If you will, turn with me to
Romans chapter 4. In the first three chapters of
Romans, the Apostle Paul proves that there can be no justification
before God by any sinner by the works of the law. It's a proven
fact. Paul proves this beyond question. What is justification? What is
this justification of which Paul speaks? To be justified by God means
to be examined by God. Now think about what I just said.
Not examined by me. Not you examining me and not
me examining you. not the church's examination
of you or your examination of the church, but examined by God and found holy, unblameable,
unreprovable in His sight. It means that we are cleared
of all charges. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect, heaven, earth, or hell. It means that
we're acquitted of all accusations. It means that we're absolved
of all guilt, freed from any further judgment, and declared worthy of eternal
life. That's what it means to be justified. How can that be? How can that be? Job asked that question. He said,
how can man be just with God? What is man, he said, that he
should be clean, or he that's born of a woman, that he should
be righteous? Behold, God putteth no trust
in His saints. Yea, the heavens are not clean
in His sight. How much more abominable and
filthy is man that drinketh iniquity like water? How can a man be
just with God? How can God Himself look on you
and justify you? Huh? How can that be? Well, it's all made clear in
the gospel of Jesus Christ. In his gospel and according to
the word of God, justification is the imputation of Christ's
righteousness to believing sinners. I say believing sinners because
the scripture says whom he called, them he also justified. How do
I know who was justified? He calls them. Because faith is how God's elect are
made known, and in the giving of this faith, God reveals to
us our justification in Christ, and we're said to be justified
by faith. Actually, we were justified,
if you want to get down to the technicality of the thing, we
were justified in the mind and purpose of God before the world
began. There's no other way he could
deal with it. except as justified. And our justification was accomplished
on Calvary and declared when Christ was raised from the dead.
He was delivered for our offenses, raised again for our justification.
It was accomplished on Calvary. It was applied in time to the
consciences of chosen sinners by way of the gift of faith. We joy, Paul said, we joy in
God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received
the atonement. Justification, if you want to
get down to the meat of the thing, justification is a legal term. It's a legal term. And it's never used in the Bible. Never used in the Bible to describe
any kind of an inward change in the believer. That's the work of sanctification. But justification is a legal
term. We're justified by the obedience
and blood of Christ which is freely charged to our account
by the transaction of the sovereign God. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto Himself. Now listen, not imputing their
trespasses unto them. Romans 3, verse 24, being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus,
whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins. And so
Paul sums up the matter in Romans 3.20. I read it to you a few
moments ago. Therefore, therefore, by the
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his
sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Now according to this, it doesn't
matter. It doesn't matter what portion
of that law that I look to, whether I look to it in part or look
to it in whole, anywhere that this sinner looks at that law
for hope, that law says you're guilty. You're guilty. You're guilty. By the law is
the knowledge of sin. Now, to prove this beyond all
question, the Holy Spirit uses three arguments. The Holy Spirit
inspired Paul to use three arguments to prove this beyond all question. First of all, because it's a
foregone conclusion that both Jews and Gentiles are all under
sin. Because of the fallen, depraved
state of man, there's none righteous and none that understandeth,
none good and none that seeketh after God. They're all gone out
of the way. Destruction and misery are in
their ways. They're ignorant of the way of
peace and there's no fear of God before their eyes. I read
that to you. Now, I want you to hear what
I'm saying. Any concept of man justifying himself before God
by his own obedience is absolutely ludicrous. It's ludicrous. Any concept of a man justifying
himself before God. Imagine a filthy maggot crawling
up off that old rotting corpse that he's been feeding on and
he crawls up to the top and he looks up to heaven and tries
to make a case for his own cleanliness. That's not even a portion of
what it is for a man to justify himself before God. Job said, if I justify myself,
my own mouth condemns me. My own concept of justification
would condemn me. Because of the fallen state, fallen state of man, There's
none righteous, and therefore there can be none justified. Before stating our free justification
by faith back in Romans 3.24, Paul gives this statement. He said, for all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3.23. So here's the first argument
he used to show men and women the utter impossibility of any
man justifying himself by his own obedience to the law, his
sin and his inability. He's a sinner. Secondly, by the nature of the
law itself. This is the second argument he
uses. The law knows nothing of trying. I was talking to a man on the
phone last night, and he started talking to me about men doing
the best they could and God accepting it. The law doesn't know anything
at all about trying. That's a doctrine by depraved
men. That's a doctrine invented by
depraved men trying to justify themselves. The law knows nothing
about doing. Only thing it knows about is
doing, doing. Romans 2 verse 13, for not the
hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law
shall be justified. In Galatians, Paul wrote to that
church that were being bewitched by false prophets. He said, tell
me ye that desire to be under the law. Do you hear the law?
Do you know anything at all about the nature of God's law? Do you
know what that law says? Do you know what that law demands? He said, as many as are of the
works of the law. Now listen to this. If that's
your hope, if that's your religion, if that's your hope for glory,
obeying that law, you need to hear what this says. As many
as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is
written, Cursed is everyone who continueth not in all things
written in the book of the law to do. And in Romans chapter 7 verse
14, he said, For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am
carnal, sold unto sin. That's a curse. The law is spiritual. What's
that mean? It means it takes into account
your motives, not just your deeds. It means that it is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of your heart. He tells us all things
are naked and open under the eyes of Him with whom we have
to do. All I can see is what you do.
God knows why you do it. He knows why. He knows your intent. The law demands unbroken, spiritual,
loving obedience, which a sinner cannot do. He cannot give. That's why our Lord said the
whole law hinges on this. Love God with all your heart,
soul, mind, and strength. If you could do that, there's
nothing beyond your reach in that law. But you can't do that,
and therefore you've become guilty of the whole law. And then the
third argument he gives is that it's not God's intent to save
anybody by the obedience of the law. It was never God's intent
to save any man by that law. Listen to this. He said, now
the righteousness of God, without the laws manifested, being witnessed
by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith of Jesus Christ. That's what was witnessed under
that law. That's what that law had to say. But you say God gave
the law. God commanded us to obey it.
Yes, but not with the expectation that anybody would be justified
by it. The law was given to show us
the utter hopelessness and helplessness of our flesh to justify us before
God. Listen to this. We know that
what things soever the law sayeth, sayeth to them that are under
the law. Why does it say it? That they all might be righteous?
No. Might help them to do the best
they can? No. That's not what it's given for.
It sayeth to them who are under the law that every mouth may
be stocked and all the world become guilty before God. That's
why the law was given. And the law was given to teach
us about imputed righteousness. He told the Galatian church,
he said, it's our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ to be justified
by him. And it was witnessed by the law
and prophets. Witnessed by the law in type
and picture, declared by the prophets. What did the prophets
tell us? The just shall live by faith. Now listen to me. The overwhelming
majority, I'm not going to pull out a percentage because I don't
really have a clue what percentage it is, but it's a lot. The overwhelming
majority of long established and accepted religion teaches
that man is justified by his obedience to the law. That's what they teach. They teach that which Paul has
proven beyond all doubt cannot be. And that teaching, that you're
justified by your obedience to the law or some form of works,
moral or ceremonial or both, Paul said it's poison to your
souls. He said it's another gospel brought
to you by another spirit, and it's a perverted gospel, and
all those who preach or promote it are accursed of God. And the
reason why is because it's contrary to the grace of God. It's contrary
to the purpose of God, and it's contrary to the person and work
of Christ. And it is totally contrary to
the plain declaration of Scripture. Paul said, I do not frustrate
the grace of God. If righteousness come by the
law, then Christ died in vain. That's just how serious it is.
In Romans chapter 4, Paul pulls one man from Israel that he knew
they loved and looked to and cherished, Abraham. Abraham. He was beloved and highly
esteemed by the Jews, and he used him to set before them the
free justification of God through his son, Jesus Christ, which
was given to us by faith. Now, I want you to see five things
in this example of Abraham concerning this imputed righteousness of
Christ. The first thing the apostle points
out to us is that this justifying righteousness was given to Abraham
by faith. Romans 4 verse 1. What shall
we say that Abraham, our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath
found? For if Abraham were justified
by works, he hath whereof the glory, but not before God. That
is, he did many noteworthy things, things to be commended for. and
things men glory in, but not before God. For what saith the
Scripture? And that's what we want to know,
isn't it? You're not looking for my opinion. What does the
Scripture say? The Scripture said, Abraham believed
God. Now listen. It was accounted
to him, charged to him for righteousness. How'd he get it? He believed
God. But he was a son of an idolater.
Sat out there in his daddy's idol shop, sat out there helping
him carve out those idols, dip them in the silver, spread those
lies. I don't want to get... Abraham
believed God. He counted to him for righteousness.
And I don't want to get in some long explanation of exactly what
Abraham believed, but I'm convinced by the Scriptures that he understood
that God's promises to him were in Christ, in this coming Redeemer. He understood that, fully understood
that. The Lord said to the Jews, they
said, we have Abraham as our father. The Lord said, before
Abraham was, I am. And he said, this Abraham that
you're rejoicing in, he rejoiced to see my day. And he saw it.
He saw it. And he was glad. It's a mistake
to think that Old Testament saints had no knowledge of the gospel.
Romans 3, 24 through 25 clearly sets before us what God set before
them. When the scripture says Abraham
believed God and was counted to him for righteousness, he
wasn't talking about God's testimony to him about creation or God's
testimony to him about providence. Although I know he believed those
things, but he was talking about those covenant promises given
to him through Christ by faith. That's what Abraham believed. Listen to this. Paul said, now
to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not
unto seeds as of many, but of thy seed which is Christ. Who
were the promises made to? Abraham through Christ. Huh? Did he have an understanding
of the coming Redeemer? Absolutely he did. That's how
the promises were given to him. So let this be established, imputed
righteousness was received by Abraham by faith, not by works. Secondly, all that came to Abraham,
including his faith, glorified God. Glorified God. What does your faith do? What
does my faith do? What do these things that we
profess, do they glorify God? Or is it just something I made
up, something I conjured up? True saving faith glorifies God. It glorifies God. And everything
Abraham received glorified God. He hath whereof to glory, but
not before God. True saving faith leaves no room
for self-glorification. After that wonderful declaration
of justification by faith, being justified freely by his grace,
Paul asked this question, where is boasting? And I'm going to tell you something.
I grew up in it, and that's what those Wednesday night meetings
were all about, self-glorification, one testimony after another about
how they saved themselves. Where is boasting? It's excluded. It's out the door. By what law? Works? Nay, but by the law of
faith. The very principle of faith throws
works out the door. Faith is the conduit, more or
less, by which God's blessings in Christ are received. We lie
helpless. Do we not? We lie helpless in
this diseased flesh, in the inability of this flesh, in this depraved
flesh. Doing this, doing that, going
here, going there, believing this, believing that, we lie
helpless in this diseased flesh and the Holy Spirit through the
preaching of the gospel brings now the cure and puts the straw
of faith in your mouth and you drink it. Huh? Faith is a conduit. It's the conduit through which
we receive. I've never met a man who rejoices
in Christ and then attempts to rob God of the glory of the salvation
of you. Never met one. Amazing grace,
that's what Newton sang, how sweet the sound, saved a wretch
like me. I once was lost, now I'm found. I was blind, but now I see. How come? It was grace that taught
my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. Oh, how precious
did that grace appear, the hour I first believed. So imputed righteousness was
received by Abraham by free, it's the free and sovereign gift
of faith. And the whole of that transaction
glorified God. Here's the third reason. Here's
the third thing he shows us over here about Abraham. It was given
by faith that it might be by grace. By faith that it might
be by grace. Listen to this, Romans 4 verse
16. Therefore, it is of faith that
it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to
all the seed, not to that only which is in the law, but to that
also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of
us all. Because this justification is
revealed to chosen sinners by faith, and faith is the gift
of God and not of works, lest any man should boast, it is sure,
it is sure to all the seed. If it were dependent on something
you do, you might miss. You might miss out on the promise.
You might miss out on the inheritance. Isn't that what religion says?
You're going to miss out. You're going to miss out. If
it wasn't sure to all the seed, I guarantee you, you'd miss out. You'd miss out. But God chose
the son of an idol maker to receive his imputed righteousness. And
he purposed to do it by faith, and he made him the prime example
of this faith. He made him the father of it
and the representative of all those that believe when it comes
to this thing of faith. Paul said God gave him faith
while he was yet uncircumcised. He didn't circumcise him and
then look at him and say, well, now you're worthy of faith and
give me faith. That ain't how it happened. He justified him
freely by his grace while he was in there making idols. He was yet uncircumcised. Yet
uncircumcised. And he received his circumcision
as the seal of the righteousness of the faith that God gave him
while he was still a heathen. And so represented in Abraham
is all the believing All the believing Gentiles. And then
through his circumcision, he represents all the believing
Jews. And God did this, Romans 4, 11,
that he might be the father of all them that believe, though
they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed
to them also. It is a faith. that it might
be by grace, and then, fourthly, that it might be sure to all
to see. Now, listen to what the scripture
said. When God made these promises to Abraham, because he could
swear by no greater, he swore by himself, saying, surely, blessing, I will
bless thee. And surely, multiplying, I will
multiply thee. He took Abraham out and he said,
look up, Abraham. He said, tally up the stars. How many stars is up there? Now,
we don't see very many here because of the pollution, but you go
down into Mexico or somewhere and go out at night, it's unbelievable
how many stars. Tally them up, so shall thy seed
be. Go down here to the seashore.
Far as you can see down that beach. Tell me how many grains
of sand on that beach. So shall thy seed be. You reckon
he thought he was going to be sure to all the seed? Every one
of them. Every one of them. A number which
no man can number. Salvation is not the reward of
hard work and dedication. Salvation is the gift of God.
And because it's all of grace, It's sure to all the seed. To Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. He saith not into seeds which
are many, but of thy seed which is Christ. All of that seed,
as many as the stars and as much as the sand, all of it in Christ. And therefore, it's sure. And
then he circumcised him. What's that? Circumcision is
that of the heart, not of the flesh. Now, he did circumcise
Abraham in the flesh, but he was circumcised in his heart
first. And that's what he tells us this whole circumcision was
all about. All right. Fifthly and lastly,
the scripture said it was not written for his sake alone that
it was imputed to him. but for us also to whom it shall
be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord
from the dead." Now, why go back 4,000 years and talk about one
of these ancient saints concerning a present doctrine and a present
circumstance in 2016? Why would he do that? Because
Romans 15, verse 4, whatsoever things were written aforetime,
were written for our learning that we, through patience and
comfort of the scriptures, might have hope. God still saves men
the same way he saved Abraham. He still saves them today. Our Lord looked at those Jews.
This was thousands of years after Moses. And our Lord said the same thing
about Moses as He said about Abraham. He said, if you believed
Moses, you would have believed Me. We had Moses as our father. Oh, no. If you believed Moses,
you'd believe Me, because Moses wrote of Me. There's just one way of salvation,
and that's in Christ and Him crucified. And believers, both
Old and New Testament, are called to faith in Christ and given
the revelation of imputed righteousness in Christ. That's what's revealed. There's no peace anywhere else. That's how we're convinced of
righteousness. He shows us our justification
in Christ. And when he shows you your justification
in Christ, he'll convince you of righteousness. And he'll convince
you of judgment satisfied. And so that's what Paul's doing
here in these verses. He takes this one man and he
said, let me show you, this beloved man that you all look to, let
me show you how God saved him. And he takes all those things
that he stated over here in Romans 3 and he shows them to them in
the example of this beloved saint. And yet they believe not. Yet they believe not.