In this episode, we delve deep into Paul’s teachings on Abraham’s faith and how it serves as a model for all believers. Explore the profound revelations in Romans, chapter 4, where Paul emphasizes the divine gift of faith and righteousness. Understand the distinction between Abraham as a type versus an example, and how this perspective impacts our understanding of God’s grace. Uncover the intricate dynamics of faith, grace, and justification, and learn why faith is a gift from God rather than a human-generated trait.
So Paul is coming to the end of his account of Abraham now in chapter 4. It’s remarkable that he spent a whole chapter on the life of Abraham. And he brings us to the conclusion in verses 24 or 23 to 25. And as you’ve heard me say many times, If you’re not sure where Paul is going or what he’s getting at, then jump to the conclusion, and you will then be able to go back to the earlier part and see why his argument is developing as it is. So, this is what he says. And therefore it was accounted to him that his Abraham’s faith was accounted him as righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification. That’s the conclusion that helps us to know what Paul has been driving at all through this chapter. So once again, we see here that Paul was not drawing on Abraham as an example of how God does things, but as a type. What’s the difference? Well, Abraham, if he were an example, would just be one particular example of how God does things in many, many different ways. But if he is a type, then what God does for Abraham, he does for all, because Abraham is a type of everyone. Now notice, it says, and therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness. What was accounted to him? Well, let’s read again what it says. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief. but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God and being fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to perform. And therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now don’t get this wrong. Some people think that this is saying, well, Abraham offered faith, in other words, he generated faith by himself, and God said, okay, that’s nice, I’ll trade you, you give me your faith, and I’ll count it as if it were righteousness. So you give me your faith, and I will give you my righteousness. No, that’s not what it is. Faith comes from God. You remember what we learned about that? Verse 24, yes, of chapter 3, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So, obviously, being justified is an act of God because it is by grace. But also in verse 28, therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith. Well, if we are justified by God’s grace, then it says that we are justified by faith, then faith must also be a part of God’s grace. And so, when Abraham’s faith is accounted to him as righteousness, it’s not Abraham trading faith for righteousness, for faith comes from God. It is God’s gift to him. But when God gives faith to a man, God counts it as if it were that man’s righteousness. How kind and beautiful and generous that is of God. He’s basically saying to you and me, I’m going to give you the ability to believe in me. I’m going to let my spirit go to come to you and give you trust in me. And I’m going to count that trust in me as if that were your righteous life. How generous, how kind of God. So therefore, so what do we do, by the way, with that? We say, Father, thank you that you have given me trust in you. Thank you that I trust in Jesus, even though I’m a sinner and I’ve failed and I still am struggling with my struggles. I thank you that you’ve given me trust in you, and you count that trust that you have given me as if it were my righteousness. You are so generous and kind, dear God. So, with that, Paul then says, now that truth, that reality, was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, but also for us. By the way, notice that the word accounted and imputed are the same here. They are interchangeable. And so when God imputes something to us, he accounts it as if it were ours, and he treats it as if it came from us, when in fact it was God who gave it to us. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.
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Look at that. That’s just wonderful. But also for us, it shall be imputed, that is charged to our account,
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who believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Now don’t get this back to front. And if you get it back to front, you’re listening to this verse and you’re hearing it say, well, I believe and God is pleased with my belief and therefore he imputes righteousness to me. Now, chapter 4 of Romans has revealed to us repeatedly that it is God who took the initiative with Abraham. God came to Abraham. Abraham wasn’t sitting on a rock searching for God. God came to him when Abraham was not expecting it. Salvation is God’s visit to us, not our cry up to him. Yes, we might cry up to him, but when we are doing so, that’s because the Spirit already came to us to give us the urgent need, the need, the desire to call upon him. So all of this, I’m telling you, is because We need to trust in God and not in ourselves. If you get sidetracked with addictions or sins or distractions of other kinds of worldliness, and then you try to get back to God, don’t try to get back to God with your own efforts or your own willpower, as if Losing him was your fault, so getting back to him is your fault, your responsibility. No call upon him, because he has already revealed himself to you, and say, Father, I thank you that you have revealed yourself in Jesus Christ for me. So, it shall be imputed to us who believe. Not, we believe, therefore it’s imputed to us, but it’s imputed to us because God has given us the gift to believe. To believe what? To believe in him who raised up Jesus from our Lord from the dead. Now, I want you to notice something else here. It doesn’t speak about believing in Jesus’ resurrection. but believing in God who resurrected Jesus. Now that is a tremendously important distinction to make. What Paul is revealing in the book of Romans is the beautiful, graceful, merciful character of God, our Father. And that revelation of God our Father tells us that God our Father is so gracious that he raised up Jesus from the dead for our sake. You see, this is all that Paul is talking about through chapter 3, 4, and when we get to 5, 6, 7, and 8. What do you think he says in chapter 8, verse 31? what then shall we say to these things if Jesus is for us who can be against us? No, he doesn’t say that. He says, what then shall we say to these things if God is for us who can be against us? You see, of course Jesus is for us, but the fact that Jesus came to the earth and died for our sins and rose again is not a message about God. Jesus loves us and has got to go to the Father to convince this judge of a father to love us, but rather it is a message that God the Father sent Jesus and therefore God loves us. And so, now it is written for the sake, now it was not written for the sake alone of, I’m sorry, I’m getting jumbled up. Let me say it again. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that is Abraham’s, that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Our Heavenly Father raised up Jesus Christ, our Lord, from the dead. I had a friend years ago, I think she’s gone to the Lord by now, because I haven’t heard from her for several years, but she said, I used to pray to Jesus and not to God, because I was afraid of God and thought of Him as a judge, but I knew that Jesus was my friend. But since listening to your broadcast over the years, Colin, she said, And so you can say, You need not be afraid of your Father. If you fear God, and there’s a reason for us to be afraid in one sense, because we are human and he is holy and pure and eternal, but you can lift your heart up to God and say, Father, sometimes I’m afraid of you, but then I recall that you sent Jesus, and therefore I know your heart, because I know Jesus’ heart. Thank you for your love for me, dear Father. This is how we grow in grace, how we change our minds, how our mind becomes full of faith instead of guilt and shame and fear, how the addictive mind, the guilt, shame and fear mind, slowly dies away as our faith keeps affirming what God has done for us. But it was not now written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us it shall be imputed to us who believe in him who raised up Jesus, our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses. because of our sins, you see, delivered up to the cross, and was raised because of our justification. When Jesus rose from the dead, he declared the whole world justified. declared innocent. Even though judgments will come upon the world until they learn to believe, nevertheless, the cross has justified the world, declared it innocent. The resurrection of Jesus is proof that the cross of Christ was a divine act on behalf of human beings to be the judgment for their sins. And so you lift up your heart and you say, Father, thank you that your love shows me that you sent your Son to justify me and set me free. As I’m sure you know, this is listener-supported radio. That means that the listener pays for the radio broadcast. Of course, I pay the bill on your behalf. It’s $39 per 15 minutes of programs. That’s about $200 per week of programs, and that’s about $850 to $900 per month of programs. If you’d like to make a donation, you can do so online at faithquestradio.com. Or you can send your donation, please, to FaithQuest P.O. Box 366, Littleton, Colorado, 80160. Thank you for all your support. I do appreciate it. You who’ve donated over the years, some over the months, some occasionally. It’s all very, very much appreciated. It keeps me afloat and this ministry afloat. I’ll see you next time then. Cheerio and God bless.
