In this thought-provoking episode of Add Bible, we delve into Romans chapter 4 with guest reader Craig Warner from Gideons International. Join us as we explore the profound teachings of Paul’s letter, particularly focusing on the righteousness of faith exhibited by Abraham. Our host, Alan J. Huth, reflects on his personal notes and decades of Bible reading to frame Romans 4’s timeless message on how belief, not works, stands as the basis for our righteousness.
00:00:08 Introduction to Add Bible with Alan J. Huth
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Allen J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
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Today brings us to Romans chapter 4, and we’ll listen to our guest reader, Craig Warner, Executive Director of the Gideons International, as he reads the 25 verses of Romans chapter 4.
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Romans chapter 4. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and was counted to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due. And to the one who does not work, but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. Is this blessing then only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well. And to make him the father of the circumcised, who are not merely circumcised, but who also walk in the steps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherence of the law who are the heirs, the faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law, there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring, not only to the adherent of the Lord, but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations, in the presence of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told. So shall your offspring be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. But the words, it was counted to him, were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him, who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justifications.
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In 1992, when I read Romans chapter 4, I made a note in my journal that it was my daughter’s 13th birthday. And I wrote, I am now a father of three teenagers. Maybe some of you can relate to that even today. I summarized Romans chapter 4 with just a couple of lines. Righteousness is based in faith, not being Jewish. And secondly, Abraham is father of all who believe, not just Jews. In 2001, remember, I was reading both Old Testament and New Testament each day, so I had some short summaries of the verses and chapters that I was reading. In Romans 4, I just wrote, Belief is the beginning of righteousness, not religious ceremonies like circumcision. Believe in God. Trust in Him in life. 2013 I wrote, Paul uses the father of the Jews as an example. Abraham was justified by faith, not by works or by circumcision or by the law. Abraham believed God before he was circumcised and before the law existed. Belief in God is the key to why Abraham can be the father of both the Jews, the circumcised, and Gentiles, the uncircumcised. And then I finished the summary of chapter 4 with that great verse, verse 20. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. And I wrote in my journal, what a verse to live by. I am not a theologian nor a pastor. I’m just a guy who reads the Bible every day and tries to figure out what it says. I think I get what Paul is doing in this chapter. He is making an argument to his Jewish audience that being Jewish, being circumcised, or being obedient to the law is not what God designed to save us from sin. He argues that Abraham, the father of the Jews, believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness before there was circumcision or the law of God brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses. Verse 9 verifies this. It says, And then in verse 13, about the law, it says, Because belief and righteousness before God are not based on being Jewish or based on the oracles of God, Abraham can be the father of faith, not just for the Jews, but also as verse 17 says, I have made you the father of many nations, which includes the Gentiles, Paul’s other audience. Paul closes out his argument about Abraham in the last few verses of this chapter, starting with verse 20. that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. But the words it was counted to him were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him, who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. So Paul links Abraham to faith in Jesus. What a great way to end this chapter. Lord, we thank you that these words, just like Paul just described, were not just for Abraham, but these words that Paul is writing are not just for the Jews, but they’re for us today. It all applies to us, and that we can be counted as righteous, those who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord. That’s what’s going to give us our justification, and we thank you that you’re making it clear in the book of Romans. Continue to teach us that we’re saved by faith, not by works. Not by being good, but by believing in you. We give you the praise. In Jesus’ name, amen. Romans is such a great book, isn’t it? Maybe you could call someone today and invite them to join you in the study of the book of Romans through AdBible. They could go to EzraProject.net or you could help them load up AdBible and study the book of Romans together. According to a recent Barna research study entitled Bible Reading, A New Year’s Resolution, most Americans are not satisfied with their current level of Scripture reading. A majority express a desire to read the Bible more than they currently do. Born-again and practicing Christians are the most likely to desire more Bible reading in their day-to-day lives. It should not come as a surprise that the majority of Americans wish they read Scripture more than they do, says Roxanne Stone, editor-in-chief of Barna Group. After all, two-thirds of Americans agree that the Bible contains everything you need to know to live a meaningful life. Why wouldn’t you want to read such a book more often? The study continues. However, like other New Year’s resolutions, such as exercising more and eating healthier, Scripture reading is often an aspirational goal. It’s the goal that for most people probably doesn’t feel necessary to survive and so can easily get swamped by the day-to-day demands of a busy life. Scripture reading takes time and focus, two things that feel like scarcities in today’s fast-paced and on-demand culture. Like exercise, like dieting, regular Bible reading does not offer instant payoff. It’s a discipline whose rewards are reaped over the long haul. And the study continues, when people go from feeling they should read the Bible more to needing to read the Bible more, they find the time. Access to the Bible is not the issue in the USA, is it? We all have Bibles. According to another study done a few years ago, 88% of Americans own a Bible. We have 3.5 Bibles in our homes. And this is amazing. 59% of people who have no faith or are atheists even own a Bible, probably just in case. So if you have a smartphone, you have access to the Word of God. My Gideon Bible app has over 2,100 languages. Access to the Bible is not the issue. The issue is changing our beliefs about the Bible to behavior with the Bible. So where are Christians with the Bible today? Christians are well-intentioned when it comes to the Bible. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. We believe, we just don’t behave. Our belief in the Bible and our behavior with the Bible are inconsistent. The middle ground related to the Bible seems to be disappearing. The decrease of Bible-neutral and Bible-friendly people and the increase of Bible antagonists suggests that more people are picking a side. Which side are you on? Are you a Bible antagonist questioning the Bible? Are you Bible-neutral? I just don’t know. Or are you Bible-friendly? I love the Bible. Wherever you are, pick a side. Because of our neglect of God’s Word, we are becoming biblically illiterate. For example, in a private religious elementary school, kids were asked about the Old and New Testaments. Here are some funny things that they had to say. The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat that apple. Lot’s wife was a pillar of salt by day but a ball of fire by night. What kind of man was Boaz before he married? Ruthless. The epistles were the wives of the apostles. Christians have only one spouse. That’s called monotony. So, if we think about Bible literacy or illiteracy, we think about it this way. If God decided to come down from his throne in heaven, become an author here on earth, you’d think his book would be on the bestseller list. And the fact is, the Bible is the number one bestselling book of all time. 2.5 to 5 billion, according to research. It’s also the most read book of all time. Praise the Lord, that alone might be evidence that the Bible, not any other so-called writing, is God’s Word. According to a weekly World News report, here are a few other Bible facts. About 50 Bibles are sold every minute. The Bible is the world’s best-selling book. It’s also the world’s most shoplifted book. That’s interesting. And that doesn’t even count all the Gideon Bibles stolen out of those hotels. So I encourage you to enjoy a portion of God’s Word every day. Make it a daily spiritual habit. And so until next time, I’m Alan J. Huth, and this program is sponsored by The Ezra Project, with support from listeners like you. Visit EzraProject.net to keep AdBible, connecting God’s people to God’s Word, on the air. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. It’s not too late to get your copy of the writings of the Old Testament historical books to follow along with this AdBible program. The book contains our studies on Job, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. We’ll be in those books for the next several weeks. The book has comments on every chapter, applications for your life, and a place for you to record your thoughts on each chapter of each book for future reference. Visit EzraProject.net and order the writings of the Old Testament historical books today so you can get more out of these radio programs and more out of your Bible. I know you’re going to enjoy it. And want to share it with others.
