him. He still thinks God is mad at him.

• Faith will help the soul to wait, even when God does not seem to be doing anything. But unbelief will give up when God tarries just a little bit.

• Faith will give comfort in the midst of fears and tears. But unbelief causes fears and tears in the midst of comfort.

• Faith will suck sweetness out of God’s rod of chastisement. But unbelief can find no comfort in the greatest of God’s mercies.

• Faith makes great burdens light. But unbelief makes light burdens intolerably heavy.

• Faith helps us when we are down, but unbelief throws us down when we are up.

• Faith brings us near to God when we seem to be far from Him, but unbelief puts us far from God when in reality we are near to Him.

• Faith purifies the heart, but unbelief keeps the heart polluted and impure.

• Faith makes our work acceptable to God through Christ, but all the works of unbelief are sin in God’s eyes for without faith it is impossible to please God.

• Faith gives us peace and comfort in our souls, but unbelief works turmoil and trouble like the restless waves of the sea.

• Faith makes us see the preciousness in Christ, but unbelief sees nothing beautiful in Him.

• By faith we have our life in Christ’s fullness, but unbelief causes us to realize none of this.

• Faith gives us the victory over sin, the law, sin, death, the devil and all evils, but unbelief leaves us conquered by them all.


GERITOL, DIAPERS AND THE WORD OF GOD: Romans 4:18-25 Alan Carr

1A Abraham’s Faith was well placed

The Direction of His Faith – 20

The Duration of His Faith – 18

The Determination of His Faith 18-20

He Refused to Listen to Reason vs. 18

He Refused to Look at Reality vs. 19

He Refused to Lose the Reward vs. 20

2A Abraham’s Faith was Well Pleased

Pleased with God’s Promises vs 21

Pleased with God’s Plan vs 22

3A Abraham’s Faith was well Preserved 23-25

Preserved as a Promise vs 23-24

Preserved as a Person vs 25


Romans 4 outline complete

Spiritual

Transcript of Romans 4 outline complete