Romans 4:1-12
Romans 4:1-12
Background
To continue his argument that all Christians - Jewish or Gentile - are justified by faith alone and not by works of the Law, Paul appeals to the stories of two of Israel’s heaviest hitters: Abraham and David.
Abraham was the father of the Jewish people, to whom God first gave the sign of circumcision, the promise of a nation, and so forth.
David was the most notable king of Israel, to whom God promised a descendant of his would sit on the throne forever and establish an everlasting kingdom.
In both of their stories, however, Paul wants to call attention to the fact that what made them righteous was their faith in God, not their obedience. They were obedient, but which came first: obedience or faith? And to which one did God declare them righteous?
Righteousness through Faith is a Gift
Paul tries to prove that justification by faith alone - not by works of the Law - is not some radically new thing. He does this by reminding the Jewish people of the story of Abraham, the father of their faith. God had called him to leave his land, his family, and everything, and to follow him - a new God he hadn’t known - into a new land with new promises. And Abraham obeyed! But before he obeyed, Abraham had to trust the Lord; Abraham placed his faith in this God.
And it’s this belief in God, Paul quotes from the Old Testament, that credited Abraham with righteousness. It was a belief that led to obedience, but it was the belief alone that declared him to be righteous.
Have you ever been uncomfortable receiving a gift? Have you ever gotten a gift that was too good, too generous, or too undeserved that you felt obligated to give someone money for it, work it off, or pay it back somehow? What was it? Did you do anything for it?
How does this show that sometimes we misunderstand what a gift really is? How is it different from a wage that we’ve earned, like Paul talks about?
Paul doesn’t deny the fact that Abraham’s works could’ve justified him in the eyes of a lot of people. But he also doesn’t deny that even Abraham - the father of their faith! - couldn’t boast in himself before the Lord. Why not?
Why is Paul making a big deal about whether our justification is something that comes from a gift or something we’ve earned?
Does God owe us anything?
Is God able to justify the ungodly?
How do you feel about him justifying the one who doesn’t work?
Righteousness through Faith is a Blessing
Paul’s already walked through some arguments about how and why some people might find it offensive that God would justify the ungodly, those that aren’t circumcised, people who don’t follow the works of the Law, etc. But while he’s made the point that this is simply the way God does things, he’s now saying that it’s a thing to celebrate.
Receiving righteousness as a gift through faith alone isn’t something to be grumbled about, as if it unfairly gives people something you earned on your own. On the flip side, the gift of righteousness through faith is something we should all celebrate, because it means we’re all able to stand acquitted, forgiven, and blessed by him.
Has it ever been hard for you to watch someone get something you think you deserved? …or that you simply know they didn’t deserve? Tell us about that!
Translate that to forgiveness by God, entrance into the kingdom, and a seat at Jesus’ table. Would you have a hard time knowing that someone was forgiven of the horrible things they’ve done - to you, to others, etc.?
Self-reflect for a moment: would you be that person for anyone else? Or when you look at your own life, are you more shocked that God would invite you to believe and belong to his people than anyone else?
One of the best markers of humility before the Lord and others is being able to celebrate other people’s wins. And that’s possible in the kingdom, because we first and foremost know how big of a deal it is that God celebrates our inclusion into the kingdom. Consider:
When’s the last time you celebrated God’s work in your life? Truly, when’s the last time you were amazed at his grace and mercy on your life? How can you bolster your ability to celebrate (boast, brag, etc.) about God more often?
What would it take for you to celebrate the Lord’s grace in and through other people you have a hard time with? What would that look like from you? What about the nature, character, and work of the Lord can help you repent in the way you think, what you want, and how you relate with those people?
What might be different in our group, our church, etc., if our culture of boasting in the Lord and celebrating God’s righteousness in faith were even more robust and realized?
Righteousness through Faith Has Always Been the Thing
Paul brings us back to the beginning of Abraham’s story to make his point crystal clear. No matter who we are or where we are with the Lord, we each have an origin story that begins before we believed.
If you’re unfamiliar with Abraham, Read Genesis 12:1-9 and Genesis 15. This is a bit of his “origin” story. While it’s easy to think of Abraham as simply the “father of their faith,” his own righteousness began somewhere - as a pagan in a foreign land who didn’t know God, but who trusted the Lord enough to follow him. Is anything surprising here? Can you see why Paul would come back to Abraham’s story? What difference would it make it Abraham was circumcised or not before he was counted righteous?
Consider your own story: were you made righteous before the Lord because of what you did, or because of what God did? That might be an easy question, but how does that false belief still show up? Consider:
What do you still hide from the people of God?
When do you feel like you have to pretend or put up a fake front in the church?
How do rest in what you’ve done / accomplished / how far you’ve come as your assurance of your place with God and his people?
When do you catch yourself grumbling about the gifts, blessings, etc. others have received and/or what you haven’t?
How are you prone to make yourself the hero of your own story of coming to Jesus? Is the way you tell it about the goodness and grace of God or a “look at me and how far I’ve come?”