But there are three prominent
things in the first three chapters of Romans, and I'm going to give
them to you in just a moment. But keep in mind that chapter
four connects with all that precedes it. It connects with these three
things. Now, here they are. First of all, in the first three
chapters of Romans, this truth stands out in every paragraph,
in every chapter. There is absolutely no justification
before God by the works of the law. Now, that's what Romans
1, 2, and 3 primarily is teaching. There is no justification before
God by the works of the law for two reasons. Partly from the
depraved condition that all men are in by nature. Paul said in
the Book of Romans what the law could not do in that it was weak
through the flesh. So the first reason why no flesh
is justified by the law or the deeds of the law in the sight
of God is because of the depravity of the human nature, and partly
from the perfect nature of the law. The law discovers sin, doesn't
cleanse sin. The law convicts of sin doesn't
put away sin. The law pronounces guilt before
God, does not erase the transgression. So there are two reasons why
no flesh is justified by the deeds of the law in the sight
of God, because of the depravity of the flesh and because of the
perfection of the law. That's the two reasons. And that's
taught through the first three chapters of Romans. There is
absolutely, for no one, justification before God in any shape, form,
or fashion by the works of the law. Then the second thing that
is taught throughout the first three chapters of the Book of
Romans, the second prominent thing is this. There is a righteousness. There is a bridge across the
river. There is a way by which sinners
can be justified before God. There is another righteousness
by which men are declared perfect, pure, and holy in the sight of
God. And Paul, in the first three
chapters of Romans, describes this righteousness as one which
is free, one which is God-given, and one which is provided by
the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's the theme of the first
three chapters of Romans. Now, let me say this in going
over these three things. If you haven't heard anything
at all that I've tried to present to you prior to this moment,
if you haven't heard any gospel all your life, You listen to
these three things, and there's enough gospel in what I'm saying
to redeem your soul. These three things that I'm giving
you are not only the three prominent things in the first three chapters
of the book of Romans, but this is the very foundation of the
gospel. This is it. There is no justification by
the deeds of the law. There is no justification by
the works of the law. But there is a righteousness
provided. There is justification to be
had. And that righteousness and that
holiness with which God is pleased, and in which God will accept
the sinner, and through which God will justify sinners free
to any who want it, It's not only free, but it's
God-given and it's provided in its entirety by the Lord Jesus
Christ. And then the third thing that
is taught in the first three chapters of the book of Romans
is this, and I stayed on this a long time, Wednesday night
a week ago, the perfect righteousness of Christ. not only justifies
the sinner, and not only covers the guilt, and not only makes
us holy in the sight of God, but this is something most people
don't pay any attention to, and most preachers don't preach,
and most people don't understand, but this perfect righteousness
of Christ so honors God's law and God's justice that it enables
God, the Father, to deal in mercy with you and me. It enables the Father to deal
in mercy with a sinner while maintaining His holiness and
His truth. Look back at Romans 3, 26. He talks in verse 25 about Christ
being set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that have
passed, the sins of the Old Testament people, through the patience
and forbearance and longsuffering of God. To declare, verse 26,
to declare, I say, at this time, the Father's righteousness Christ
is set forth to be a propitiation to cover our sin right, to cover
our guilt right, to make us acceptable to the Father right, but also
to declare—Christ came down here and obeyed the law and died on
the cross—to declare God's righteousness, God's holiness, God is holy,
that He might be just and the justifier of him that believeth
in Jesus. I'll grant you that there's not
one person out of, I'll start to say a hundred, let's cut it
down to fifty, in professing Christendom today that knows
what that verse means. Almighty God must be just while
He justifies. He must be righteous while He
grants mercy. He must be holy while He dispenses
grace. And He cannot dispense grace
at the expense of holiness. That's what that's saying. And
so Christ came down here not just to make a way for you to
get to heaven, Not just to enable you to be saved, not just to
cover your transgression, but he did something toward the Father
in enabling the Father to be just and justify the ungodly. Now, actually, I say this, Cecil,
I say you can determine whether or not a person really knows
the necessity of Christ's death and the gospel. by his attitude
toward that verse right there, that God might be just and justify
them that believe on Christ. Do you want to go to heaven at
the expense of God's holiness? I don't. Do you want to go to
heaven at the expense of God's righteousness? I don't. And nobody's
going to. All right. Now, Paul proceeds
in chapter four. Now, that's the three prominent
things in the first three chapters. No justification by the law,
by the works, none whatsoever. There is a righteousness provided
which is free, God-given, and effectual in Christ, through
Christ, by Christ, for Christ's glory. Thirdly, that perfect
obedience honored God's law, and that death on the cross satisfied
God's justice and enabled the Father to be just and justify,
to be merciful and true. So Paul proceeds now in chapter
four to illustrate. That's what chapter four is,
it's an illustration. He proceeds to illustrate what? Justification by faith apart
from works. He's been declaring it in the
first three chapters, now he's going to illustrate it. He's
been declaring those three things, now he's going to illustrate
it. And whom does he choose? He chooses Abraham. Of course,
the Holy Spirit dictated the person to be chosen here. The Holy Spirit dictated man,
holy men of God, spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
I believe that this is the holy, infallible, verbally inspired
Word of God. And these men wrote as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit to write these words, even every word
that is written. And Paul uses Abraham. Now, first
of all, the Holy Spirit chooses Abraham because he is held by
the Jew in such high esteem. And in whatever way that Abraham
is justified, In whatever way it is declared and set forth
that Abraham is justified, well, his sons can be sure that it's
the right way. Now, we can be sure of that.
In whatever way that Abraham was justified, I can be sure
that that's the way that men are justified, because I know
before God, Abraham was called the father of the faithful. the
father of all who believe on Christ. And then another thing,
if I can find a way by which Abraham is justified, I needn't
look for any other. Because the Lord Jesus Christ
himself said the rich man died and was buried and went to hell,
and lastly went where? Abraham's bosom. Abraham's with
the Father. So however Abraham—that's the
reason he chose Abraham. However Abraham is justified,
that's it. And we needn't look for any other
way, and that's what he's going to illustrate. Now then, and
I'm going to divide chapter 4 up into four parts to help us a
little bit. I think it's a natural division.
First of all, in the first, oh, about first eight verses, You
can look for this in the first eight verses. Paul illustrates
the doctrine of justification by faith with Abraham and David. Now let's look at verse 1. What
shall we say, then, that Abraham, our father, as pertaining to
the flesh, hath found? Abraham was a patriarch, imminently
holy, head of the nation Israel, the friend of God, the father
of all who believe, and who seed all the nations of the world,
are to be blessed." That's Abraham. Now then, what hath Abraham gained?
That's the question here. What hath Abraham received? What
hath Abraham found? Verse 2. If Abraham were justified
by works, If Abraham was free from guilt, and free from condemnation,
and free from sin by his works, if Abraham was justified by works,
he hath whereof to glory. He has grounds for boasting,
but not before God. Because God knows Abraham's faults,
and God knows Abraham's sins, and God knows Abraham's failings. Back in chapter 3, verse 27,
Paul had said, Where is boasting? Where is boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of work? Nay, but
by the law of faith. If Abraham is justified by work,
he hath whereof to boast. But certainly not before God.
because God knows his heart. Now then, for what sayeth the
Scriptures, having denied that Abraham is justified by works,
Paul appeals to the Scripture. Paul appeals to the Scripture.
The best thing that you can do in talking with your friends
about salvation and about the Lord, appeal to the Scripture. That's what Paul does here. What
shall we say that Abraham hath found, hath gained? If Abraham's
justified by works, he hath vowed to both. But not before God. God knows his heart. But what
does the Scripture say? Let's find out what Abraham hath
found according to the Scripture. So we have to go back to Genesis
15, verse 6. Genesis 15, verse 6. What hath Abraham gained? What
hath Abraham found? How was Abraham justified? Genesis
15, verse 6. And he believed in the Lord,
and God counted it to him for righteousness. Romans 4, verse
3, the Apostle Paul appeals to the Scripture. What does the
Scripture say about Abraham's justification? What does the
Scripture say? concerning Abraham's redemption.
It says, Abraham believed God. It didn't say Abraham worked
for it, Abraham earned it, Abraham obeyed the law and therefore
was justified. Abraham believed God and was
justified. That's what the scripture said.
Now verse 4, Now to him that worketh is the reward, the inheritance,
justification. not reckoned of grace, not the
results of grace, not the gift of grace, but of debt. What's he saying? He's saying
this. When a laborer works, his wages are not a gift. His wages are not a favor. His wages are an obligation,
something that you owe to him. Regardless of how much or how
little work he does, regardless of the degree of the work, if
work is involved, his wages are not a gift, but his wages are
that which he earned, and an obligation. And the same thing
is true of justification. If I work for it, it is not of
grace. If I serve God in order to be
justified, no matter to what degree I serve God, no matter
how much or how little the work, but if any work is involved at
all in the consideration, it's an obligation. It cannot be of
grace, it is of death. Now, verse 5, But to him that
worketh not, Now, the person who is justified before God,
and let's be careful here, the person who is justified before
God does not work at all for his justification. To him that
worketh not. To him that worketh not. You
say, well, doesn't a believer work? He certainly does, but
not for justification. Doesn't a believer serve God?
He absolutely does, but not for righteousness. Does the believer
work in the kingdom of God? He certainly does, but not for
justification. We're talking about for righteousness
and justification. But to him that worketh not,
but solely, completely, absolutely believes on Christ that justifies
the ungodly, he's got same faith Abraham's got. His faith is counted
for righteousness. He cut out of the same pattern
Abraham's cut out of. He's made of the same pattern
and material of which Abraham's made. That's what's said. Back
here in verse 3, it says, Abraham believed God. What has Abraham
found? He's found righteousness. Where
did he find it? He found it in Christ. How did
he get it? By faith. by faith. Now, if it's of works, it's not
of grace. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, the same thing is
said of him that God said of Abraham. His faith is counted
for righteousness. Now, listen to me. In verse 4
and 5 here, which I just read, to him that worketh, well, If
you're working for justification, if you went to heaven, it'd just
be wages, that's all. It'd be an obligation, not a
gift. In verse 4 and 5, what Paul is raising, he's raising
the distinction between receiving the reward by works or through
faith. That's what he's talking about.
Receiving the inheritance, eternal life, salvation, either because
of your works or through your faith. In works, man receives
what is due him. In faith, a man receives grace
and mercy, that which is not due him, unmerited favor. Now, Martin Luther said this,
works are absolutely necessary in the life of a believer. Works
of faith labor of love, but they have nothing whatsoever to do
with the sinner's justification before God." Martin Luther went
on, "...works mean nothing regarding justification, but true faith will produce good
works." and will no more fail to produce good works than the
sun can stop giving light." Now that's simple. Now we come to our second illustration. Paul there, here's what he's
doing. As I told you, there are three things, and one was one,
two, and three. Justification, not by works, not by works, but
by faith. The righteousness in Christ.
And that righteousness provided to cover our guilt and to justify
the Father when he forgives sinners. And he uses Abraham to illustrate
that salvation by grace. Now he uses David. And David
is quoted on the subject. David, let's stop a minute, David
was a man according to God's own heart. You knew that. David
was the father of the Messiah. Christ was to sit on whose throne?
David's throne. David was the great type of Christ,
David was the chosen king of Israel, and David, speaking by
the Holy Spirit, watch it, verse 6, David describes the blessedness
of the man, the happiness of the man, under whom God imputeth,
reckoneth, chargeth, righteousness without works. Now, brother, I know, and you
know, that there are groups of people, whole denominations,
a lot of do-gooders, and a lot of sin-fighters who just don't
like that verse of Scripture. But there she is. There she is. David said, Happy is the man
to whom God imputed God himself reckoning a righteousness, and
that righteousness is none other than the holiness of his Son. And he charges that to a sinner with just a few words, Nelson,
without any words. Without any words. And David
said, happy is the man, blessed are they, whose iniquities are
forgiven, whose sins are covered, and they didn't work for it,
and they didn't earn it, and they didn't deserve it. It was
the free gift of God's grace. and it's of works, it's no more
of grace, and if it's grace, it's not works. Blessed is the man happy to whom
God himself, the Holy Judge of the universe, will not charge
sin. That's the happy man. That's
the blessed man. Blessed is that man who, without
any works, blessed is that man who, without any works, has a
righteousness which God the Father gave him, and to whom he will
not charge sin, and of whom it is said, his sins are covered. Now, the second part of this
chapter deals with this, deals with circumcision. Circumcision to which the Jews
ascribe so much importance. Oh, it was important. It was
important. And Paul is, in the next few
verses, is saying that circumcision contributes absolutely nothing,
nothing, to our justification. And here's
the example or illustration, because Abraham was justified
fourteen years before he was circumcised. That's right. And that's what we're going to
look for here now. That's what you expect to find. You see,
the Word of God is tied beautifully together, connected beautifully. So what he's saying here, he's
saying that Abraham, what has he found? He found righteousness
without works in Christ. And David spoke of it, too. And
the Jews, you know, wait a minute now, wait a minute, Abraham was
circumcised. All right, let's see. Now, does
this blessing, verse 8 says, "...blessed is the man to whom
God will not charge sin." Not one little sin, not one bad thought,
not one evil word. God will not charge it to his
account. Now, does this blessing come only upon the circumcision? Now, all the Jews took their
sons when they were eight days old. It has something to do with
with the pain is less than, the possibilities of infection are
less than, there are several things that scientists have discovered
concerning circumcision, that it was done on the eighth day,
and I'm not a doctor so I don't know, but every male child in
the whole nation of Israel was circumcised. And when they talk
about, cometh this blessing upon the circumcision only, They're
saying, does this blessing only come upon those who are sons
of Abraham by the natural token? Now, let's read on. Or, upon
the uncircumcision also, the Gentiles, the people out yonder,
you and me. For we say that faith was reckoned
to Abraham for righteousness. Now, verse 10, look at it. How
was it then reckoned when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? In other words, we're saying
this. Abraham was justified and received
a perfect righteousness before God by faith, and faith only. But now, did he come after he
was circumcised or before? And Paul says before. Turn, if
you will, let's read it. Genesis 17. Genesis 17. Over here in the seventeenth
chapter of Genesis. God made a covenant with Abraham.
Genesis 17, chapter 7. God says, I will establish my
covenant. Well, in verse 2 he says, I'll
make my covenant between me and thee. In verse 7, I'll establish
my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, and
their generation, for an everlasting covenant. I'll be a God unto
thee, and to thy seed after thee. I'll give unto thee, and to thy
seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, and all
the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. I'll be their God.
Now, you remember this statement I just read, because we're going
to see that circumcision is a sign or a token that God made with
Israel concerning Canaan, the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan. Now, he said that to Abraham.
I'll give it to thee for an everlasting possession. I'll be your God.
And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant. Therefore
thou and thy seed after thee and their generation, this is
my covenant which you 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. It shall be a token, it shall
be a token, a sign of the covenant between me and you, which has
already been established, which is already made." And actually,
fourteen years after Abraham was called of God and had the
covenant of mercy established with him, he received circumcision,
and he circumcised Ishmael when Ishmael was thirteen years old.
Ishmael was thirteen years old already when he was circumcised
and seal of promise. Now, what is it? Well, I'll tell
you most things are hazy on this now, but I'm going to try to
give you three things denoted by circumcision or what it is. It was a sign or a token of the
covenant that God made with Israel concerning Canaan, concerning
the land of Canaan, the Jewish country that God gave them. He said, it's yours for an eternal
possession. Secondly, circumcision of the
male Israelite was a sign and a distinguishing badge which
distinguished Israel from all other nations and all other people.
God gave it to them to distinguish them from all other nations and
all other people. Third, it was a sign of Christ
and his blood, as are all ceremonies of the law. And also, it is a
sign and a preceding token, or symbol, of the circumcision of
the heart. And that's important right there.
It's a preceding symbol, or token, of the circumcision of the heart.
Now let's read on, verse 11. And Abraham received the sign
of circumcision. a seal of the righteousness of
the faith which he already had, being uncircumcised, that he
might be the father of all them that believe." In other words,
he says here, he was pronounced justified before circumcision,
that he might be the father of those who aren't circumcised.
That he received it after he received the token The heathen
Gentile nations could fear that they could never be one with
Abraham. But he received it before. He
received justification before circumcision that he might be
identified with those who don't have it, in verse 12, and that
he might be identified with those who do have it. That he might
be the father of faith to those who don't have it, and the father
of faith to those that do have it. So that's the next thing
that is taught in the fourth chapter of Romans, and that is
that Abraham received justification prior to the sign or seal of
circumcision. Now let's look at verse 13. Here's
the third part of this fourth chapter. And in this third part,
you can look for this. Paul proves, he proves, that
the promise of the inheritance made to Abraham, all the promises
that God gave Abraham, were not through obedience to
the law, but through the righteousness of faith. That's what he said,
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 of faith. For
if they which are of the law be heirs, that is, of the righteousness
of faith and eternal life, then faith is made void, and the promise
of no effect. Because the law worketh wrath,
or the law results in wrath. Now, when Caesar read this a
moment ago, look at verse 15 carefully. The law worketh wrath. Where no law is, there's no transgression. What's he saying? He's saying
this. It is the nature of law. I don't care whether it's a speed
law, or whether it's a moral law, or whether it's a spoken
law in the home, or whether it's a ceremonial law. It's the nature
of every law to afford the opportunity of transgression. The nature
of every law affords the opportunity of transgression. The law results
in wrath. The law itself does not bring
on the wrath, but the transgression of the law brings on the wrath.
But if the law had not been there, there would have been no transgression.
That's what he's saying. Where no law is, there's no breach
of the law. You can't break something that
doesn't exist. If a man could be placed, now
watch this, I know this is difficult here, but try to stay with me,
I think I can explain. If a man could be placed in a
situation where there was no law, none whatsoever, that's
hypothetical, if he could. And it's impossible because even
before the moral law was given through Moses, the law of God
existed. But if a man could be placed
in a situation where there was no law, he wouldn't be exposed
to any penalty. Right? No penalty. And that's the reason this is
what Paul's teaching. But considering the character
of man, wherever the law is, there's going to be a transgression.
That's what he's saying. Wherever man is, there's going
to be a transgression. Where there is no law, there's
no transgression, there's no offense, there's no wrath, there's
no penalty. And that's the only place a man
would be sinned. Only place. For wherever you have a man,
because of his fallen condition, wherever the law and man meet,
wrath going to be the results. That's it, though. Wherever you
have the two, wherever they have you and me, and law existing,
the results are going to be rare. And the only way that we can
avoid rare is to be where there is no law. And that's an impossibility. It can't be. It can't be. Before Sinai, man was under the
guilt of the law and under the sentence of death. And so that's
what he's saying there. He's saying the law always results
in wrath. Wherever man meets law, God's
law, there's wrath. And the only way a man can be
without the wrath of God is to be without law. That's what he's
saying. Therefore, it is a faith. Therefore, inheriting the promise
of God is a result of faith. The result of the law is death.
The result of faith is life. And the promise of God depends
entirely on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of
grace. Therefore, it is a faith that it might be by grace. Now,
here's another statement, that eternal life might be sure. I
love that. When Cecil read that a moment
ago, I looked at it, "...therefore salvation is by faith, that it
might be by grace to the end, or for the goal, that the promise
might be sure to all to see." Brethren, if salvation was by
works, it could never be sure. If Adam had never fallen, we
may fall today. If we remain, that's the reason
people who are in what we call freewillism always talk about
holding out, because that's the essence of their promise, as
long as they hold out. So it's never sure. Actually,
falling from salvation is perfectly consistent with working for salvation. Perfectly consistent. If a man
earns salvation, He can quit working and quit earning it.
You men are only going to draw your paychecks as long as you
work. When you quit, they're going to quit paying you. And
people that believe in salvation by works, when they quit serving
God, he quits paying. And they're lost. They keep their
name. You keep your name on the payroll at Armco by keeping on
working. You keep your name on the book
of life by keeping on working. But here Paul said, it's a faith. First of all, that it might be
by grace. That it might be by grace. And
secondly, that it might be sure. It's sure. If I fail, he remains
faithful. Christ stands for me when I'm
up, and he stands for me when I'm down. Christ stands for me
when I'm faithful, and he stands for me when I'm unfaithful. Christ
stands for me when I'm on the mountain, and he stands for me
when I'm in the dark places. And my confidence and hope is
not in my fluctuating mind and heart and imagination, but in
the sure, steady rock that shall not be moved. That's what he's
saying, that it might be sure. Not to that only which is of
the law, that is, not to those only who are Jews, by circumcision,
and Jews by ceremonial law, but to that also which is of the
faith of Abraham, who is the father of all believers." Now
then, last of all, and I'm going to give this in just a few minutes.
In the last seven or eight verses, Paul describes Abraham's faith. In verse 17, I've made thee a
father of many nations before him whom he believeth. Verse 19, And being not weak
in 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
he was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully
persuaded that what God had promised, he was able to perform. That's a description of his faith. Now watch this, and this is very
good. I got this from Robert Haldane. I think this is one
of the best things that I read all day about this. Abraham,
we know, in his life, was a devout, obedient son of God. He was a
man who walked with God. But throughout this whole chapter,
nothing is said of Abraham's holy walk, nothing is said of
his conversation with God, nothing is said of his obedience and
good works, All that is brought to view is what? Is faith. That's all. Because Paul is showing
this. And Paul doesn't try to deal
like we do with a half a dozen subjects at one time and confuse
everybody. Paul is showing that neither
moral nor ceremonial works, neither evangelical or legal works, are
of any account whatsoever in the act of justification, and
neither moral or ceremonial works, neither evangelical or legal
works, contribute in any degree to the procuring that blessing. No way. And that's the reason
in chapter 4 you don't read a thing about Abraham's walk with God,
you don't read a thing about his works, you only read about
his faith. His faith. He was, verse 20,
was strong in faith and was fully persuaded that what God had promised,
God could perform. And therefore it was imputed. The word imputed means reckoned
or charged. It was reckoned to him what was
faith for righteousness. Now this was written, now it
was not written for his sake alone, that he got it this way. But it was written for us, to
whom it shall be imputed.