The Jews to whom Paul was writing were caught up in their history. Every part of their worship was given to them through their historical experience. This was how God worked in human history to gather the community of Israel to himself. But their religious practices had become so far removed from God's original plan for worship that they had diluted and distorted true worship.

Paul challenges this approach to worship by pressing home that our righteousness from God can only come by faith. It doesn't come through any physical action, sign or seal on our part. Paul throws a questions to his readers that gets their minds going as they consider was Abraham, the great father of the Jews, made righteous before or after he was circumcised? On top of this Paul reminds them that Abraham lived before the law was given so he was made righteous through observation of that law.

Being made right with God then, as it is now, only comes through faith and for us it is faith in Jesus Christ as the one who took the punishment for our sins.

Romans - The heart of the Gospel is a teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. Find out more at www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

So today, in one way or another, we each have been

2

thinking a lot about history.

3

We yes, have remembered those who

fought and died in various conflicts,

4

but perhaps we've also thought about

how that has shaped who we are today.

5

Because our history shapes

us and it has meaning for us.

6

Each and every one of us.

7

If we were to tell our family's story

could trace different events or even

8

traits that shape who we are today.

9

From the man who failed to get onto

the Titanic and instead rushed home to

10

the love of his life to the person that

11

from the office in downtown Manhattan.

12

Our history shapes who we are,

and history is important to us.

13

I think we all know that.

14

It tells the story of God in our lives.

15

Our testimony tells the story of God

in our families over generations.

16

And how he has seen us through both

the highs and the lows of life.

17

History is important and that is

where Paul brings us this evening.

18

He's already spoken about the

history of the Jews and he's

19

made reference to Abraham.

20

He's made reference to

Moses and to the prophets.

21

And these are key moments

for Jews in their history.

22

For Abraham, he was the one that

received the covenant promise.

23

Moses received the law, the law by

which they lived, and were governed by.

24

And the prophets, well, they

spoke truth in times when the

25

nation was turning away from God.

26

So Paul is going to refer to

the history of the Jews so

27

that they will pay attention.

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Because what's happened by the time we

reach, uh, when Paul is writing, the Jews

29

understanding of Abraham, of Moses and the

law, and of the prophets had been tainted.

30

It's Chinese whispers.

31

It was a story or a narrative that suited

the Jewish leaders at that time rather

32

than a full understanding of what God

was doing throughout human history.

33

And it's particularly tonight in

Abraham that Paul teases this out.

34

And so far in Romans, Paul

has been arguing about sin.

35

And the last time that we were in Romans

chapter 3, there we, a few weeks ago,

36

Paul was quite literally overflowing with

the good news that faith is the only way

37

by which we can be made right with God.

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And this went against what the Jews

believed, as well as what we are

39

comfortable in our society hearing today.

40

We like to think that a set of rules is

good for us, and if we keep them, then

41

we will earn something to our benefit.

42

We think that if we keep the

Ten Commandments and do no harm

43

to anybody, then we are worthy

of salvation on the final day.

44

If this is how we think, well then,

this is a works righteousness that

45

is actually no righteousness at all.

46

And in the historical

writings of the Church...

47

Paul has already debunked this idea,

because in Ephesians chapter 2, verses

48

8 and 9, he has said, For by grace

you have been saved, through faith.

49

And this is not your own doing, it

is the gift of God, not a result

50

of works, so that no one And what

do we all want to do at this point?

51

We all want to shout, well you were

going to clap your hands earlier.

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We want you to shout Amen!

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Because this is what we believe.

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That it is by grace that we have been

saved through faith, not of works.

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So that we can't boast, we

can point people to Christ.

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As the one who is our salvation.

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And yes, we believe this in our hearts

and we proclaim it in our voices.

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But sometimes our actions betray us.

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And we think, if we do good, then

we are more deserving of good.

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And this is where Abraham comes in.

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Because in verses 1 to 3, Paul

presents a problem for the Jews.

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And the conundrum is this.

63

Abraham lived before the law.

64

Now at this point, you can

almost hear the cogs going

65

round in the brains of the Jews.

66

They have to think

about this for a moment.

67

Abraham was born before the law.

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So how can he be righteous before God?

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Because in a Jewish mind the only way

to become righteous is to obey the law.

70

So Abraham is introduced to us as a

means to illustrate the importance

71

and indeed the nature of the

faith through which God justifies.

72

And Paul's argument in verse 2 is

that if Abraham was indeed justified

73

by works, then he had every right

to boast because he would be

74

considered a truly good person.

75

If he was justified on his own merit,

then he determined God's standard,

76

and thereby he could then boast.

77

But Abraham was actually justified by

circumcision and his offering up of Isaac.

78

That, that's what we learned

whenever we studied Genesis.

79

So, Paul denies that

Abraham's works justified him.

80

Abraham cannot boast about his own

merit before God because, just like all

81

humankind, he could never be good enough.

82

And we are assured of this in

verse 3 of this passage because

83

Paul draws us back to what is

already said in Genesis 15 verse 6.

84

But here in, in verse 3 he says,

For what does scripture say, and

85

now quoting Genesis 15 verse 6,

Abraham believed God, and it was

86

counted to him as righteousness.

87

And this is the good news

that Paul is telling us about.

88

Our salvation, our being right before

God, is all of faith and not of works.

89

And it is God who reveals to

us what we can know about Him

90

so that we can trust His glory.

91

Gospel.

92

And what Paul is doing is he's weaving

a golden thread of salvation throughout

93

our human history so that we will

know that there was never a time

94

when we didn't have access to God.

95

That's why he brings Abraham.

96

That's why he'll go on to talk about

David, introduce the law of Moses,

97

as well as the prophets, so that we,

as well as the original hearers, the

98

Jewish readers, can understand the

golden thread of salvation that is

99

weaved throughout all of human history.

100

There's never been a moment where

that thread was not weaved and where

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that thread was not responded to.

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But with that thread, with that

golden thread of salvation that

103

is weaving throughout all of human

history, the only way we can access

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it is on God's terms, not our own.

105

And verse 4 breaks for us

with a lesson from life.

106

Paul says in verses 4 and 5, Now to

the one who works, his wages are not

107

counted as a gift but as his due.

108

None of us work thinking that at the end

of the month we're going to get a gift.

109

That's ridiculous.

110

We work and we get paid a

fair wage so that at the end

111

we will get what we're due.

112

We work the hours, we get

the wage or the salary.

113

But Paul goes on, and to the one who

does not work, but believes in him

114

who justifies the ungodly, well his

faith is counted as righteousness.

115

Now, Paul's diverging from where he

begins at the start of verse 4, because

116

again he's pointing us to faith.

117

He's saying, look, you can't

work for your salvation.

118

You can't think that you can do

all of these good things and then

119

you'll be entitled to this great

free gift of God, salvation.

120

No, it is by faith in believing that

God, by his mercy and by his grace,

121

as we come in faith, will receive us,

forgive us, restore us, and invite

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us to be with him for all eternity.

123

And at one level, this verse seems

to state a common sense observation.

124

We earn what we work for.

125

But in context, however, it has a

deeper complication, uh, implication.

126

God gifted Abraham with

a righteous status.

127

It's totally contrary to what he

was due, because all he did was hear

128

God's promises and he trusted them.

129

That's what verse 3 tells us.

130

He did not work in expectation

of getting paid for it.

131

This means Abraham's believing, though

it was an act on his part, an act of

132

faith, was not a work in the sense

of obedience in demand of a reward.

133

Abraham knew that the only way to know

the blessing of God was through faith.

134

But then back to this one who does

not work, and this is setting up a

135

contrast with what we read in verse 4.

136

Because Paul uses the impersonal language

here, but he has the biblical figures such

137

as David in verse 6 and Abraham in mind.

138

And key to this verse, and

indeed to the whole chapter, is

139

that God justifies the ungodly.

140

Now, that's revolutionary, because

in our human terms, those who

141

have done wrong should never be

justified, and we would say that.

142

No wrong can ever be justified, but yet

God is the one who says, well, actually,

143

in my case, because of my love towards

humankind, I will, I will justify the

144

ungodly, because of my son, Jesus Christ.

145

Later in Romans, in chapter 5 and

verse 6, Paul will go on to say, For

146

while we were still weak, at the right

time Christ died for the ungodly.

147

Christ dying for the ungodly

is an astounding assertion.

148

It's not the point of religion to provide

a way for people to get right with God,

149

whether by acts of worship, or by deeds

of kindness, or by spiritual experience.

150

Is that not what we think?

151

Does not God reward religious commitment

with His acceptance and blessing?

152

That's what it's easy to think,

and that's what the world thinks.

153

But the Gospel message is that the

grace of justification precedes

154

human acts of obedience and

loyalty that God deems pleasing.

155

Abraham did not perform meritous

acts to earn God's favor.

156

He didn't.

157

It was his believing that

God counted as righteousness.

158

And the image here brings us back to a

courtroom in which a judge gives a verdict

159

declaring the accused guilty or innocent.

160

And like all humans, Abraham was a sinner.

161

And so as the gavel goes down,

the judge declares Abraham guilty.

162

Or at least he should.

163

Because the surprising verdict is,

as the gavel goes down, not guilty.

164

God imputed a righteousness or a

righteous status to a person with

165

clay feet, just like all other

people, thereby demonstrating his

166

love and his salvation to humankind.

167

And so when confronted with God's

promise in Genesis chapter 15 and

168

verse 5, Abraham believed the Lord.

169

It was his faith that made him right.

170

And moving on to verse 6, Paul now quotes

another of Israel's heroes, King David.

171

And between the time of Abraham and

David, Moses intervenes and gave the law.

172

But despite living under the law,

David praised the law as something to

173

delight in and a means of flourishing,

not as a means of salvation.

174

And that's how the Great

Songbook of Israel opens.

175

Because Psalm 1, 1 verses 1 to 3

says, Blessed is the man who walks

176

not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

177

nor sits in the seat of scoffers.

178

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

179

Not for salvation, but

that he may flourish.

180

And that's what the image is given.

181

He is like a tree planted by streams

of water that yields its fruit in its

182

season and its leaf does not wither.

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In all that he does, he prospers.

184

That's what the law was given.

185

That's why God gathered his people

around the law so that they may flourish.

186

The only way they could be

saved was by worship of God.

187

And worship could only happen if they

believed by faith who God said he was.

188

And so these words show us a

mediated relationship to God

189

like the one Abraham enjoyed.

190

And this is not a doctrine cooked

up by Paul, but a relational reality

191

of what is really the spiritual

DNA of faith's forerunners.

192

Like Abraham, and indeed like David

himself, who heard God's promises.

193

And they let those promises transform

their hearts and their lives by faith.

194

And so Paul, quoting David, and in using

it, he is once again pointing out, as

195

I've just mentioned just a few minutes

ago, that throughout all of history, God's

196

way of salvation has always been about

faith that has led to worship of him.

197

And so as we come to verse 9, it

breaks with another question and

198

we are drawn back to circumcision.

199

Perhaps there was too many uses of that

word in that passage for us this evening.

200

But circumcision is the sign.

201

And it is the seal of the

covenant promise with Abraham.

202

Every covenant in scripture

has a sign and it has a seal.

203

So Paul asks in verse 9, Is this

blessing then only for the circumcised

204

or also for the uncircumcised?

205

For we say that faith was counted

to Abraham as righteousness.

206

Again, remember who he's writing to.

207

He's writing to this mixed community

of believers, Gentile and Jew.

208

They will have their

arguments over circumcision.

209

In fact, it will be those who will insist

that Gentiles should be circumcised

210

because they believe that that is the

continuation of the Covenant promise.

211

And Paul is basically asking how we

now figure this out by addressing that

212

very sign and seal of the Covenant.

213

And he continues by asking, was

Abraham's righteousness credited to

214

him before or after his circumcision?

215

That physical sign of

his commitment to God.

216

And he answers in verse 10, it was not

after but before he was circumcised.

217

And in verse 11 he goes on

to explain what he means.

218

And so Paul presents to us the true

meaning of circumcision, and thereby the

219

significance of Abraham and why Abraham

is his chosen character for these verses.

220

Circumcision is not a meritous

marker earning acceptance by God.

221

In other words, circumcision

didn't make you right before God.

222

What it is is a sign and a seal of the

righteous standing with which God graced

223

him while he was still uncircumcised.

224

Abraham and his descendants were

known as God's set apart people

225

by a number of practices including

dietary laws and sabbath observance.

226

These were not a warrant for

salvation in themselves, they were

227

indicators or a sign of God's claim

on and expectations for his people.

228

And so Paul is driving home the truth

that because one is circumcised,

229

they are entitled to some way

to the righteousness of God.

230

Jews depended heavily on this physical

mark to demonstrate their orthodoxy.

231

But Paul blows that idea out of the

water by saying that circumcision counted

232

nothing towards Abraham's righteousness.

233

And if it didn't do that for Abraham,

then it certainly won't do it for anyone

234

in the Roman Church, as Paul is writing.

235

And before we judge the Jews too quickly,

let us take stock of our own situation.

236

We can be uncomfortable, or we can

be comfortable in our orthodoxy, or

237

our birth into a certain community

or tradition, or we can hold to the

238

heritage of faith of the Reformation,

or by simply being baptized.

239

And we think these are the

things that merit us God's

240

special favor and righteousness.

241

None of these things can save us, nor

can they make us righteous before God.

242

We cannot depend on anything but

the work of God in developing

243

faith in our lives to save us.

244

Baptism is important as the sign

and seal of the new covenant, as

245

the replacement for circumcision.

246

But it does not and cannot save.

247

Only faith in Jesus Christ can

save us, and we must not think that

248

we can earn it in any other way.

249

As we looked in one of our morning series,

Acts chapter 4, verse 12 says, And there

250

is salvation in no one else, for there

is no other name given, or under heaven,

251

given among men by which we must be saved.

252

There is no other way to

salvation except through Jesus.

253

And so Paul finishes this section

by affirming that salvation

254

was not for the Jew only.

255

We need to focus on the second sentence

in verse 11 because it's important here.

256

So as we do the second half, read the

second half, verse 11, into verse 12.

257

The purpose was to make him the father of

all who believe without being circumcised.

258

So that righteousness would be counted

to them as well, and to make him the

259

father of the circumcised, who are not

merely circumcised, but who also walk in

260

the footsteps of faith that our father

Abraham had before he was circumcised.

261

This is a great missionary pronouncement.

262

Abraham was to be the trailblazer

of faith, and not just for the

263

Jews, but for the whole world.

264

They were to, quite literally,

walk in his footsteps.

265

The law was given so that humankind

would know how to live as God's

266

people, but it could never save.

267

Once again, salvation is by faith alone.

268

And so as we finish this evening, there

are three great lessons to be found

269

in Romans chapter 4, verses 1 to 12.

270

And really, the first one is

where we've just left off, that

271

the gospel is for everyone.

272

For the circumcised and

for the uncircumcised.

273

That great missionary pronouncement

that the purpose was to make him,

274

Abraham, the father of all who

believe without being circumcised.

275

Who were the ones who weren't circumcised?

276

It was the Gentiles.

277

So even from the very beginning, this

good news was to go to all nations,

278

and so the gospel is for everyone.

279

Abraham truly is the father of all

who believe, as verse 11 tells us.

280

The Lord declared in Genesis chapter

12 and verse 3, that all peoples on

281

earth are blessed through Abraham.

282

And this happens when we believe in Jesus.

283

And so the Lord calls everyone to faith.

284

And it is harder, but no less essential,

for God's people to call our family

285

members, our neighbors, and our

friends to the gospel in a secular age.

286

Methods of evangelism that assumed at

least semi Christian concepts of God,

287

humanity, and sin may not function

as they once did because of the shift

288

in the thinking of the secular age.

289

So, we must be wise and we must

build other bridges by listening

290

well and speaking plainly

of the truth of the Gospel.

291

That's what it means that

the Gospel is for everyone.

292

That we will speak well of it in this

age, recognizing that we live in a

293

different time than even a decade ago,

and we must be ready and adjust so that

294

we can build those bridges by listening

to society and hearing where it is.

295

and then speaking plainly into it.

296

The second thing is that we're

not to distort the gospel

297

because Romans 4 is cautionary.

298

Paul's interpretation of Abraham's life

has a better and corrective aspect to it.

299

The question was asked, what does

the scripture say in verse 3?

300

And the additional questions

of verse 9 rebuke the teachers

301

or the rabbis of Paul's day.

302

How could they think that

Abraham's works redeemed him?

303

They should have known better.

304

Because the rabbis or the teachers

were the, the shepherds of the flock.

305

Who were to know the truths of scripture.

306

But in all of this, there's a

more personal question for us.

307

Are we perhaps like the rabbis of old?

308

Do we ever distort the gospel?

309

And we will want to cry out, No!

310

But before you do, have a think.

311

Do we ever distort the gospel?

312

You see, we do.

313

If we preach and believe

the gospel on a Sunday.

314

But then condemn ourselves through

our words and our actions and our

315

thoughts About ourselves, about

others, about the church on a Tuesday.

316

Yes, the Lord is pleased when we

persevere in good deeds But they can

317

no more earn God's favor than a child

can earn her father's favor by hiking

318

well Or playing well on the sports

team or doing well in school Good

319

hikers, sports players and students

please their parents, but good parents

320

love their children unconditionally.

321

And when they do, they echo

the love of God the Father.

322

We must live well, knowing the

unconditional love of the Father, so that

323

we don't end up distorting the Gospel.

324

That we actually become more

unloving, because we as the Church

325

ought to know how to love better.

326

Because we have had the clearest

and best demonstration of love.

327

Don't be too quick to say that you don't

distort the gospel, because I believe

328

and I think in some ways we each do,

because we want it to be about ourselves.

329

Be careful.

330

Be very careful.

331

As you know the unconditional love of

God, so show that love unconditionally

332

to those in this place tonight and

to the world around us, so that

333

we will live faithfully for Him.

334

And the final thing is

to walk with Christ.

335

Because once believers are

justified, they can and should

336

walk in the footsteps of Abraham.

337

And, you know, footsteps is a

very good term for Abraham's

338

life when you think about it.

339

Because Abraham's life in faith

was often expressed in his walking.

340

In Genesis 12, he walked away from his

home in Haran toward the wilderness,

341

protected by God and not by city walls.

342

Abraham's rescue of Lot also

required walking, but above all,

343

he walked one anguished step at a

time up a mountain to offer Isaac.

344

His journey of faith was quite literally

footsteps, one after the other.

345

And for believers, faith is a

long walk in the right direction.

346

Abraham had a unique role in

what we call redemptive history.

347

Yet his daily life was as mundane as ours.

348

He looked for water, he sorted

out quarrels between his

349

servants, and he slept with Sarah

at night, hoping for a child.

350

Then and now, faith normally manifests

itself in a walk, in quite simple,

351

ordinary acts, with family, with

friends, associates, and clients.

352

And what we do is we build

buildings one brick at a time.

353

We write, uh, copy out one word at

a time, or if you're a programmer

354

you write code line by line.

355

We raise children one

meal, one story at a time.

356

Our Christian faith is one

step in front of the other.

357

But it takes that movement

and it takes that direction.

358

Are you walking towards Christ?

359

Are you actually walking towards

him or are you at a standstill?

360

Or maybe actually are

you walking backwards?

361

Where are you when it comes to

your relationship with Christ?

362

Because what he does is he calls us

to come to him, one foot after the

363

other, intentionally towards him,

so that we may know his salvation.

364

We are to walk as Abraham did, as a father

of the faith, step by step by faith.

365

On the path of salvation with Christ.

366

In Romans 4, Paul is

helping us to see how.

367

God makes us right before him.

368

It is all because of his

work in Jesus Christ.

369

And what he does is he calls us to

recognize that the gospel is for

370

all and not exclusively just for

us or a subsection of a community.

371

He says, do not distort his gospel

by thinking that we know better.

372

We try to adjust it here and there

to suit us and, and how, how we

373

might be received by the word, world.

374

And finally, we're commanded to

walk with Christ so that we will

375

not fall away, but remain faithful.

376

Will you know the heart

of the gospel tonight?

377

Will you live well in the gospel?

378

knowing its power to see you through and

that indeed you will know it as the full

379

expression of grace of our loving God.

380

May it be so in your heart and in

your mind and in your home this night.

381

Let's pray.

382

Our father God we thank you for what we

learn about the gospel for how we we see

383

it as the golden thread weave throughout

all of history and and this evening how

384

How Abraham, and that whole sign and

seal of the covenant and circumcision,

385

how he was made righteous before it.

386

Father, thank you that the burden

is removed from us, that there's

387

nothing we can do to make us right

before you except believe in the Lord

388

Jesus Christ, and we will be saved.

389

So may we live as people who know that.

390

Forgive us for the times when

we've distorted the gospel, when

391

we haven't lived well by it.

392

And we've tried to change it

so that it suits our agenda.

393

Help us to be people who are, who are

galvanized, living by faith, and ever

394

walking one step at a time towards you.

395

Thank you that you are the gentle

shepherd who leads us ever on.

396

So may we trust in you this evening,

and we ask it in Jesus name, Amen.