Continuing to Make the case for the "Israel of God", I move briefly to Romans 4.
In Romans 4, Paul is still making his case to the Jew! He does it using the man the Jews referred to as "their father" ABRAHAM!
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In Romans 4 Paul is making the case to the Jew that they lacked the faith that their father Abraham had. He says so in Romans 4:1-3:
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
No doubt we have read this many times! Abraham had faith, however most Jews had fallen into a system of works righteousness!
The apostle now makes the contrast of faith in God, to "works righteousness", in Romans 4:4-8:[/FONT]
[FONT="]4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor,but as what is due.
5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: [/FONT]
7 Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.
Verse 4 makes it clear one cannot approach God with his deeds in hand saying "this is why you should let me into heaven". It would be telling God He owes us instead of relying on God's grace (favor).
On the contrary, the apostle makes it clear that it is God who justified Abraham through faith and credited it to him as righteousness without the benefit of any works at all! (vs 5). This is Abraham's salvation!
The apostle goes back to David to make this point citing his prayer in Psalm 32:1, 2 to show that even David understood this! (vss 6-8). The case is made that that even Abraham and David relied on God's grace and not their works!
[FONT="]Now lets move to Romans 4:9-12 where the apostle is making the case to the Jew, that circumcision was a sign:
9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.
10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,
12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
This is pretty clear. Abraham had faith before he was circumcised! Circumcision was given to him by God, as a seal of Abrahams faith. This is God sealing His covenant with Abraham!. However, the main point comes as Paul states that Abraham would be the father of ALL who believe without circumcision as well as those who are circumcised by faith!!! This is all believers who come to faith in God.
In this, let[/FONT] us not lose sight of the declaration of Romans 2:28, 29, because there, the apostle designated all who receive God's "righteousness by faith" as spiritual Jews!
Now...consistent with "righteousness by faith" Paul now wants us to understand we are Abraham's descendants in coming to faith in God just as Abraham did! Romans 4:13-18:
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;
15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 (as it is written, A father of many nations have I made you) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, So shall your descendants be.[FONT="]
The apostle makes it clear that Abraham's descendants, are ALL who comes to faith in God apart from works just as Abraham did! This is whether Jew or Gentile! If you come to faith in God you are a descendant of Abraham!
The apostle has just laid more ground work for the "Israel of God" as he has declared all who come to faith in God, apart from works as Abraham's descendants!
In part 3, we will move to Romans 9.[/FONT]
In Romans 4, Paul is still making his case to the Jew! He does it using the man the Jews referred to as "their father" ABRAHAM!
[FONT="]
In Romans 4 Paul is making the case to the Jew that they lacked the faith that their father Abraham had. He says so in Romans 4:1-3:
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
No doubt we have read this many times! Abraham had faith, however most Jews had fallen into a system of works righteousness!
The apostle now makes the contrast of faith in God, to "works righteousness", in Romans 4:4-8:[/FONT]
[FONT="]4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor,but as what is due.
5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: [/FONT]
7 Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.
Verse 4 makes it clear one cannot approach God with his deeds in hand saying "this is why you should let me into heaven". It would be telling God He owes us instead of relying on God's grace (favor).
On the contrary, the apostle makes it clear that it is God who justified Abraham through faith and credited it to him as righteousness without the benefit of any works at all! (vs 5). This is Abraham's salvation!
The apostle goes back to David to make this point citing his prayer in Psalm 32:1, 2 to show that even David understood this! (vss 6-8). The case is made that that even Abraham and David relied on God's grace and not their works!
[FONT="]Now lets move to Romans 4:9-12 where the apostle is making the case to the Jew, that circumcision was a sign:
9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.
10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,
12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
This is pretty clear. Abraham had faith before he was circumcised! Circumcision was given to him by God, as a seal of Abrahams faith. This is God sealing His covenant with Abraham!. However, the main point comes as Paul states that Abraham would be the father of ALL who believe without circumcision as well as those who are circumcised by faith!!! This is all believers who come to faith in God.
In this, let[/FONT] us not lose sight of the declaration of Romans 2:28, 29, because there, the apostle designated all who receive God's "righteousness by faith" as spiritual Jews!
Now...consistent with "righteousness by faith" Paul now wants us to understand we are Abraham's descendants in coming to faith in God just as Abraham did! Romans 4:13-18:
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;
15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 (as it is written, A father of many nations have I made you) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, So shall your descendants be.[FONT="]
The apostle makes it clear that Abraham's descendants, are ALL who comes to faith in God apart from works just as Abraham did! This is whether Jew or Gentile! If you come to faith in God you are a descendant of Abraham!
The apostle has just laid more ground work for the "Israel of God" as he has declared all who come to faith in God, apart from works as Abraham's descendants!
In part 3, we will move to Romans 9.[/FONT]
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