I. Faith, Not Works
A. The Righteousness Of Abraham Vs. 1-5
1. Paul sought to establish that justification by faith was not a new idea.
a. He alluded to this in Romans 1:2; 3:21, 31.
b. If it was a new idea, then the Old Testament would have been seen as irrelevant
c. The Jews would have claimed that the Gospel invalidated the Old Testament
2. Paul points to Abraham, a highly respected man in Judaism. Considered the father of the faith.
a. Isaiah 51:1, 2
1 “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.
2
Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.”
b. Abraham has been the special recipient of God’s promises. Genesis 12:1-3;
c. 2 Chronicles 20:7 7Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
3. Paul asserts that Abraham was justified by faith, not by good works.
4. If Abraham was justified by his good works, then he could boast in what he had done.
5. In proving his point, Paul turns to the Scriptures, which is essential for doctrine.
6. Turn to Genesis 15:1-6
7. The rabbis believed that Abraham performed the entire Law before it was given.
a. That he kept it by intuition or anticipation.
8. Abraham was not made righteous by faith, but was accounted as righteous by faith.
a. By faith, we are not made righteous, but accounted as righteous.
b. After we are counted as righteous by faith, God then begins to make us righteous.
9. Counted- an accounting term. To put to one’s account.
a. Wuest- “Abraham possessed righteousness in the same manner as a person would possess a sum of money placed in his account in a bank.”
b. Philemon 1:18 18But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.
c. Paul was willing to accept any debt which the runaway slave, Onesimus, may have owed to his master Philemon.
10. Vs. 4, 5– When a laborer works, he earns his wages. His boss is indebted to him.
a. There are two ways that money can be put into an account: as wages, or as a gift, but the two are completely incompatible and mutually exclusive.
b. The laborer expects and even demands his wages. He earned them.
c. When a man receives a gift, he can take no credit. God’s graciously offers this gift.
11. When a man believes the Gospel, God counts that man as righteous.
12. V. 5– Who does God justify? The ungodly. The one who admits he is ungodly.
13. David Guzik– Everyone who has ever been saved – Old or New Testament – is saved by grace through faith, through their relationship of trusting love with God. Because of the New
Covenant we have benefits of salvation that the Old Testament saint did not have, but we do not have a different manner of salvation.
B. The Righteousness Of David Vs. 6-8
1. Paul points out another hero of the Jewish people: King David
2. Psalm 32 written probably after David’s adultery with Bathsheba, and after he arranged the death of her husband Uriah.
a. Turn to Psalm 32:1-5
3. V. 7– David claimed to have lawless deeds and sins. He had sinned much.
4. David confessed his wrongdoing. He agreed with God about his condition.
a. Lawless deeds- contempt and violation of law. Disrespecting, hating the law of God, and deliberately violating it. No attempt to obey it. No appreciation of it.
b. Sins- to miss the mark, to wander from the path.
5. David was forgiven, and his sins were covered. God did not impute sin to him, though he had sinned greatly.
a. Forgiven- to put away, to send away, to separate from one’s self.
b. Covered- to cover over.
c. Shall not impute- to whom God will not count as sinful.
6. Instead, David called himself blessed.- markarismos. To be spiritually prosperous.
II. Considerations
A. Are You Spiritually Prosperous?
1. One may prosper in many things, but be spiritually bankrupt.
2. Health and wealth eventually fade away and cannot save you.
3. Health and wealth cannot bring extended blessings for the soul.
4. Psalm 106:16 15 And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.
B. Are You Trying To Earn Your Way Into Heaven?
1. Do you believe that God ought to accept you because you have done some good?
2. Do you believe that your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds?
3. Romans 3:20 20Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
4. Abraham and David both needed to be justified by faith.
5. They were mighty and godly men, but they were not accepted by their works.
6. Do you think that you are better than they were?
C. Are You Ready/Willing To Make The Same Confession As David?
1. That you have sinned, and broken the laws of God?
2. Are you ready to agree with God about your spiritual condition?
3. Are you ready to ask for forgiveness?
4. Don’t you want to experience the blessedness that David spoke about?
5. Don’t you want God to not hold your sins against you?