If you would, go ahead and turn
to the Book of Romans, chapter four, verses one through five.
That's where our message is gonna be this morning. And the title
is gonna be God Justifies the Ungodly. Now, I'm gonna begin
this morning by going over a few verses that we had in our previous
study in chapter three. This right here that I'm gonna
go over is concerning exactly what the Apostle Paul was writing
to this church here at Rome. Paul wrote back in Romans 3 in
verse 10. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no not one. Now this covers all men by nature,
as they're born into this world, it don't matter what nationality
you are or where you come from, there's none righteous, no not
one. Then he makes this statement
in Romans 3 in verse 12. They're all gone
out of the way, they're all together become unprofitable or worthless.
There is none that doeth good, no not one. Then after Paul concludes
all men under sin and guilty before God, he says in Romans
3.20, therefore, because of these things, because there is none
righteous, no not one, and because there's none that doeth good
no not one he says here in verse twenty of chapter three therefore
by the deeds of law there shall no flesh be justified in God's
sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin and after saying that
we we see some things in that verse in verse twenty here talking
about by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified
in his sight We need to understand that when we look at the law,
it says here at the end of that verse, for by the law is the
knowledge of sin. We should see in that law, as
we look at it, those things that it should cause us to see that
we have no hope in our law keeping, in our works. But of course,
by nature, we don't do that. We go about trying to keep the
law and try to do those things that we think that'll appease
this God. that's angry that we know. But
after saying these things, Paul doesn't leave us in despair when
he says there's none righteous, there's none that doeth any good.
He doesn't leave us in despair. And in Romans 3, 21 and 22, he
shows us the remedy for this verdict by God of guilty towards
sinful men. Beginning in verse 21, God says
through the apostle Paul here, But now the righteousness of
God, without the law, is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ, and is to all and upon all them that believe. So
then he closes out chapter three with the following statement
in Romans 3 and verse 31. After seeing all these things,
there's none righteous, no not one, there's none that doeth
good, no not one. And by the deeds of law, no flesh
can be justified before God. The question comes then, do we
then make void the law through faith? Why do we need a law?
It's clear up here that there's none righteous, that you can't
do anything by your deeds or your works to satisfy that law. then why do you need a law? Do we then make void the law
through faith? God forbid, yea, we establish the law. In other
words, the question comes, well, if sinners are made righteous
and they're justified only through the righteousness of God, which
is by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, then doesn't that just
make void the law? Paul says, God forbid, we established
the law by seeing that Christ obeyed this law. He fulfilled
it in every jot and tittle. He worked it out perfectly and
worked out the only righteousness. Righteousness simply means that's
perfect satisfaction to God's law and his justice, even the
death on the cross. As we look at these things, We
see that when the question comes up, do we make void the law?
No, we establish the law. We're able to see how God satisfied
that law through his son, Jesus Christ, even under death. As we begin Romans four here,
the apostle Paul uses Abraham to prove his point. The same
Abraham that brother Randy just read in Genesis 22. Prove his
point that sinners are not justified by their law-keeping, which included
circumcision, which these Jews thought so highly of, but by
the righteousness of Christ alone, without their deeds of law, without
their works in any way. We also need to understand that
Apostle Paul is addressing here, Paul is not dealing with the
question of if Abraham was justified, or not even when Abraham was
justified. He is simply dealing with the
fact that he was not justified by his works, by his deeds of
law, by anything that Abraham did or didn't do, and especially
the work and outward act of circumcision that these Jews thought so highly
of. Now, in Romans 4 and verse 1
that we're going to begin with, It says, what shall we say then
that our father Abraham, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? In
this verse and in the following verses that we will be looking
at in Romans 4, Paul refers to the two men whom the Jews esteemed
most highly, Abraham and David, King David. Paul refers to these
two men as being prime examples of not being justified before
God by deeds of law. Paul, however, proves that neither
Abraham nor David was justified by their works, but by the grace
of God in Christ and based on what Christ would do in time.
Now, both Abraham and David are prime examples of how God justifies
sinners, not by their works, but by the righteousness of Christ.
The Jews boasted, though, in their physical connection with
Abraham as recommending them unto God and proving them to
be children of God and in God's favor. Now look at Matthew three
in verse eight and nine. We'll see some of these things.
It says bring forth therefore fruit meat for repentance and
think not to say within yourselves. We have abraham to our father
For I say unto you that god is able of these stones to raise
up children unto abraham And also in john 8 in verse 33 They
answered him these these were the jews those uh physical children
of abraham We be abraham seed and were never in bondage to
any man. How sayest thou, ye shall be made free? Now, as we
see in these verses that we just read, the unbelieving Jews objected
to the gospel of grace in Christ by invoking the name of Abraham,
whom they knew to be a righteous man. Now, Paul therefore asked
these Jews that were in the church there at Rome that he wrote this
letter to, well, how was Abraham righteous before God? Abraham
was the physical forefather of the Jewish nation. This is the
meaning of the phrase, as pertaining to the flesh. But the question
in verse one is what did Abraham find as far as his justification,
his salvation, his standing with God and his blessedness as pertaining
to the flesh. Well, from this point on and
throughout the chapter here in Romans 4, Paul will deal with
this question. How is a sinner justified before
God? How is a sinner made right before
God? Is it by his works, by those
deeds that we do? Even when you say God enabled
me to do these things, is it by that or is it by works or
is it by the righteousness of Christ being imputed and charged
to your account? Now we will begin to see what
Abraham saw and what he trusted in for all of his salvation and
justification before God. Because in the previous verse
it says, what shall we say then that Abraham, our father, as
pertaining to the flesh, hath found? What did Abraham find
out? Romans 4.2 says, for if Abraham
were justified by his works, he hath whereof the glory, but
not before God. That right there should make
it clear that we're not justified by our works. Here in verse two,
as I said earlier, it's clear that Paul is not dealing with
the subject of if Abraham was justified, but how was Abraham
justified before God? It's clear to me that both Paul
and those that he was writing to here at the Church of Rome
was in full agreement, was in full agreement that Abraham was
a justified man at that time. However, as the father of the
Jews, according to the flesh, if Abraham had been justified
before God by his works, his deeds of law, his personal righteousness,
he would have had ground for boasting. and had confidence
in the flesh. Abraham, however, had no such
grounds of boasting before God. And back in Romans 3 makes it
clear that not only Abraham, but no sinner can boast in their
law-keeping as it relates to justification before God. Let's
look at Romans 3, 27 and 28, where it says, 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. Abraham,
like all men by nature, was a sinner who did not deserve and could
not earn salvation, righteousness, and eternal life by his law keeping.
If God had dealt with Abraham according to his deeds and his
works, Abraham would have been condemned to an eternal death. Now, after Paul had made these
statements in verse two, which was for if Abraham was justified
by his works, he'd have way off the glory, but not before God.
He then begins in the next verse, with verse three, with this statement,
for what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted to him for righteousness. Paul now begins verse 3 by asking
the question, what does God's word say? God's word at that
time was the Old Testament scriptures. What do they say about Abraham
and his justification before God? Then he quotes the scripture
in Genesis 15 and verse 6, where he says, Abraham believed God,
and it was counted unto him for righteousness. God made both
temporal promises to Abraham concerning Abraham's natural
seed, the Jewish nation, and he made eternal promises concerning
Abraham's spiritual seed. There is no doubt that here the
apostle refers to God's promise concerning Abraham's spiritual
seed. This is the promise of Christ,
the Messiah, who would come in time and redeem his people, including
Abraham. These verses there in Genesis
22 that Randy read, Abraham saw Christ's day. All
of those sacrifices that took place and all that shed blood,
he saw Christ. Christ himself said, Abraham
saw my day. This promise was to Abraham's
spiritual seed, and this is the promise of Christ, the Messiah.
Christ would come and work out the only righteousness by which
God justifies not only Abraham, but all who believe, all who
believe the gospel, all who come to faith, all who come to see
that they have no hope in their law keeping, that their only
hope is in Christ and what he did, what he accomplished at
the cross. His blood shed alone for our salvation. Abraham's
faith and hope was in the promise of Christ. Now in John eight
and verse 56, Christ says, your father Abraham rejoiced to see
my day and he saw it and was glad. And then in Galatians three,
verse six through nine, Even as Abraham believed God and it
was accounted to him for righteousness, know you therefore that they
which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
or the Gentile nation through faith preached before the gospel
and Abraham saying, indeed, shall all nation, both Jews and Gentiles,
be blessed. So then they which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham. Then at the end of Romans 4,
the end of Romans 4 in verse 3, Paul uses the phrase, and
it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now, I'm not a Greek scholar,
and I can't even pronounce these Greek words real well, okay?
But I'm going to attempt to do some things here having to do
with this word counted and this word righteous. The word counted
here is the Greek word lozizomohi, which is also translated as reckon,
credit, consider, and impute. This is the blessed doctrine
of imputation. When it talks about he counted
unto him for righteousness. This reckoning and accounting,
it was a reckoning and accounting, the merit of Christ's obedience
unto death to his people. The next word here, in verse
three, is the word righteousness that we want to look at. The
Greek word in this place is dikosounone, which is virtually the same as
justice or justification, or to justify. The question is,
after saying that about the counted and the righteousness, The question
is, what was the it that was imputed or charged to Abraham? And the answer to that is, it
was the righteousness of Christ. This was Abraham's justification
before God. Some say that Abraham's faith
or his believing was imputed to him for righteousness, but
that's not so. Faith as in an act of believing,
which is a gift of God and the operation of the Holy Spirit,
on the hearts of his people cannot be imputed. It is imparted. Faith as an act of believing
cannot be imputed. It cannot take the place of or
be equal to righteousness. This verse teaches simply that
Abraham believed what God had promised him. which was that
righteousness would be worked out by the obedience even unto
death by the coming Messiah. That Lamb without spot of blemish,
the very Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. That picture that
Abraham saw in that sacrifice even as he brought his son to
that altar and laid him on that altar. to sacrifice him. That was a picture in the type
of Christ. And he saw that. Abraham saw
that. The pronoun it, in this verse,
does not refer to any act of Abraham. Not even what God enabled
Abraham to do, which was believe what he had promised. It refers
to the promise God made to Abraham, which was righteousness in and
by Christ. Folks, look at all those sacrifices,
all those lambs that was sacrificed, all that blood, all of that pointed
to Christ, the perfect Lamb of God. This is what God promised
Abraham, and this is what Abraham looked to for all his justification
before God. Abraham believed what God revealed
to him regarding the redeeming and justifying death of the Lord
Jesus Christ. that death Christ would accomplish
for him even thousands of years later, the very substance and
object of faith, Christ and his obedience unto death. This was
revealed to Abraham for righteousness, righteousness that Christ would
establish in his obedience unto death, and righteousness that
the Father imputed to his account, thereby justifying him. a justification before God, not
by Abraham's works, his deeds of law, but by grace alone. Now in the next two verses, Paul
will begin showing the difference between grace and works. In Romans 4, in verse 4, it says,
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace,
but of debt. The message here is the same
as Paul would write in Romans 11, in verse 6. where he says,
and if by grace, then is no more works. Otherwise, grace is no
more grace. But if it be of works, then is
it no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
Justification before God, which is salvation itself, cannot be
both by works and by grace. One is going to counsel out the
other. If a sinner works for salvation, for justification
before God, then the reward of salvation cannot be reckoned
of grace or the accounting or imputation of righteousness by
God's grace in Christ. If a sinner works for salvation,
it would be of debt, something he earned by his work, something
God owed him. No reward of any kind can be
said to be of grace. If it is given to the sinner
based on the sinner's personal works, the center's obedience,
or any condition that the center might meet. That would be a debt
that the center owed and he worked out. It would always be what
the center has merited or earned, not a gift of grace and a mercy,
but of debt, an obligation owed to him due to his works. I hope I've made that clear and
didn't make it more confusing. It's either of grace or works,
it can't be both. Salvation is by grace and by
grace alone, entirely based on what Christ accomplished in His
person and His work. Now Romans 4 and verse 5 says,
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. If the expression,
to him that worketh not, needed any more explanation, the term
ungodly places its meaning beyond all doubt. No one would dare
think that ungodly works would recommend us unto God. What kind
of works could an ungodly man do that would please a holy God
and earn salvation from Him? Surely the answer is none. The
expression, worketh not, excludes all works of every description,
whatever agency, and all pretenses from the ground of justification
before God. Abraham, as well as all sinners
that are saved by grace, believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. The ungodly have no righteousness
of their own and cannot work one out. To expound on the word
ungodly, let's go back to Romans 3, verses 19 and 20. Let's go
back there and read again God's indictment toward all men by
nature, born of Adam. Beginning with verse 19, it says,
Now we know that what thing soever the law saith, it saith to them
that under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all
the world may become guilty before God. By the deeds of the law, there
shall no flesh be justified in God's sight, for by the law is
the knowledge of sin. Now, all who believe on the true
and living God know that they are sinners in need of mercy
and in need of grace, and that if God gave them what they deserve
and what they earn, it would be damnation and eternal condemnation. They know that They have no hope
of salvation, of righteousness before God, but in the crucified
and risen Christ. Now, as I close this morning,
I'll say a few words about where it says his faith is counted
for righteousness. The his faith here speaking of
the object of that faith, which is Christ revealed in the gospel.
God's promise to Abraham are the doctrine of faith, which
regards the person and the work of Christ and the righteousness
that he produced. This is what was counted to Abraham
for righteousness. God justifies the ungodly, which
not only includes Abraham, but all those that God justifies. So how does God justify the ungodly
then? well-being without a righteousness
of their own, and that's what we all are by nature. We don't have a righteousness
to stand before this holy God, which speaks of the ungodly.
That's who we are by nature. God imputed to all his elect,
those that the Father give him before the foundation of this
earth, those that he substituted for, Christ substituted in their
place, that picture of Isaac as Abraham was going to sacrifice
his son. God imputed to all his elect,
his sheep, the righteousness of another, even that of his
own son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as he stood in our place and
in our stead. This, dear friends, is the gospel
of God's grace in Christ. This is who Abraham looked to
for all his justification before God. And this is who each and
every true believer looks to as God enables us to experience
and to see through God-given faith how that God is a just
God when He saves an ungodly sinner. As I close out here in
our next study, I want to read these verses here. We'll begin
the next time at Romans 4. verse 6 where the apostle paul
uses king david as he deals with the righteousness and justification
before god when he says here beginning in verse 6 even as
david also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom god imputed
righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities
are forgiven and whose sins are covered blessed is the man to
whom the Lord will not impute or charge sin. There are people
that God is not gonna charge them with their sin. He's not
gonna charge them with their sin because he's charged it to
his son, to Jesus Christ. That's the reason he had to come.
That's the reason he had to go to the cross and shed his blood
to redeem those whom God had given him and that eternal election
of grace, whom Christ had agreed to come in time, work out that
righteousness for him. He was a surety for those people. He stood in their place to pay
that debt. And in time, he paid the debt by the shedding of his
blood. This, dear friends, is the gospel
of grace how that God imputes Christ's righteousness to our
account, not based on anything that we do or are unable to do,
but based on what God did in the person of his dear son.