Romans 4:1-12

So, the first point this morning.

Justification by faith apart from works eliminates the ability to boast.

! It eliminates the ability to boast.

! Verses 1-5 is where we find this from our text.

!

The word in the church is not exempt from those same things.

Lines from movies like, show me the money.

Or, a man's got to do what a man's got to do.

Sit and stew in our minds.

Our society, and not just America, is full of examples.

Athletes embody this me first attitude.

The wide receiver from the NFL, Terrell Owens, famous for saying,

I love me some me.

Grammatically incorrect, but I love me some me.

It's so bad among athletes that college football is starting in the next three weeks

that the NCAA sets up regulations and celebration rules

that if a player scores a touchdown or does something great,

he starts celebrating himself.

He's penalized 15 yards or whatever it is, and he hurts the team.

What they want is they want the players to celebrate the team and not the individual.

It just comes out of that person, though.

Which is ironic, because isn't that what sports are good for,

is teaching kids about teamwork?

It just comes out of us.

Let's be realistic.

It's what we are born with.

It's why we have to teach our kids how to share.

We went to see a Votie Bauckham conference last weekend,

and one thing that he reminded us of is,

you know, parents will complain,

well, my kids just don't share.

And he asked a question to that parent.

He said, did you teach them how to share?

Ouch.

Ouch.

As a parent of four,

yeah, did I teach my kids how to share?

I don't know.

Or do I just yell at them and say,

share with your brother or sister.

Be nice.

We have to teach them these things,

because we are born with selfishness.

It is no wonder that pornography is a multi-billion dollar business,

because we think about ourselves.

We're selfish.

It feeds into that.

Adam and Eve, when they sinned,

they acted on the self-gratifying desire

and not on the selfless God-given joy.

So to our text,

we can go all the way back to chapter 3,

verse 27,

which reads,

Then what becomes of boasting?

Paul says,

It is excluded.

This work of salvation is a work of God,

so there is no boasting.

It is terminated.

It is not possible.

And in chapter 4, verses 1 and 2 says,

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham,

our forefather, according to the flesh?

For if Abraham was justified by works,

he has something to boast about.

Agreed.

The next three words,

or four words,

but not before God.

It is impossible

to boast before God.

Before we go any further,

I thought it would be good

if I could define salvation for us.

Not the act of being saved

or not the way you get saved,

but the three phases of salvation.

Because I'm throwing around this word justification,

and some of you might not even know what that means.

So, here's where we sit.

Three phases of salvation.

We have justification,

we have sanctification,

and we have glorification.

Now, justification is that moment

of being in right standing with God.

When Christ, through His obedience on the cross,

bore the wrath from the Father that we deserved.

So, because of Christ's death,

He gave us,

or in Christ's death,

He gave us His righteousness.

So now, as a Christian,

we are righteous in Christ.

We are made right.

We are not judged by our sin.

Our sin is covered by the blood of Christ,

and we are made right

and can stand before the Father.

Sanctification is the ongoing process.

So, justification is a one-time thing.

Okay?

It is a one-time at salvation,

at faith.

Now, sanctification is an ongoing process

of God perfecting us

through trials,

through struggles,

through discipline,

and through everyday life.

Now, on one hand, we are perfect.

Okay?

On one hand, at justification,

we are made right.

But on the other hand,

living it out, we're not.

Romans chapter 7 reminds us

Romans 7 · chapter mention

that we still struggle

to fight against the flesh and sin.

But God is perfecting us.

He is working in us.

He is setting us apart.

And the last thing,

the last phase is glorification.

Now, this is the final perfection

of every saint.

This is what we look forward to

when God will perfect us.

This is what Peter talks about

as the living hope.

The hope that we'll never die,

that never changes

until it comes to fruition.

We have this hope,

this glorification

that's going to happen.

Okay?

So these are the three phases

of salvation.

So when I talk about justification,

I'm talking about that moment,

that moment of faith

when we are made right before God

because of the work of Christ.

So, justification by faith

apart from works

eliminates the ability

to boast in ourselves.

It is impossible to boast.

And when he's talking about boast here,

he's not talking about

check out these skills that I have.

Watch me on the court

or watch me on the field

or look how good I can spill these words

or write or whatever it is.

He's talking about works

that we think lead to salvation.

This kind of boasting.

It cannot be done.

It cannot be done.

The world around us

is saturated with self-indulgence.

It is no surprise

when we try to base salvation

on our own works.

No surprise

when we try to say,

look what I've done.

Before Christ,

we are selfish.

So that selfishness

even infiltrates

our religious beliefs.

So, if I just go to church,

if I just love my neighbor,

if I just tithe,

or if I just attend

a new members class,

or if I just get baptized,

then,

then,

I can be saved

and go to heaven.

That's not the way it works.

It is impossible

for those actions

to lead to salvation.

And that's the point

that Paul is making here.

If we think that those things

are going to lead to salvation

is a strand of legalism.

John Stott says,

legalism is the misguided attempt

to earn our salvation

by obedience to the law.

And we make laws all the time.

If I just do this.

Let's say,

let's say you are a humble,

you are a humble introvert.

Let's say you would never brag

or boast

about anything you have done.

You say,

that's not me.

I would never do that.

There's going to be a time

when you are going to be forced

from your gut,

from your soul.

There's going to be a moment

when you're going to be forced

to explain

why you chose to live

the life that you live.

There's going to be that time

before the King of Kings

at judgment.

And the news for you

is going to be very bad.

you will say anything

to avoid the punishment

that sin deserves.

Now,

as a Christian,

we won't have to talk.

We'll have an advocate for us

who says,

who claims us,

whose righteousness

we now have.

See,

the gospel works

the opposite in us

and out of us.

See,

we,

with being self-centered

and selfish,

we want to exalt ourselves.

We want to boast

about what we can do

and accomplish.

The gospel, though,

changes that.

We start boasting

about what God has done.

The justification

that He has shown us

by faith.

That's why

we're called

to be salt and light

to our neighbors.

It says,

don't hide it.

It says,

don't cover it with a basket.

Don't cover the light

with a basket.

We have this

to share.

The gospel changes that

from the inside out.

So verse

1-2,

now 3-5.

It gives us the account

of Abraham receiving

righteousness.

It says,

for what does the Scripture say?

Abraham believed God

and it was counted to him

as righteousness.

Now,

the one who works

his wages

are not counted

as a gift,

but as his due.

And to the one

who does not work,

but believes in him

who justifies the ungodly,

his faith is counted

as righteousness.

It is nothing

that Abraham did,

but it is what God

did in Abraham.

God gave him

the faith to believe.

And because he believed,

he was counted

as righteous.

Verse 5 says,

and to the one

who does not work,

but believes in him

who justifies the ungodly,

his faith

is counted

as righteousness.

righteousness.

This same action

of being counted

can be applied

to you and to me.

The same counted

that was applied

to Abraham

can be applied

now to us.

But,

like Abraham,

we have no room

to boast.

We are the clay

in the potter's hands.

Read Romans 9.

Take a look.

The clay doesn't say

to the potter,

why did you make me

this way?

The clay just gets

molded into whatever

he gets molded into.

When God changes

our hearts,

He gives us

something to boast about.

I've already referenced

this.

Matthew 5.

You are the light

of the world.

Nobody will cover

the light with a basket.

It is something

to boast about.

It is something

to share

what Christ has done.

That light

only comes

from Christ.

Matthew 13.

44

tells of the

kingdom of heaven

is like a treasure

hidden in a field

which a man

found and covered up.

Then,

in his joy,

he goes and sells

all that he has

and he buys

the field.

The work of God

is big enough

and good enough

to boast about

and it's also

good enough

to sell everything

and go buy

a piece of land.

So,

the grace of God

can move us

to sell everything.

Would you?

The grace of God

can cause us

to stop going to school

and move to the mission field.

Would you?

The grace of God

can cause you

to run to Iran.

Would you?

The grace of God

can cause you

to stay right

where you are.

Can you?

In all situations,

the light that God

has put in you

must not be covered

by a basket.

And the way

it's covered

by a basket

is that

self-gratifying

part of us.

That selfish

part of us.

Once we

cover the light,

who's going to see it?

They're going to see us

and see what we treasure.

So,

don't treasure

what you think

is light.

Treasure the actual light

and let the world

see it.

So,

not only does

justification

by faith

apart from works

eliminate

boasting,

it is also

a blessing

beyond our comprehension.

Verse 7 and 8.

quoted from

Psalms,

David wrote this

and it says,

Blessed are those

whose lawless deeds

are forgiven

and whose sins

are covered.

Blessed is the man

against whom

the Lord

will not count

his sin.

Now,

this truth,

to measure

blessing

is impossible.

And this blessing

is

huge.

So,

I've made a list

to give us

a glimmer,

just a fraction

of this

great blessing.

So,

in Christ,

your sins

are forgiven.

Any and everything,

past,

present,

and future.

In Christ,

your sins

are covered

by the blood

of Jesus,

which means

God the Father

sees only the blood

and not the sin.

In Christ,

your sins

will not be counted

against you.

In Christ,

your sins

have been blotted

out.

In Christ,

your sins

have been thrown

as far as

the east is

from the west.

In Christ,

you are righteous

before God.

In Christ,

you have been adopted

into the family

of God.

In Christ,

your inheritance

is immeasurable.

In Christ,

you can call

Abba,

Father,

Daddy.

In Christ,

there is nothing

you can do

that will make

God love you

any less.

In Christ,

there is nothing

you can do

that will make

God love you

any more.

In Christ,

you can live

with a confidence

and a boldness

in Christ.

In Christ,

you have hope

beyond this world.

In Christ,

you can love

those you wouldn't

love otherwise.

In Christ,

you are being

perfected,

so rejoice.

In Christ,

God is working

all things

for your good.

In Christ,

the Creator

of the universe

who spoke

the stars

and the mountains

and rivers

into existence

wants community

with you.

In Christ,

you are not alone

and will never

be alone.

In Christ,

you have a comforter

who can relate

to anything

you go through.

Anything.

In Christ,

God is for you

no matter

the struggle.

In Christ,

God is always

at work

for your joy

and His glory.

All of this

from Scripture,

all of this

can go on

and on

and on.

fraction

of the blessing.

Now,

I would encourage

you to make

your own list.

Look at Scriptures.

Treasure

the God of the Bible

by exploring

His Word.

Make a list

for yourself

of these things.

If all this

is true,

if every bit

of this

is fact,

then live

different

than the Mormon.

Live different

than the Jehovah's Witness.

Live different

than the Jewish

rabbi

or the Catholic

priest.

Because they

don't have

these truths

to cling to.

Don't just

be the nice guy.

Be the girl

of the guy

who loves Jesus.

So not only

does justification

by faith

apart from works

eliminate boasting,

which is a good thing,

not a bad thing,

not only is it

a blessing

beyond our comprehension,

but it also

defines works

as an outpouring

of faith.

And this frees us.

Find this

in verse 9

through the first

part of verse 11.

Read along with me.

Is this blessing

then only

for the circumcised

or also

for the uncircumcised?

We say

that faith

was counted

to Abraham

as righteousness.

How then

was it counted

to him?

Was it before

or after

he had been

circumcised?

It was not

after,

but before

he was circumcised.

He received

the sign

of circumcision

as a seal

of the righteousness

that he had

by faith

while he was

still

uncircumcised.

Now,

Paul gives us

three questions.

Now,

these questions

he sees

are going

to be asked

when he

goes ahead

and asks them

and answers them

for his argument.

Now,

we're going to

focus on

the last question

first.

That was

the timing

of Abraham

being counted

as righteous.

When was it?

Was it before

or was it

after circumcision?

Now,

if you're like me,

knowing the stories

that I know

from the Bible,

I'm not going

to think of

circumcision

as the

moment of

salvation

for Abraham.

I might think

of,

okay,

when was

Abraham

righteous?

Was it

before he

went and

followed God

and God

called him?

Or was it

after?

Or I might

think of

where he

took Isaac

up.

Was it

before he

took Isaac

up to be

sacrificed

or after?

Because those

are big deals

to me.

I mean,

those are

great moments

of faith.

Not

circumcision.

Although,

as you'll

find out,

I mean,

Abraham

was pretty

old.

Here's

why it

revolves

around

circumcision.

John

MacArthur

wrote,

and he

put it

best,

and I'm

just going

to quote

him.

No sense

to me

trying to

write it.

Most Jews

in the

New Testament

times were

thoroughly

convinced

that circumcision

was not

only,

not only

the unique

mark

that set

them apart

from all

other men

as God's

chosen people.

So,

it not

only set

them apart,

but was

also the

means by

which they

became

acceptable

to God.

So,

they put

all this

weight and

all this

importance

on this

one act

so that

they could

be

acceptable

to God.

See,

many Jews

believed that

salvation was

based on

their obedience

to God

in being

circumcised.

circumcised.

Now,

on top of

that,

their

eternal

security.

So,

they could

say to

God,

look,

God,

I'm

circumcised.

I'm

in heaven.

Listen

to this.

Rabbi

Menachem

writes in

his commentary

on the

book of

Moses,

our

rabbis

have said

that no

circumcised

man will

ever see

hell.

They have

made

circumcision

a big

deal.

Listen

to this.

From the

Jewish book

entitled

Akedeth

Jezahok,

Abraham

sits before

the gates

of hell

and does

not allow

that any

circumcised

Israelite

should enter

there.

So,

Abraham

sits and

if the

man is

circumcised,

you're not

going in

here,

buddy,

go over

there.

You don't

want in

here,

you don't

want in

hell.

They have

elevated

circumcision.

Now,

I'm not

telling you

these things

to say,

look how

much research

I did.

Listen to

these words.

Our

rabbis have

said that

no circumcised

man will

ever see

hell.

That's a

big deal.

Abraham

sits before

the gate

of hell

and does

not allow

that any

circumcised

Israelite

should enter

there.

They have

elevated a

religious act

and thought,

believed,

that this

religious act

saved them.

This

religious act

is where

they became

righteous.

It's like

any other

religion,

though,

truthfully.

Religion has

been created

by man for

the purpose

of being

God or

reaching God

without

Christ Jesus.

Religions have

been created

by man for

the purpose

of being

God or

reaching God

without

Christ Jesus.

But,

justification

by faith

apart from

works is

not a

religious

activity or

an action.

It is a

God activity.

And because

it is God,

the works are

a result of

what God

has done.

So the

timing of

Abraham being

justified is

an important

question.

Now, we

can just

read the

text or

we can go

to Genesis

15 and

see where

Abraham was

made righteous

and then

Genesis 17

where he

gets circumcised

and say,

okay, well,

it clearly

was before.

Pretty simple

for us.

Verse 11 of

Romans chapter

Romans 4 · chapter mention

4.

Abraham received

the sign of

circumcision as

a seal of

the righteousness

that he had

by faith

while he was

still uncircumcised.

circumcision was

established by

God first

as a sign

of the covenant

between God

and Abraham.

Genesis 17

11.

It was to

remind the

Jewish people

of the covenant

that God

had made

and to

remind them

who they

belonged to

and to set

apart the

people of

Israel as

God's chosen

people.

That was

the purpose,

nothing more,

which is a

clear example

of how we

can deform

even the

good things

that God

sets up

for His

children.

Now,

in Abraham's

case,

obedience,

Abraham was

99 years old

when he was

circumcised.

Obedience

followed being

made righteous.

Because he

was righteous,

he followed,

he obeyed.

He wasn't

counted as

righteous before

and then

once he

obeyed,

poof,

he's made

righteous.

It is

clearly

communicated

in Scripture

that it

was before.

Likewise,

for us,

our actions

should flow

from what

God has

done,

not

flowing to

what God

is going

to do.

So if we

work hard

enough,

God will

then save

us and

find us

worthy.

Our actions

should flow

from what

God has

done.

Which means

we look

forward to

loving those

we think

we can't.

We love

the body

of Christ.

We love

gathering with

the saints.

Which means

we are willing

to go

anywhere,

wherever that

leads us.

Which means

we love

God's creation

more than

others.

Which means

we hate

sin.

Which means

we mourn

for our lost

friends.

and which

means we

cherish

the mercies

of God

which are

new

every day.

Now one

of the

major

arguments

against

this

doctrine

of

justification

by faith

apart from

works

has been

that this

kind of

thinking

leads to

loose

living.

Well,

if you

were born

again,

if you

were made

righteous

without having

to do

anything,

then now

you have a

license to

go do

anything.

That's the

argument.

Well,

I say it

leads to

obedient

living,

and Paul

does as

well.

Turn to

Romans

Romans 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6.

Two chapters.

Romans

Romans 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6.

Verse 1,

he starts

by saying,

what shall

we say

then?

Are we

to continue

in sin

that grace

may abound?

And his

answer,

by no

means.

But look

at verse

17.

Romans

Romans 6:17

chapter 6

verse 17.

But thanks

be to

God that

you were

once slaves

of sin,

have become

obedient from

the heart

to the

standard of

teaching to

which you

were committed.

Verse 18.

And having

been set

free from

sin,

you have

become

slaves of

righteousness.

Which means,

if you're a

slave of

something,

you're going

to do what

the slave

master says.

And if

you're a

slave to

righteousness,

then you're

going to

do

righteousness.

out of

being made

righteous,

we do

then

righteous

things.

Abraham

was

righteous

and he

obeyed

rightly,

which means

he,

in his

case,

was

circumcised.

Our fourth

point this

morning.

Justification

by faith

apart from

works

allows that

all people

can be

children

of Abraham.

allows that

all people

can be

children

of Abraham.

Turn back

to Romans

Romans 4:11

chapter 4

verse 11

and 12.

He received

the sign of

circumcision as

a seal of

the righteousness

that he had

by faith

while he was

still circumcised.

The purpose

was to make

him the

father of

all who

believe without

being circumcised

so that the

righteousness

would be

counted to

them as

well.

And to

make him

the father

of the

circumcised

who are

not merely

circumcised

but who

also walk

in the

footsteps

of faith

that our

father Abraham

had before

he was

circumcised.

Now God

counting

righteousness

to Abraham

when he

did

before

allows

that all

types of

people,

no matter

their

ethnicity

or race,

their

religious

background

or their

non-religious

background,

black or

white,

Jew or

Gentile,

circumcised

or uncircumcised

can call

Abraham their

spiritual

father.

I started

to feel in the

Martin Luther

King speech

there for a

second.

We too can

walk as

Abraham walked.

We too can

be counted

as righteousness.

righteousness.

It also

means though

that God

will have

mercy on

who he

wants to

have

mercy on.

We cannot

and must

not put

limits on

who we

think God

should

or will

save.

That is not

our job.

Our job is

to proclaim

and boast

about Christ.

Not to

judge somebody

and say,

God,

you're not

going to

save them.

They're

long gone.

All people

can be

children of

God.

Any type

of person.

No matter

who.

So I

can look

at the

Muslim

on TV

and say,

who's

bombing

things and

say,

yes,

he can

be born

again.

He can

receive the

grace that

I have

been shown.

Because he

is no

worse than

I am.

That's what

justification

by faith

does.

It

shakes

up our

thinking.

Verse 11

says,

again,

Abraham

received the

sign of

circumcision

as a

seal of

the righteousness

that he

had by faith

while he

was still

circumcised.

Circumcision

was the

seal that

confirmed or

authenticated

being counted

righteous.

It reminded

the Jews

and God

of the

covenant

that was

made.

It's

what made

that

covenant

binding.

Now,

we too

have a

seal.

We have

the Holy

Spirit.

In

Christ,

we have

the Holy

Spirit.

We are

secure in

Christ with

the seal

of the

Holy

Spirit.

Authenticated,

confirmed by

the Holy

Spirit.

Now,

if any

person,

any people

group can be

counted as

righteousness,

the opposite

is true as

well.

Not everyone

who was

circumcised

was counted

as righteous.

Ishmael

was circumcised

but not part

of the

covenant.

For you

today,

what matters

is not what

you've done

or what

religious

guidelines

you follow.

What matters

is whether or

not you have

been counted

as righteous

as in

Christ.

to be

counted,

this word

counted,

talks of an

exchange or

a credit.

The only

way that

your bank

account can

be credited

is by putting

money in

it.

Credit that

account.

Either you

or the bank

had to have

the money

to then credit

your account.

With me so

far?

To credit

someone,

there must

be ownership.

God is

the owner

of righteousness.

He is

righteous and

He is the

source of

righteousness.

He has

given it to

those who

believe that

Jesus Christ

is Lord.

There is

nothing fancy

or difficult

about this.

It's clear

and it's

simple.

There are

three things

that you

have to do

in order to

believe.

Just three.

Three simple

things.

The first

thing is you

have to

admit and

realize that

you are a

sinner unable

to be

righteous apart

from the

work of

God.

Second

thing is that

you have to

believe that

Jesus lived a

sinless,

perfect life for

sinners like

you and me.

He died for

your sin and

rose from the

grave to free

you from the

bondage of

sin.

So believe

that you are

a sinner.

believe what

Jesus did.

And the

third thing,

Jesus can and

will give you

a new life if

you repent of

your sins and

believe that he

is Lord.

So you

repent and

you believe.

God, I

will give you

a new life if

Now we don't say

that every

Sunday morning.

But in a

topic like

justification by

faith apart

from words,

we can get the

doctrine, we can

get the

knowledge, but we

have to have our

lives changed.

Otherwise it

doesn't mean

anything.

So I

throw those

three things

out at you

and I

plead with

you, if

you do not

know Christ,

believe in

him this

morning.

I hope and

I pray that I

have shown you

clearly how it

works.

Now I know

there's guys in

this room,

there are guys

in this room

that would love

to have a

conversation with

you.

Just look

around, there's

tons of guys.

There's John,

there's Wes,

there's Josh,

there's Nathan,

there's me,

there's Daryl,

there's Stan,

there's tons of

guys in here that

if you do not

know Christ,

that they would

love to talk to

you about it.

Don't wait.

Don't hesitate.

Let's pray

together.

Let's pray.