Romans 4:1-12, “Abraham’s Righteousness.”

Bible Text: Romans 4:1-12 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

Romans 1:16-17, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God
for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”
Paul is talking about that gift of acceptance to, being made righteous by, and eternal relationship with God — it is a gift of the grace of God.
One of the earliest and clearest Biblical examples of this is Abraham. Paul uses Abraham as an illustration of a man who was made righteous before God.
Abraham is known, revered, and honored by three faiths: Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Paul is especially using Abraham here in Romans, as an example for the Jewish readers of this letter.
In today’s lesson we will consider How Abraham was made righteous. When Abraham was made righteous.
Look at verses 1-3… The very first account of Abraham is found in Genesis 11:26-12:9. He was born to Terah, a descendant of Shem (one of Noah’s three sons). Abraham was living in the city of Ur of the Chaldea in the Mesopotamian Valley, and although he was a religious man, he was most likely an idolator like his father Terah (Joshua 24:2), who like most of the residents of Ur worshipped the moon goddess, out of an ignorance of the One True God.
At that time, God appeared to and called Abraham, who believed and obeyed God, trusting God to take care of his family, leading him to a land he had never seen.
Paul states (v. 2) of our text, “If in fact Abraham was justified [made righteous] by works, he had something to boast about,” i.e., if works could make Abraham righteous, he had something to brag about.
That is the way it is in the world is today, isn’t it? We gain reputation and popularity among one another by what you do, what we have. We impress one another by our deeds, but God is not impressed. God knows our hearts, He knows why we do what we do; He sees the greed, self-centeredness, and manipulation that goes on in our minds and hearts, rendering our actions to be. invalid, worthless in the eyes of God.
Any sense of righteousness from our own self-centered performance is short lived. The righteousness from God lasts for eternity, and that is what Abraham received. Paul says (v. 3), it was by Abraham’s belief that God’s righteousness was credited to him (see Genesis 15:5-6).
God no doubt explained to Abraham what He meant by offspring [seed, used first in Genesis 3:15, of Christ].

Galatians 3:6-9, “Consider Abraham: ‘He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” 16, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.”
God must have explained to Abraham that there was One coming who would fulfill God’s promises concerning Abraham’s spiritual, as well as his physical, descendants. It is through Jesus that this would be fulfilled.
James 2:23 quotes Genesis 15, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” then James adds, “and he was called God’s friend” — not because he behaved well, or was self-righteous, but because he believed God’s promise of the One who was to come through Abraham’s line – Jesus of Nazareth.
Look at Verses 4-5… Yes, we can take credit for what we do, but not for what God does in us; and only God can make us righteous. Verse 5 is a declaration of the gospel, in that we can only be made right with God by God, and we can do nothing good of ourselves (Romans 3:23; 6:23; 3:10-12; 8:1).
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Anyone who tries to earn acceptance, to earn God’s love, to become right with God by what they do, or who they think they are, will fail. God’s GRACE is the unmerited favor and mercy of God.
Many Christians, having once believed in Christ for salvation, they try to gain God’s approval and love by works or rituals; but you can never earn God’s love that way. God’s love is a gift and it is yours by faith in Christ, fresh every morning, for all of eternity.
Look at verses 6-8… Paul now reminds us of David, another great example of a man who gained God’s favor by faith, not by performance or lack of performance.
Verses 7-8 are quoted from David’s 32nd Psalm. David received God’s gift of mercy when he was being tortured by a guilty conscience, for he had murdered Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, to cover up his own adulterous affair, even as the king of Israel.
Abraham was not considered righteous by being good and moral; but only when he believed God, concerning Jesus, the seed Who would bring righteousness to all those who believe in Him. Abraham was called the friend of God, not because of his deeds, but because he believed in what God said.
David failed to be righteous as the king of Israel, but in the midst of his depravity he turned to and trust in God concerning the Savior yet to come. David learned that God did not want the sacrifice of animals, but a willful spirit that trusted in what God said about the Sovereign Sacrifice of His own Son. And so, David is called a man with a heart after God.
As a Christian, a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you are a friend of God. This is made effectual not by your good works, good looks, or good heritage, but by your trust in the life, death and resurrection of God’s Son.
Look at verses 9-11a… Abraham was circumcised fourteen years after he was pronounced righteous by faith, fourteen years after he was called the friend of God.
The Jews, of Paul’s day claimed that it was the ritual of circumcision that made them acceptable to God; clearly, righteousness was credited to Abraham long before he was circumcised, i.e., circumcision has no value for righteousness or salvation.
Consider this, the modern equivalent of Jewish circumcision is Christian baptism; people are justified before God [made righteous in God’s sight] – not by being circumcised or baptized, but by genuine saving faith in Jesus Christ: crucified, resurrected, coming again.
Circumcision was useless in saving anyone, the real purpose of circumcision was to serve as a sign and a seal.
As a sign, it served to identify God’s people, set apart from all others, for no other people on the earth at that time circumcised their male offspring.
As a seal, every time circumcision was performed, it served to remind the people of God’s righteousness that was credited to Abraham, and to all believers, through faith, apart from circumcision (see Romans 2:28-29).
Look at verses 11b-12… The righteousness from God was to make Abraham the father of many spiritual children who would come through God’s seed, God’s Son [the Word of God: Luke 8:11; John 1:1-3, 14, 18].
Most of us here are not descendants of Abraham by blood. However, we become sons and daughters of Abraham by faith, when we receive God’s gift – Jesus Christ, of Whom Paul wrote (2Corinthians 9:15), “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
When we believe God, like Abraham, trust in God’s seed, we show that we are Abraham’s descendants.
Galatians 3:26-29, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
All those who walk in the footsteps of faith associated with Abraham, whether circumcised or not, belong to God and are considered righteous.
No Jew is saved [made righteous] by being circumcised and obeying the law, anymore than any Gentile is saved [made righteous] by being baptized and going to church.
Abraham was made righteous when he believed and obeyed God, and by doing so, Abraham expressed faith in God to protect and provide for him, not just here on earth, but forever in heaven (Hebrews 11:10), “Abraham was looking forward to the City Whose architect and builder is God.”
The Bible says everyone who calls o the name of the Lord will be saved; we are saved by believing God and trusting in His Son, nothing else can make us righteous.
Therefore, we don’t need to base our worth on what others think about us or what we are able to accomplish. God loves us and makes us eternally righteous, through His own Son. We don’t have to prove anything to anyone; but need only to Love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others on God’s behalf, for as long as we live on this planet.
We can cease trying to please others or trying to please ourselves; instead, may we ought to commit to honor and obey our Father in heaven, living as sons and daughters of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ, Who is both Lord & Savior: crucified, resurrected, coming again.
Pastor Mike