St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, 3:21-4:25

Discussion

Background - Views of Justification, Sanctification, Salvation

• A process vs. A one-time event. "I am being saved..." vs. "I am saved and now I am being sanctified..."
  • Past: Eph. 2:5; Eph 2:8
  • Present: Phil. 2:12
  • Future: Rom. 13:11; I Cor. 3:15; I Cor. 5:5
  • See also: The Salvation Controversy by James Akin
• Imputed vs. Changed "I have been declared righteous...." vs. "I am being made righteous....
• Romans 5:19 and II Corinthians 5:21

Verse 3:21-26, Righteousness through Faith by Grace Alone

• Baptism is the bestowel of righteousness outside the law. Some have pointed out that we do not choose to be born again anymore than we choose to born - it (including the initial faith) is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-10).
• Why? To reveal God's righteousness in His mercy and longsuffering.

Verse 3:27-31, No Room for Boasting in Grace

• Since neither Jews nor Gentiles initiated their membership in this family, neither can boast.
• So, does that mean the law was meaningless or without merit? Of course not. More on that later.

Verse 4:1-12, Going Back to Abraham, Our Father through Faith

• Abraham is our example - at the expression of promises, Abraham believed and at that moment he was made righteous. He indeed followed up his belief with actions but his initial righteousness was initiated the same way ours is.
• Becoming children of God through faith just as Abraham did is what makes us true children of God - not by physical birth but by faith. (John 1:12-13)
• • Abraham was born by faith and so are we.
  • Because he was born by faith, Abraham could not boast - nor can we.
• David, in Psalm 32:1-2, recognizes this same concept of righteousness bestowed apart from the law.
• So then what about circumcision? Abraham was made righteous even before he acted on the command to be circumcised. But, what if Abraham had not obeyed and refused to be circumcised?

Verse 4:13-25, The Promise Fulfilled through Faith

• If simply obeying the law is the path to righteousness, then faith is of no value.
• It is faith that makes the works have merit (See Sirach 24:22, Romans 8:7-8, I Corinthians 3:8-9, I Corinthians 15:58, II Corinthians 5:10).
• The law brings wrath because it exposes us all as sinners.
• But our righteousness relies on faith so that the promise would be founded in grace - and not in our own doing.
• Circumcision was not the thing that made him righteous, it was the outward sign of an inward work - what does that sound like? Circumcision was the mark of righteousness not the cause of it. It was how Abraham and his descendants were identified as the children of God.
• That family of God was not by the normal physical sense but through a series of miraclous promise fulfillments brought about through faith right down to our time.
• Faith was the initiator and the retainer of our family bond. (Gal. 3:1-14)