Please turn with me in your Bible
this morning for our study to Romans chapter 4. Romans chapter
4, verse 16, and let's read this verse together. Romans 4, 16.
Therefore it is of faith, that is salvation, being justified
before God is all of faith, that it might be by grace, sovereign
grace, to this end to this purpose, that the promise of God, that
the promise might be sure to all the seed, all the elect of
God, not only to that which is of the law, but to that also
which is of the faith of Abraham. Salvation is certain and sure
to all who believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
we find here in Romans chapter 4, in these concluding verses
in chapter 4, we see a good description of God-given faith. How do I know that my faith is
true saving faith, like that of Abraham, that faith that justifies
before God? Well, I believe here we have
a good description of God-given faith. God has so designed and
designated faith as the only means to receive the Lord Jesus
Christ as our salvation, as our righteousness. Saving faith looks
exclusively to the Lord Jesus Christ, and we know that this
faith of God's elect, this faith of God is the gift of God. We read in Ephesians chapter
2, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God. So we see the importance
of faith. It says Abraham believed God,
it was counted to him for righteousness. Now how do I know? Here's why
I want to I asked this morning, and I want you to consider, how
do I know my faith is true, saving faith like that of Abraham that
justifies? Well, in the conclusion of Romans
chapter 4, verse 17, down through verse 25, I believe God gives
us a description of true, saving faith. True, saving faith, verse
17 we read, believes God. Abraham, as it is written, God
said, I've made thee a father of many nations before him, before
God, whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead and calls
those things that be not as though they were. Saving faith believes
God. Without faith, it is impossible
to believe God. Saving faith believes God as
he's revealed in the word of God. Two things are given here
in verse 17. This saving faith believes God
who gives life to the dead. That is, he is the almighty God. You hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sin. Our Lord Jesus Christ is described
in John 17 as the sovereign Lord who gives life to as many as
a father hath given him. So saving faith looks to not
just a God, but the living, true God. This is eternal life, that
we might know thee, the only true God, who gives life to dead
sinners, who declares, it says in verse 17, declares the end
from the beginning. Saving faith believes God as
he's revealed in the word, who declares the end from the beginning. Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning. Now read on here. We're talking
about and describing true saving faith. And asking ourselves this
question this morning, is my faith that faith of God's elect,
this true saving faith. Secondly, true saving faith's
foundation is the word of God alone. Notice verse 17, this
phrase in verse 18, rather, who against hope believed in hope
that he might become the father of many nations. At this time
when God made this promise to Abraham, he was fatherless. But
he says, according to that which was spoken. His hope was based
upon and his faith was based upon the word of God. According
to that which was spoken. There is no hope apart from the
true hope revealed in the word of God, the promise of God of
salvation in Christ. We have a good hope through grace,
it says in 2 Thessalonians 2, 16. Now read on in verse 19,
true saving faith looks beyond the difficulties to the author
of faith, our Lord Jesus Christ. It says in verse 19 of Romans
4, again another description of true saving faith, and being
not weak in faith, he considered not His own body now dead. Truth-saving faith looks beyond
the difficulties. Abraham considered not his own
body dead. Naturally speaking, as far as
conceiving and bearing children, giving children, Sarah and Abraham,
Sarah was 90 years old. Abraham was 100 years old. When
he was about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
True saving faith looks beyond the difficulties. He considered
not his own situation, his own body. He reasoned not of his own personal difficulties. was 100 years old. Sarah was
90 years old. Reason and nature would say,
well, it's impossible to have a child, but not with God. Saving
faith looks to the promise, looks to God who promised and does
not see the difficulties. With God, all things are possible. Impossibilities are for men.
Nothing is impossible with God. Something else we see in verse
20, Romans 4 verse 20, another description of true saving faith.
Abraham staggered not at the promise of God to unbelief that
was strong in faith giving glory to God. True saving faith glorifies
God in salvation. True faith does not waver, does
not stagger, does not doubt the promise or purpose of God. We
have no reason not to believe God. We read in 2 Corinthians
1, 20, all the promises of God are in him, yea, yes, and amen. The word of God declares that
salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Neither is there salvation
in any other. No other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved, Acts 4, 12. True saving
faith glorifies God. believes God and finds no reason
not to trust Christ for all of salvation. God has declared that
salvation is in Christ. This salvation in Christ glorifies
God in all of his attributes of holiness, justice, love, truth,
and mercy. Galatians 6.14 declares, God
forbid I should glory save in Jesus Christ crucified. True saving faith does not stagger
at the promise of God. to unbelief, but strong in faith,
giving glory to God. Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ
gives all the glory to God alone. Furthermore, verse 21, another
description of true saving faith, being fully persuaded that what
God had promised, God was able to perform. True saving faith
is fully persuaded and assured, totally confident, Fully and
strongly convinced that God is able, that God is able to do
all He promised. Of all that He has promised,
there has not one promise of God failed. He is able to bring
to pass all He promised. We read in Hebrews 7, 25, He's
able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him.
Saving faith, trust God who is able. Again, we read in Jude
1, 24, he's able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless
before the presence of God's glory with exceeding joy. True
saving faith is fully persuaded that God is able to save me for
the Lord Jesus Christ's sake. Furthermore, we read in verse
22 another description of true saving faith, and therefore it
was imputed to him for righteousness. True saving faith receives Christ,
who is the Lord, our righteousness. Not because we have strong faith,
but rather because we have right, true faith, the faith of God's
elect, the faith that's a gift of God. We receive Christ who
justifies us by God-given faith. God will bless and trust those
who believe Christ. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life. True saving faith receives Christ
alone as the sole cause, reason, and ground in hope of our justification
before God. Again, we read another description
in Romans chapter 4, verse 23, 24, and 25. True saving faith
has but one object, one foundation, the promise of God, which is
the Word of God. Now it says, look at verse 23
of Romans 4, now it was not written for his sake alone, This was
all not written just to tell us about historical Abraham,
that it was imputed to him. God holds forth Abraham as a
pattern of justification, a pattern of how God saves sinners. But
this is written for us also, to whom it shall be imputed,
that is, salvation reckoned and given. to us seeing that we do
believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Old Testament believers and New
Testament believers are all justified the same way by faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. We believe through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ that God will save sinners, Acts 15,
11. It describes this one who is
our Savior The Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. And
faith looks to the risen, exalted Lord of glory. It says in verse
25, who was delivered. Delivered for our offenses. Delivered because of our sin.
and was raised again because he justified us. True saving
faith has but one object, one foundation, one ground. That is the Lord Jesus Christ
who was delivered for us. We know that Judas betrayed him
and delivered him into the hands of the Pharisees, and the Pharisees
sold him out to Pilate, and Pilate delivered him to be crucified.
But, my friend, it was God who determined from all eternity,
God, according to his determinate counsel and foreknowledge, he
delivered him up. to be crucified. Our Lord said,
no man takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own power. Truth-saving faith looks to this
one who is delivered by the determinate counsel of God to die as a sinner's
substitute to make satisfaction unto God. He was delivered for
our offenses, our sins. Now, he had no sin of his own.
He did no sin. He knew no sin. He was a sinless
man. But there at Calvary, God made
him to be sin for us, the just for the unjust, that we might
be brought unto God justly. Only the blood sacrifice of Jesus
Christ could take away our sin. We're justified by his blood. by his sacrifice. Now notice
this, true saving faith looks to Christ alone, the one who
was delivered by the determinate counsel of God, the one who was
delivered for our sins, the sin of God's people. Christ died
for the church, he saved his church from their sin, but my
friend, he didn't stay there, he was raised again because he
justified us. Raised again. because he justified
us at Calvary, because Christ made full satisfaction for the
sins of God's people for his church. When he by himself purged
our sin, he sat down at the right hand of God, fully paid our debt,
death has no claim on him nor on any believer. Sin demands
death, the wages of sin is death, but righteousness being established
demands life, his and all those for whom he died. So then, true,
saving faith looks to the glorious, victorious, living, risen Lord. Does this describe your faith? This is the faith of God's elect. Well, I pray the Lord will give
you grace to see how important and how necessary God-given faith
is. Let's look to the Lord Jesus
Christ from Romans chapter 4.