Well, once again, we are in the
Book of Romans, continuing in chapter 4. And in our last study,
we considered the wonder of being blessed by our great God. It
says in verse 8 of chapter 4, blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. In our next few verses, the Apostle
Paul goes on to use Abraham to bring out justification is not
for the Jew alone. It's not for the circumcised
alone. For Abraham, as he was considered righteous, his righteousness
was accounted unto him through his faith in God. He believed
God. We believe God. It's the same
faith, folks. There's no difference. And even
though there were people who believed God before, I mean,
obviously, Adam and Eve, after they were cast out of the Garden
of Eden and clothed in the righteousness of Christ, they understood what
it was to believe God because they taught their boys. And the
Lord used their teaching to teach Abel. So our belief is the same. And it was accounted, the belief,
he believed God, therefore it was accounted unto him for righteousness.
God gave him faith to believe, to believe that Jesus Christ
was his justification. He was justified in his Savior. That's what we read back there
in verse 26. Chapter three, verse 26. To declare, I say at this
time, his righteousness, that he might be just, speaking of
Christ, his righteousness, and the justifier of him which believeth
Jesus. So now with those thoughts in mind, I wanna begin at verse
24 and read through to verse 27. For being justified freely
by his grace, we're talking about the justification of Abraham,
the justification of all of God's people. It's not in what we believe,
it's not in what we do, it's in Christ Jesus, in his righteousness,
For all have sinned, it says in verse 23, and come short of
the glory of God, being justified freely, verse 24, by his grace,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has
set forth to be a propitiation, the mercy seat, the payment,
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, the
righteousness of Christ, for the remission of sins that are
passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at
this time, his righteousness, that he might be just, and the
justifier of him that believeth in Christ. Where is boasting
then? Verse 27. It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law
of faith. Now, with those thoughts in mind,
turn over to Romans chapter four, and let's pick up where we left
off in verse number nine. Now, you know what, let's just
read verse eight again with it. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then
upon the circumcision only? Now remember, Paul is going on
to use Abraham as an example to us that this is not for the
Jew only, this is for the Israel. It's for those who belong to
Jesus Christ, those who are Israel of the Spirit. Those who are
a Jew of the Spirit, those who were considered the children
of God before the world was, cometh this blessedness then
upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also. For we say that faith was reckoned
to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? When
he was in circumcision? or in uncircumcision. Not in
circumcision, but in uncircumcision. Abraham was given the faith of
God before God told him to get circumcised. Remember, his son
was born. Isaac was born before the Lord
gave that initiation to be circumcised. So Abraham received faith. He
was reckoned unto faith. He was accounted unto faith before
Isaac was ever even born. And he received, verse 11, he
received the sign of circumcision, 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. Though they be not circumcised,
that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. Verse 12, and
the father of circumcision to them who are not of circumcision
only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith, of our father
Abraham, which he had been yet uncircumcised. Now, circumcision
of the Jews was a sign, or in other words, it was a token.
It was a sign of the covenant that God had made with Abraham
that the seed, now notice I said seed, would come from his loins. The seed spoken of, the seed
of grace, the seed of salvation. This sign or this token of covenant
with God was made with Abraham and his natural seed concerning
the enjoyment of the land that he was in, and favor. The Lord
flourished Abraham with many of the blessings of this world.
And it was a distinguishment between them and all the other
nations. Hold your place here, Romans.
We'll come back to it in a little bit. Mark it if you would. Turn
over to Genesis chapter 17, and let's look at that account. Let's look at the account that
God gives in this, covenant that he makes with Abraham, Genesis
chapter 17. And in the 17th chapter of Genesis,
we read in verses 8 through 11, and I will give unto thee, this
is God speaking to Abraham, I will give unto thee and thy seed after
thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be
a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto
thee and thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger,
all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I
will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, thou
shalt keep my covenant, therefore thou and thy seed after thee
in their generations, this is my covenant which ye shall keep
between me and you and thy seed after thee, every man child among
you shall be circumcised. and you shall circumcise the
flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token of the covenant
between me and you. Back in our text in Romans, circumcision
is also, it's a typical sign of Christ, as it is with all
the ceremonial laws. It's a sign of Christ and the
shedding of his blood to cleanse from the sin and the circumcision
of the heart. Remember, we all come into this
world with a stony heart, and our Lord tells us In the Old
Testament, he says, I'll remove that old stony heart. He doesn't
make that old stony heart better. He cuts it out, he removes it.
And he gives a new heart of flesh, one that believes in him. This is the grace of God in giving
us life that we would believe him. Well, that's what circumcision
is a sign of. It's a sign of the circumcision
of the heart made without hands. It was a seal to Abraham that
he should be the father of many nations in a spiritual sense,
and that the righteousness of faith which he had, what was
his faith in? It was in the righteousness of
God. It wasn't in anything he had done. It was in the righteousness
of God in his promises and what he would do for him. And this
righteousness of faith which he had should come upon all them,
Gentile and Jew, after the same manner by faith. Now look over
at Romans. Chapter 4, verse 23 and 24. Now
it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to
him, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed. For if we
believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
it will be imputed to us. Same way, all God's children
have the same exact faith. While all of Abraham's natural
seed were circumcised, it was only to those who had his faith
that he was the father in which is spiritually represented by
circumcision. Now look at verse 13 of our text,
if you would. Verse 13. For the promise that
he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to
his seed through the law, but through the righteousness Now,
there's three parts to that to consider. First off, let's think
about this. It says he's the heir of the
world, which means this world and the world to come. Heir. Are we not heirs? Are we not
also heirs? Does not Christ declare you and
I to be heirs with his son? God declare us to be heirs with
his son, the Lord Jesus, in all things? Abraham and all believers
are the heirs of all things in Christ. And we're gonna look
at that. Turn over, if you would, to 1 Corinthians 3. Look at verses
21 through 23. Therefore let no man glory in
men, for all things are yours. All things are yours, whether
Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death,
or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and ye
are Christ, And Christ is God. Now, one more, if you would,
turn over to Hebrews 11. Talks about being heirs. Abraham
was heir of the world, speaking of righteousness being imputed
to him through faith. He is the heir of the world,
which we are all part of that heir. We are all heirs of the
world, heirs in Christ. Here in Hebrews 11, verses eight
through 10, we read these words, by faith, Abraham, when he was
called to go out into a place, which he should after receive
for an inheritance, obeyed. Isn't that what you and I have
been called to do, to go out into everlasting? We may not
see it while we walk this earth, but we know it's there. We're
going out into the world in faith that the Lord will take us to
that land that he has promised us. Go out into a place which
he should after receive for an inheritance, he obeyed, and he
went out not knowing whether he went. Verse nine, by faith
he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling
in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of
the same promise. Through faith also Sarah herself
received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child
when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had
promised. Secondly, in that verse we see
back in our text there, in Romans chapter four, verse 13, we see
this, or to his seed, he's heir to the world, or to his seed,
the covenant and all its promises in reference to spiritual blessings
are established in Christ Jesus. Who was Abraham's seed? Who was
Abraham's seed that we would receive all the promises of God
through? Look over Galatians chapter three.
We see the answer to that question in one verse. Now to Abraham,
verse 16, now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as
of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. There you go. He was given unto,
Who is Abraham's seed? It was Christ Jesus, the Lord,
and was given to all his church in Christ Jesus. That's what
we read over in Romans chapter eight. If you'd like, you can
turn there with me real quick. Very familiar verses. Romans
chapter eight, verses 16 and 17. We read these words. The
spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the
children of God. And if the children, then what? Then error. heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him that
we may be also glorified together. Now, one more thing, if you would,
on that verse that we looked at in verse 13. Not through the
law, but through faith. Not through the law of Moses,
nor the law of ceremony, nor the law of circumcision, but
by faith in Christ Jesus. And we read that in Galatians
chapter three again, if you would turn back over to Galatians chapter
three. Look at verses 21 and 22. Is the law then against the
promise of God? God forbid, for if there had
been a law given, which could have given life, verily, Righteousness
should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded
all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might
be given to them that believe. So here we see it's not of the
law of Moses, but through the law of faith, which is what we
read back in chapter three. Back in chapter three, verse
27, where's the boasting? Then is it excluded by what law? The law of works? Nay, but by
the law of faith. Now look with me if you would
at verses 14 through 22 of our text. 14 through 22 of our text. But when I saw, for if they which
are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise
made of none effect. Because the law worketh wrath,
For where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore,
therefore, because of that, because the law cannot be considered
salvation, it cannot be considered righteousness, therefore it is
of faith that it might be by grace. What does it say in Ephesians
chapter two? Does it say by faith you are
saved? No, no, that's not what it says
at all. It says, by grace are you saved,
doesn't it? Does that not go right along with what we just
say there? Therefore it is by faith, therefore it is of faith
that it might be by grace to the end, to the end the promise
might be sure to all the seed, not to only which is of the law,
but to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father
of us all. As it is written, verse 17, I
have made thee a father of many nations, before him who he hath
believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things
which might not as though they were, who against hope believed
in hope that he might become the father of many nations, according
to that which was spoken of, that which was spoken, so shall
thy seed be. And being not weak in the faith,
he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a
hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith, giving glory to God. And he being fully persuaded
that what he had promised, what God had promised, he was able
also to perform. and therefore it is imputed to
him for righteousness." Now, this will be our focus in today's
study. I know we've spent a little time here, and it's not gonna
take us long to get through the rest, but I wanna focus on this. He
who is able, verse 21, and being fully persuaded. This is what
Abraham was. Abraham, just as you and I are. Don't forget this,
folks. You and I have the same faith
as Abraham. We believe God. He says he is
able, and we believe that, do we not? If you don't believe
that, you need to get down on your knees and ask the Lord to
talk to you, ask the Lord to reach into your heart and help
you. God's people believe God. That's what this is telling us.
This is our righteousness is that we believe God, which is
a gift from Him. We believe in His righteousness.
Abraham being fully persuaded What he had promised, what God
had promised him, he was able also to perform. That'll be our
focus. He who is able, able to what?
Able to perform. We declare that Christ is God
in the flesh, thus saith the Lord, in other words, yet what
does that mean? It means that we believe and
trust in him. Abraham was fully persuaded.
And that means that he was convinced in every way. He was confident
in every way. He had no confidence in his flesh.
His confidence was in what God had told him. His confidence
was what God had promised him. He was fully persuaded. He was
confident in what God had promised. He was confident that God was
able to perform it. And the Apostle Paul also wrote
over in 2 Timothy 1 verse 12, For this, for the witch cause,
I also suffered these things, Paul writing to Timothy. Nevertheless,
I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed. He also
says in the book of Romans, chapter eight, verse 38, he says, for
I am persuaded, that's the same word, completely convinced, completely
confident that neither death nor life nor angels, and he goes
through all of that and comes to the very last part of 39,
that could separate him from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus the Lord. This is the confidence that Abraham
had. This is the confidence that every one of us have. We are
confident. We know whom we have believed in, and we are persuaded,
Paul goes on to say, that he is able to keep that which I
have committed to him against that day. He wrote in Hebrews
7, verse 25, wherefore he is also able to save them, speaking
of our Lord Jesus, able to save them to what? To the uttermost.
that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them. This is the confidence that all
of God's people have. Our confidence is in Jesus Christ.
And one more verse, if you don't mind me bringing this out. Jude
chapter one, verse 24 to 25, the apostle writes these words.
He says, now unto him, unto the Lord, unto God, unto him that
is able. There's the confidence. There's
the persuasion. We know that God is able. Despite the sin that dwells within
me, my God is able to save me from it to the uttermost. Oh, Lord, help us to remember
that all the time, over and over again. He is able. He's able to perform what he
says he would do. When he says, my sheep will hear
my voice, guess what? We hear his voice. We hear his voice in the pages
of his word. Oh, folks, do you understand
the blessings that we have? He could have left us. We read
in Friday Night's Bible study, he left the temple. And according
to everyone I've read, that was the last time he went into that
temple. Aren't you thankful he still
comes here to rescue, to the temples that he has built without
hands, the temples of his people. Aren't you thankful? This one,
this one that we give praise to, who is able to keep us from
falling. He not only keeps us from falling,
he presents us faultless. Doesn't matter what you're thinking
today, Roger. In God's eyes, you're perfect. Perfect. Isn't that wonderful to think?
I know it's difficult. I know we struggle to see that
because we keep looking in that dang mirror that somebody hangs
on the wall. You know, I might be half tempted
if I was crazy to go in the house and take all the mirrors down. I know it's difficult, but folks,
we are just, we are washed in the perfect blood of Christ.
Every single one of us have the same faith. And it is not in
this flesh you see before you. It's not in that flesh that you
walk around in. It's in him, in him alone. He
is able to present us faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy. And we sing these words to the
only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty and dominion
forever. Amen. Now, because Abraham believed
God, Because he believed God, it was imputed to him for righteousness,
right? Know what the scripture says? Not for the strength of
his faith, but because his faith truly rested in and trusted in
God. Oh, there's a lot of people who
say, oh, I believe God, I'm trusting in Him. I'll bet you can go to
any Christian church between here and Folsom, and there's
a whole bunch of them, and there'll be a whole bunch of people say,
oh yeah, I trust in God. I trust in God, but it was my
decision to come and trust in Him. It was my getting up and
saying, I'm done with that old life, that I put my trust in
Him. Folks, that's works. And you
cannot mix works with grace. We are either saved by grace
or we're not saved at all. And children of God are brought
to their knees throughout their lives to understand this, that
all, all of salvation, is of the Lord and of the Lord alone.
Our biggest sin, in reality, is the pride in our life to stand
up and say, oh, I wanna do it my way. I know the Lord's word
says this, but. Let's close with verse 23 through
25. I'll make this quick. In our text, we read in verse
23, now it was not written for his sake alone, for Abraham's
sake alone, that it was imputed to him, but for us also. Aren't you thankful? Aren't you
thankful the Lord left this table of remembrance for you and I
to gather? We do it twice a month. It wouldn't
hurt, you know, to do it every day, would it? Wouldn't hurt
to do it every day. Isn't that what we do when we
think of our Lord every time? Do we not remember that it is
His grace and His mercy and His righteousness that gets us through
the day? But for us also, to whom it shall Did you notice
that? Did you catch that word? Shall,
us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him
that raised up Jesus, our Lord from the dead, who was delivered
for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. The account of how Abraham was
justified and received righteousness was not recorded for his sake
alone, nor applicable to him only. That's what the Lord is
saying, speaking of, right here through Paul in the letter to
Romans. It wasn't for him alone. It didn't
just apply to him. But it is by faith in that every
believer is justified and sanctified and redeemed by our Lord and
Savior, Christ Jesus. Abraham was the first recorded
testimony respecting the justification of sinners by faith that is in
Abraham. He was the first man singled
out and designated as the progenitor of the Messiah. That's what we
read in Galatians chapter 3 verse 16. Therefore, he is called the
father of all believers. And if you read 3.16, you'll
see that. Actually, we did read that, didn't we? Yes, we did.
Righteousness shall be imputed to us as well as Abraham is what
that's telling us. It's not for him alone, it's
for all of God's people. It's not for Jews alone, it's
for Gentiles also. It's for all of those who have
been given the faith to believe in Christ Jesus. To believe for
salvation is not to believe only on the existence of God, but
to believe on him in regarding to his gospel. Saving faith involves
the person and the work of Christ Jesus, who was promised of God,
that was the promise, the seed that we saw a moment ago, sent
by God, bruised by God, and raised by God, and sinned victoriously
on his father right hand, and we believe that this one is able. Christ was delivered up by his
father into the hands of justice and death, and according to his
divine purpose, according to God's divine purpose, For you
and I, he went to the cross to redeem his people. Christ died
in our stead, and he rose again as the head of the church, as
a representative, and he legally acquitted and justified all of
us in him. His resurrection did not procure
our justification. No, that was done by his obedience
and death, but his resurrection testified that God accepted what
was given. Aren't you thankful? Aren't you
thankful that our Lord is here? Amen.