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Continued from: Romans Chapter 3
Romans 4 (CLV)
1 What, then, shall we declare that Abraham, our forefather, according to flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by acts, he has something to boast in, but not toward God." 3 For what is the scripture saying? Now "Abraham believes God, and it is reckoned to him for righteousness." 4 Now to the worker, the wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as a debt." 5 Yet to him who is not working, yet is believing on Him Who is justifying the irreverent, his faith is reckoned for righteousness."
Abraham was justified by faith, before he was obedient to YHWH's law.
(CLV) Gn 15:6
Now Abram believed ion Elohim, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness
Does that mean that in belief of YHWH's word, that he ignored YHWH's word?
Of course not!
(CLV) Gn 26:5
inasmuch as your father Abraham hearkened to My voice and kept My charge, My instructions, My statutes and My laws.
(CLV) Ja 2:21
Abraham, our father, was he not justified by works when offering up his son Isaac on the altar?
(CLV) Ja 2:22
You are observing that faith worked together with his works, and by works was faith perfected.
(CLV) Ja 2:23
And fulfilled was the scripture which is saying, Now "Abraham believes God, and it is reckoned to him for righteousness," and he was called "the friend of God."
Notice that Abraham came to faith BEFORE he was obedient to YHWH's law.
Again, obedience to YHWH's law is the fruit of faith.
6 Even as David also is telling of the happiness of the man to whom God is reckoning righteousness apart from acts: 7 Happy they whose lawlessnesses were pardoned and whose sins were covered over! 8 Happy the man to whom the Lord by no means should be reckoning sin! 9 This happiness, then, is it for the Circumcision, or for the Uncircumcision also? For we are saying, "To Abraham faith is reckoned for righteousness." 10 How then, is it reckoned? Being in circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision."
Again, Paul demonstrates how faith preceded obedience to YHWH's law.
He's building the case that it is OK for the Gentiles to be uncircumcised, while they are still coming into the faith.
Obedience to YHWH's law is the fruit of faith; not the other way around.
We shouldn't, however get the notion that if we have faith; that we can ignore YHWH's law. Paul made it very clear at the end of the last chapter; that we are to sustain the law!
11 And he obtained the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which was in uncircumcision, for him to be the father of all those who are believing through uncircumcision, for righteousness to be reckoned to them, 12 and the father of the Circumcision, not to those of the Circumcision only, but to those also who are observing the elements of the faith in the footprints of our father Abraham, in uncircumcision."
Circumcision is the outward sign, of the inward manifestation, of circumcision of the heart. It seals the faith that was obtained before the works.
Abraham set an example for those coming to faith.
13 For not through law is the promise to Abraham, or to his Seed, for him to be enjoyer of the allotment of the world, but through faith's righteousness."
What is righteousness? Obedience to the law.
Paul makes it clear that the promise didn't come through the law; but through faith.
Again, obedience to the law is the fruit of faith.
14 For if those of law are enjoyers of the allotment, faith has been made void and the promise has been nullified, 15 for the law is producing indignation. Now where no law is, neither is there transgression."
Let's be clear on this. Paul is not saying that there is no law here. Again, at the end of the last chapter he said that we are to sustain the law. That means that if we are of faith; we refrain from transgression of the law.
(CLV) Gn 26:5
inasmuch as your father Abraham hearkened to My voice and kept My charge, My instructions, My statutes and My laws.
16 Therefore it is of faith that it may accord with grace, for the promise to be confirmed to the entire seed, not to those of the law only, but to those also of the faith of Abraham, who is father of us all,
Here Paul demonstrates grace is extended to all those of faith. Not to just those through which faith has matured, to come to bear the fruit of faith, which is the obedience that Abraham exhibited in his faith.
17 according as it is written that, A father of many nations have I appointed you - facing which, he believes it of the God Who is vivifying the dead and calling what is not as if it were -" 18 who, being beyond expectation, believes in expectation, for him to become the father of many nations, according to that which has been declared, "Thus shall be your seed."
Here Paul demonstrates that it's not just the physical seed of Abraham which are invited into this covenant.
YHWH extends grace to all those who come to him in faith...
19 And, not being infirm in faith, he considers his body, already deadened (being inherently somewhere about a hundred years) and the deadening of the matrix of Sarah, 20 yet the promise of God was not doubted in unbelief, but he was invigorated by faith, giving glory to God, 21 being fully assured also, that, what He has promised, He is able to do also." 22 Wherefore, also, it is reckoned to him for righteousness." 23 Now it was not written because of him only, that it is reckoned to him, 24 but because of us also, to whom it is about to be reckoned, who are believing on Him Who rouses Jesus our Lord from among the dead." 25 Who was given up because of our offenses, and was roused because of our justifying."
...and here again, Paul explains how Yahshua fits into this promise.
Legal Terms:
The Law of Faith (Ch 3)
A Different Law (Ch 7)
The Law of My Mind (Ch 7)
The Law of Sin (Sin's Law) (Ch 7)
God's Law (Ch 7)
The Spirit's Law of Life (Ch 8)
The Law of Sin and Death (Ch 8)
The Law of Righteousness (Ch 9)
Romans Chapter 5
Romans 4 (CLV)
1 What, then, shall we declare that Abraham, our forefather, according to flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by acts, he has something to boast in, but not toward God." 3 For what is the scripture saying? Now "Abraham believes God, and it is reckoned to him for righteousness." 4 Now to the worker, the wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as a debt." 5 Yet to him who is not working, yet is believing on Him Who is justifying the irreverent, his faith is reckoned for righteousness."
Abraham was justified by faith, before he was obedient to YHWH's law.
(CLV) Gn 15:6
Now Abram believed ion Elohim, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness
Does that mean that in belief of YHWH's word, that he ignored YHWH's word?
Of course not!
(CLV) Gn 26:5
inasmuch as your father Abraham hearkened to My voice and kept My charge, My instructions, My statutes and My laws.
(CLV) Ja 2:21
Abraham, our father, was he not justified by works when offering up his son Isaac on the altar?
(CLV) Ja 2:22
You are observing that faith worked together with his works, and by works was faith perfected.
(CLV) Ja 2:23
And fulfilled was the scripture which is saying, Now "Abraham believes God, and it is reckoned to him for righteousness," and he was called "the friend of God."
Notice that Abraham came to faith BEFORE he was obedient to YHWH's law.
Again, obedience to YHWH's law is the fruit of faith.
6 Even as David also is telling of the happiness of the man to whom God is reckoning righteousness apart from acts: 7 Happy they whose lawlessnesses were pardoned and whose sins were covered over! 8 Happy the man to whom the Lord by no means should be reckoning sin! 9 This happiness, then, is it for the Circumcision, or for the Uncircumcision also? For we are saying, "To Abraham faith is reckoned for righteousness." 10 How then, is it reckoned? Being in circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision."
Again, Paul demonstrates how faith preceded obedience to YHWH's law.
He's building the case that it is OK for the Gentiles to be uncircumcised, while they are still coming into the faith.
Obedience to YHWH's law is the fruit of faith; not the other way around.
We shouldn't, however get the notion that if we have faith; that we can ignore YHWH's law. Paul made it very clear at the end of the last chapter; that we are to sustain the law!
11 And he obtained the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which was in uncircumcision, for him to be the father of all those who are believing through uncircumcision, for righteousness to be reckoned to them, 12 and the father of the Circumcision, not to those of the Circumcision only, but to those also who are observing the elements of the faith in the footprints of our father Abraham, in uncircumcision."
Circumcision is the outward sign, of the inward manifestation, of circumcision of the heart. It seals the faith that was obtained before the works.
Abraham set an example for those coming to faith.
13 For not through law is the promise to Abraham, or to his Seed, for him to be enjoyer of the allotment of the world, but through faith's righteousness."
What is righteousness? Obedience to the law.
Paul makes it clear that the promise didn't come through the law; but through faith.
Again, obedience to the law is the fruit of faith.
14 For if those of law are enjoyers of the allotment, faith has been made void and the promise has been nullified, 15 for the law is producing indignation. Now where no law is, neither is there transgression."
Let's be clear on this. Paul is not saying that there is no law here. Again, at the end of the last chapter he said that we are to sustain the law. That means that if we are of faith; we refrain from transgression of the law.
(CLV) Gn 26:5
inasmuch as your father Abraham hearkened to My voice and kept My charge, My instructions, My statutes and My laws.
16 Therefore it is of faith that it may accord with grace, for the promise to be confirmed to the entire seed, not to those of the law only, but to those also of the faith of Abraham, who is father of us all,
Here Paul demonstrates grace is extended to all those of faith. Not to just those through which faith has matured, to come to bear the fruit of faith, which is the obedience that Abraham exhibited in his faith.
17 according as it is written that, A father of many nations have I appointed you - facing which, he believes it of the God Who is vivifying the dead and calling what is not as if it were -" 18 who, being beyond expectation, believes in expectation, for him to become the father of many nations, according to that which has been declared, "Thus shall be your seed."
Here Paul demonstrates that it's not just the physical seed of Abraham which are invited into this covenant.
YHWH extends grace to all those who come to him in faith...
19 And, not being infirm in faith, he considers his body, already deadened (being inherently somewhere about a hundred years) and the deadening of the matrix of Sarah, 20 yet the promise of God was not doubted in unbelief, but he was invigorated by faith, giving glory to God, 21 being fully assured also, that, what He has promised, He is able to do also." 22 Wherefore, also, it is reckoned to him for righteousness." 23 Now it was not written because of him only, that it is reckoned to him, 24 but because of us also, to whom it is about to be reckoned, who are believing on Him Who rouses Jesus our Lord from among the dead." 25 Who was given up because of our offenses, and was roused because of our justifying."
...and here again, Paul explains how Yahshua fits into this promise.
Legal Terms:
The Law of Faith (Ch 3)
A Different Law (Ch 7)
The Law of My Mind (Ch 7)
The Law of Sin (Sin's Law) (Ch 7)
God's Law (Ch 7)
The Spirit's Law of Life (Ch 8)
The Law of Sin and Death (Ch 8)
The Law of Righteousness (Ch 9)
Romans Chapter 5
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