Paul wrote Romans to give an overview of his Gospel that he preached. His theme is stated in 1.16-17. The central doctrine of Paul’s Gospel was justification by faith. This is a Gospel that includes the Gentiles. Before expounding the good news of justification Paul has some bad news: the whole human race, Jew and Gentile, are all under the condemnation of sin. So Paul shows that none are righteous, even those with the Law because they did not keep it. We are therefore in need of a different kind of righteousness, one that comes from God. This righteousness comes on the basis of faith, just like it did with Abraham. That is Romans 1-4.
But Galatians has a slightly different framework. Paul is writing to them because certain men had gone out teaching the Gentiles that they had to be circumcised. The Galatians were turning from the Gospel, and faith in Christ for justification, back to the Law to be justified. The early Christian leaders had met on this subject and declared clearly that the Gentile converts were accepted by God without circumcision and obey the Law (See Acts 15). Paul is writing to them with a lot of concern. Those who try to be justified by law instead of the Gospel have fallen from grace! There is no way to merge law and the Gospel for justification because these are two different principles. You cannot begin with the Gospel and then be perfected by the law, as the false teachers were saying. Paul’s example of being justified by faith apart from the law is Abraham.
Romans chapter 4 is based on what Paul had developed in 3.21-26. Justification is made possible by the death of Jesus. God can impute righteousness to the believer in Christ without compromising his own righteousness. (Righteousness here refers either to God’s own character or to the believer’s standing before God.) God is righteous when He imputes righteousness to believers. This righteous status is bestowed through faith. The object of this faith is the Gospel of Christ, particularly his sacrificial death.
Now Paul poses this question: “Do we have a reason for boasting?” In other words, do we have any part to play in this act of justification, for which we can take the credit, as if it came from us and not from God? No! Boasting is not possible with the Gospel.
The reason no one can boast is because we are not justified by anything we do, that would be through our works, but by another kind of law or principle altogether. There are two ways to attempt to be justified: by the principle of law, or by the principle or law of faith. These two principles are very different and cannot be reconciled. If we were justified by a principle of works, then there would be a basis for boasting in what we have done. But the principle of faith excludes boasting because being justified by faith is not based on you do. Therefore, when it comes to the basis for our justification, faith and works are opposed to one another. These are two separate and opposing principles: justification by works and justification by faith.
At this point in his argument in Romans 4, Paul brings in Abraham. Remember that the Law and the Prophets testify about this justification by faith. Paul has already quoted from the Prophets: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2.4; Rom 1.17). Now Paul will use an example from the Law (This is referring to the books of Law). How was Abraham justified? Was he justified by a principle of works or a principle of faith? Genesis 15.6 says that “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” So Abraham was justified by a principle of faith, not one of works. So, even Abraham had no reason to boast. God had not even given the law and yet Abraham was declared righteous before God on the basis of a principle of faith.
So Abraham was justified by faith before the Law was given. But after the Law was given, how were the people justified before God? So now Paul quotes David (Rom. 4.6-8). David lived after the Law was given. But David was also justified by faith and he wrote about this blesses state of having righteousness rather than sin imputed. What Paul is arguing here is that God has always and only justified people through a principle of faith and not a principle of works. Even under the Law those who believed the promises of God were justified, not those who attempted to keep the Law. Even though they were covenant people, the physical children of Abraham were not justified by the works of the Law.
Paul is arguing, based on the faith of Abraham, that if people are going to be justified then this blessing is only going to be given as a gift. It is not and can never be earned by works. If it were earned by works then it would not be a gift but a wage and then the whole example of Abraham’s faith is meaningless.
At this point many people will want to go to James 2.14-26 and they make it seem that James is correcting Paul. But James is not talking about justification by faith he is talking about the nature of real faith. Abraham was justified by faith. His faith was demonstrated by his works. Likewise, true faith will be lived out or it is not real faith, it is just talk. We are justified by faith alone, but true faith is never alone, it is always proven true by works.
Now the Galatians were leaving the Gospel to go back to a principle of law. Paul also uses the example of the faith of Abraham. But Paul has a pastoral purpose. He wants the Galatians to see the folly of trying to be justified by a principle of works. So he quotes from Deuteronomy 27.26: “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” If you rely on a principle of law for justification, not only are you not a child of Abraham, you are under a curse! This means a curse by God, which is the very opposite of the promise of blessing given to Abraham. A curse from God brings death.
The implication is that no one can successfully live under the Law. No one will actually keep the Law, which is what is required.
Paul seems to anticipate the question “if all this is true then why was the Law even given?” He answers that it was added (Gal 3.19). The Law was added to what? The Law was added to the promise of blessing God originally made to Abraham. The Promise to Abraham was the original purpose of God. So did God suddenly change his mind and purpose when He gave the Law at Sinai? No! The law does not annul the Promise and the Covenant given to Abraham (Gal 3.17).
So why was the Law added to the Promise? It was added because of sin (Gal 3.19). The implication is that the promise God made to Abraham included the blessing of justification by faith. But the Law was given because of sin, not to justify anyone. The Law pointed out sin and man’s need for the righteousness promised in the covenant made with Abraham.
In both Romans and Galatians Paul makes a crucial point about this promise God gave to Abraham: it included the Gentiles. This is something even the early Church was slow to learn, that God wanted to also justify Gentiles. The blessing of Abraham was for the world and not just for Abraham’s physical descendants. The blessing would be given to the world through Abraham’s “seed” or descendant. Paul makes the point that this word “seed” in the original is singular, referring to Christ (Gal. 3.16).
The issue of circumcision, which was the sign and seal of the covenant God made with Abraham, and was also required under Moses and the Law, became a major source of controversy for the early Church as Gentiles began to believe. There were some who taught that these Gentile converts had to be circumcised in order to be saved. Hence the Jerusalem council convened (Acts 15). In line with this council, Paul argues that requiring Gentiles to be circumcised is a violation of the Gospel. Again the example of Abraham is used.
Paul reasons on the Scriptures. Going back to that crucial statement in Gen. 15.6, Paul reasons chronologically. When did this statement of justification by faith happen? Was it before or after Abraham’s circumcision? It is clear chronologically that it was before. So Paul reasons: if Abraham was already declared righteous before he was circumcised then circumcision could not have been the basis for his justification, rather, it was the sign and seal of that justification by faith which had already occurred. So basing one’s righteousness on having been circumcised rather than on faith is seriously flawed. It is actually in opposition both to the original covenant and promise as well as the Gospel of Christ.
Paul actually says that this chronology of Abraham being declared righteous before being circumcised was done intentionally by God to make room for the justification of the Gentiles by faith without the ritual of circumcision. In other words, if Abraham himself was justified without circumcision but by faith this means that Gentiles can also be justified like Abraham was purely on the basis of faith. Circumcision is not a modern issue. But don’t miss the principle. Circumcision represented something. It represented adherence to the Law. It represented a certain principle or approach to God – one of works and not of faith. And as we have already established, the principle of faith and the principle of Law or works are opposed to one another in the justification of sinners.
Remember the original argument. God justifies people on the basis of a principle of faith, not of works. This is illustrated by Abraham. Abraham was justified without circumcision. So Paul argues that this opens the door for Gentiles to be justified by faith too. Gentiles can be spiritual children of Abraham if they share Abraham’s faith.
On the other hand, circumcision represents that path or principle of works, which can never justify. No Israelite was ever justified by being circumcised. He still had to have faith in the promise of God. Circumcision by itself without faith means nothing. This is true with all religious activities and rituals. Apart from faith in the Promise of God in the Gospel morality, tradition, and even those ordinances that are commanded -- such as baptism and the Lord’s Supper, mean nothing and cannot justify us before God even though God commanded that these things be done as He also did with circumcision.
We must have Abraham’s faith if we are to be righteous in God’s sight like Abraham was. Even if we are not his physical descendants, if we have his faith, then we are the children of Abraham, and heirs of the Promise of God in Jesus Christ! Just as Abraham received a promise from God and believed we must also believe the Gospel of Christ.
Having Abraham’s faith means we must do the following things:
1. We must believe in things we cannot yet see and things we do not yet fully possess.
2. We must believe in things that are humanly impossible, knowing that with God all things are possible.
3. We must be fully convinced and not waver in unbelief.
Remember that we are trusting in the God of Abraham! He is a God who can create something out of nothing and He even raises the dead!
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