20260909 Romans 1-4 Wednesday Bible Study Tim Dickmann

Alright, so, did anybody read Romans this week?

Alright, so if you read Romans, that's good.

If you didn't, you're going to be behind. So,

we're in Romans chapter 1 is where we're going

Romans 1 · chapter mention

to begin. And so what I want to do tonight is

just to kind of give us just kind of a brief

synopsis, a brief kind of go through these first

four chapters. In a couple weeks when I start

to preach on Sunday, we are going to begin in

chapter 5. And so chapter 5 is a breaking point

or a division there in Romans. So it does start

its own theme, so to speak, right there and go

on. If you started there, it makes sense. But

it's helpful to have an understanding of what

Paul's been saying beforehand. So, what is the

theme of chapter 1? Or one of the themes, the

first theme, perhaps, of chapter 1? Does anybody

have a comment or... Did anybody notice anything?

The gospel. Okay, the gospel. Chris says the

gospel. Remember your name, Chris. Alright, so

where do we get that? Well, we get that in verse

16. So chapter 1, verse 16, Paul says, For I

am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power

of God. for salvation to everyone who believes,

to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in

it the righteousness of God is revealed from

faith to faith, as it is written, the righteous

shall live by faith. So that's a quote there.

The righteous shall live by faith. From the Old

Testament. So that's what Paul says there in

verse 16. 16 and 17. What does he say before

16 and 17? Anybody notice anything there? What

will we say? I guess he's saying one thing is

he's the apostle to the Gentiles, right? He talks

about his apostleship and his desire there to

go to the Gentiles there in Rome and to have

some fruit among them and to share there with

them. I would say in the first 15 verses there

is just kind of an introduction. An introduction

there of who Paul is, his desire for them, and

he's going to write this letter to them. And

then we get to 16 and 17, and he begins then

to give us the theme of what he's going to write.

And so he's beginning here the gospel. What comes

after that? What comes after that in chapter

1? Okay, condemnation. Alright, so let's read

a little bit here. He says in verse 18, For the

wrath of God is revealed from heaven against

all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who

suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because

that which is known about God is evident with

them, for God made it evident to them. For since

the creation of the world, His invisible attributes

His eternal power and divine nature have been

clearly seen, being understood through what he

has made, so that they are without excuse. So,

what is he saying there? What's the point? Put

it in your own words. All men should know that

there is a God. Yeah, that's what he says there.

He says it's evident. Did you hear that? What

does he say? What verse was that? Verse 19. Because

that which is known about God is evident within

them. For God made it evident to them. So there

is something in men that they know there is a

God. And then he goes on there and he talks about

creation. Talks about the world. His attributes.

And all of these other things there. And he says.

He says. That they are without excuse. That's

the whole point. That all men know there's a

God and the wrath of God is revealed toward them.

And he goes on then and he talks about their

suppression of their consciences, their suppression

that there is a God. Goes on to talk about all

their sin, right? There at the end, verse 26,

really in 24. And then in 26, he talks about

their passions, giving in to them, women with

women, men with men, doing those unnatural things.

And then he goes on there and he says, in 28,

and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge

God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved

mind. And then he lists all these things that

they're involved in, filled with all unrighteousness,

wickedness, greed. Evil, full of envy, murder,

strife, deceit, malice. All of these sins, it

goes on there. What's his point? Condemnation,

right? He's revealing here, he's saying, you

are without excuse and you are under, verse 18,

the wrath of God. Okay? Now who's he talking

to here? Who's he mentioning? Who specifically

can we say? Is there a specific group? Does he

give us a specific group? Okay. Brian says it

seems like he's not talking about the Jews. Okay,

so Brian says the Gentiles. Some people think

that. I don't necessarily think I think that.

Because he doesn't say, he doesn't give us anything

specific here. Now he does go on, and we're going

to talk about it here in chapter 2, he does specifically

call out the Jews with some things. And again,

there are men who say just what Brian said, so

I'm not disparaging Brian or saying he's crazy

or anything like that. There are plenty of folks

who say that. And that's fine. I don't see here

a distinction between Jew and Gentile. I think

he's just condemning all men. Showing that all

men are condemned. All men are under the wrath

of God as they reject God. And they follow their

own path. And they do their own thing. And they

suppress their conscience. All men. Okay? Now

how does that fit in with the theme? Okay. All

men need the gospel, right? What's Paul saying?

I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the

power of God unto salvation. Who needs the gospel?

All men, right? All men need the gospel. All

men are condemned apart from the gospel. All

right? Yes, ma 'am. to the worst kind of is above

becoming like the worst kind of sinner like we

would all all men left to themselves sure have

that potential have that potential this just

sort of seems like I've heard it described as

like a downward spiral like it begins you don't

even acknowledge God and then you're not thankful

in your heart and then you're just doing things

that are against him and you just And I've thought

of that before. Like, I think some people think

that they could never be, you know, as bad as

people on true crime shows or something. But

it's like, maybe anybody could fall into that.

Yeah. Yeah, I mean, all men are prone to the

most vile sin. All men apart from God, right?

I mean, again, as believers, a new heart, a new

nature, and all of that. That's not our tendency.

But all men, apart from God, why aren't men as

bad as they could be? Why aren't we all just

a bunch of Hitlers running around? The grace

of God, right? But really, in our hearts, apart

from God, is there much difference? We just don't

put into practice the things that he did. We

think of those things. I mean, men are evil.

Men are wicked. So apart from God, yeah, we all

can be way worse than we are. Society, again,

we see it falling. We see it getting worse. And

it's the grace of God that it's not worse than

it is. That men are not acting more depraved

than they already are. So yeah, we could, you

know, it's within all men to be way worse than

what they are. It's simply the grace of God.

Okay. Chapter 2. Therefore, you have no excuse,

every one of you who passes judgment. For in

that which you judge another, you condemn yourself.

For you who judge practice the same thing. And

we know that the judgment of God is according

to truth against those who practice such things.

But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass

judgment on those who practice such things and

do the same yourself, that you will escape the

judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the

riches of his kindness and tolerance and patience,

not knowing that the kindness of God leads you

to repentance? But because of your stubbornness

and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath

for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation

of the righteous judgment of God, who will render

to each person according to his deeds. So again,

we see there just more condemnation. And what

is it that Paul says here? He says, you're storing

this up. In other words, you're storing up what

you have coming. You're earning every bit of

it with your wickedness and your evil deeds.

All right. And so all are without excuse and

all are condemned. Now he goes on here. He calls

out specifically at the end of that in verse

nine there. I think it's verse nine. There will

be tribulation and distress for every soul of

man who does evil. Of the Jew first and also

of the Greek. But glory, honor, and peace to

everyone who does good. To the Jew first and

also to the Greek. For there is no partiality

with God. And then he brings in the law here.

He says, for all who have sinned without the

law will perish without the law. And all who

have sinned under the law will be judged by the

law. So again, those are those two groups. Without

the law and then with the law. The Jew and the

Gentile. The Jew and the Greek. For it is not

the hearers of the law who are just before God,

but the doers of the law will be justified. For

when Gentiles who do not have the law do instinctively

the things of the law, these not having the law

are a law to themselves, in that they show the

work of the law written in their hearts, their

conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts

alternately accusing or else defending them,

on the day when, according to my gospel, God

will judge the secrets of men through Christ

Jesus. So again, it's condemnation, more condemnation,

with or without the law. Paul now brings in the

law. He says, you'll not be justified by the

works of the law. You're still going to be condemned

if you're not following God. Jew or Gentile.

Now then, in verse 17, he begins to deal more

specifically here and deals with the Jews. What

I would say is kind of a turning point here in

this chapter. And he says, if you bear the name

Jew and rely upon the law and boast in God and

know his will and approve the things that are

essential being instructed out of the law. and

are confident that you are a guide to the blind,

a light to those in darkness, a corrector of

the foolish, and so on and so forth. And then

he says, but we should just read it. A corrector

of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having

in the law the embodiment of knowledge and of

truth, you therefore who teach another, do you

not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall

not steal, do you steal? You who say that one

should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?

You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You

who boast in the law, through your breaking the

law, do you dishonor God? For the name of God

is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you

just as it is written. What's his point there?

What's his point? Why is he calling attention

to this? So it seems like the Jews feel self

-righteous and proud and boastful because they

have the law and they keep the law. And he's

pointing out, do you really keep it? Like maybe

just because you keep most things or some things,

you're breaking it here. And so it seems like

he's saying they don't really keep it. That's

what he's saying. He's saying you don't keep

the law. Yeah. And so the big issue then is what?

What was the Jews thinking? Why is he telling

them this? What was their thinking? They have

the law. They're good. Right? They're good to

go. They're justified. Right? We're good. We

are the Jews. Who are the Jews? Chosen people

of God, right? And so we are good. We have the

law. We've got Moses. We come from Abraham. We

are good. Paul's telling them, no, you're not.

What's he telling them? You're condemned. More

condemnation. And pointing that out to them.

Okay. I don't want to get ahead of myself here.

And then he goes on here. And I want to point

this out for us. So, Man, burn it up. Is anybody

else hot? I mean, I get hot because I'm nervous

sometimes, but this is just a hot. All right.

So, he goes on here, and I want to read this.

to you here so in verse 25 he says for indeed

circumcision is of value if you practice the

law but if you are a transgressor of the law

your circumcision has become uncircumcision so

if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements

of the law will not his uncircumcision be regarded

as circumcision and he who is physically uncircumcised

if he keeps the law will will he not judge you

who though having the The letter and circumcision

are a transgressor of the law. So what's he saying

there? He's saying circumcised, uncircumcised.

So he's talking Jew and Gentile, right? Circumcised,

Jews were circumcised. Gentiles were not circumcised.

What's he saying? He's saying just because you're

circumcised means nothing if you're not obeying

the law. The uncircumcised Gentiles can keep

the law. can keep the law and are better off

than you are. Because they're obedient. They're

obeying. And their circumcision or uncircumcision

doesn't matter. So he's again telling them, you're

not better than anybody else just because you

have the law. You're not on this other plane

just because you're an Israelite or a Jew. And

then he makes that really, really clear, right?

As he goes on here, he says in verse 28, For

he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is

circumcision that which is outward in the flesh,

but he is a Jew who is one inwardly. And circumcision

is that which is of the heart by the Spirit,

not by the letter. And his praise is not from

men, but from God. So what is he saying there?

It's not these outward things. It's not this

keeping these outward things or doing these outward

things. Or who you're born to. Right? What's

the issue? The issue is obedience to God. Keeping

the law. He'll go on to tell us what the real

issue is here is being justified. Being justified

by faith and so on. But it's important that we

understand here, who is a Jew? One who is circumcised

inwardly. In other words, he's got a new heart.

That's what Paul says here. The Jews are not

this nation over in Palestine. And he's telling

these folks this right here in the old days.

Right here, right after Jesus. When they're still

living there in Jerusalem, they're still practicing

all of it. sacrifices and the rituals and all

these other things, he says the Jews, a true

Jew, is one who is inwardly circumcised in his

heart. And if you're not, you're not a Jew. That's

an important thing for us to remember because

Paul is going to deal with that later on in Romans.

And so we need to remember that now. He brings

it up. He makes it clear to us. And then later

on he's going to talk about it some more. Okay?

Does that make sense? So who here is a Jew? I

am. Okay? I am. And then whoever else has been

saved, who's been circumcised inwardly. Okay?

We are the Jews. In a spiritual sense. What is

it? Galatians. We are the children of Abraham.

Alright. And heirs of the promise. Alright. Now.

Condemnation. Right. Chapter 1. Verse 18. To

the end of chapter 2. Paul has been condemning

all men. If you take some. You know, like Brian

pointed out there, if he's speaking specifically

to Gentiles there in that first chapter, and

then specifically to the Jews in the second chapter,

that's what the conclusion you come to find.

What's the point, though? All men are condemned.

All men, Jew and Gentile alike, are under the

wrath of God. That's Paul's point. That's why

all men need this gospel, and that's why Paul's

proud of this gospel, This is a way for man to

be made right with God. The gospel is the power

of God unto salvation. It's the only way. And

that's what he's going to start to talk about

now. Well, eventually. Now, he begins chapter

3. He says, then what advantage has the Jew?

Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Now,

why did he ask those questions? Jews had been

given, which had always been considered a blessing

to them, maybe. And this is, we'll have a couple

of quick questions. Is this kind of news to the

Jews and the Gentiles? Because like for years

they were the chosen people. And they had privilege,

would you say? And then in verse 11 of chapter

2 when he says, for there is no respect of persons

with God. I have written beside it, this is news

to the Jews. So is that how you... Sure. And

my other question is, so the Romans, this is

a dumb one, were they mostly Jews, mostly Gentiles,

a mixture? I would think it was a mixture, right?

Okay. I mean, we wouldn't... Well, I think it

was a mixture, but I think the Romans were Gentiles.

Okay. Yeah. Definitely not. Again, in all of

these places, there would have been a mixture.

Right. Okay. I was just curious about that. Okay.

I have a question a little bit. So, if there's

no distinction anymore between you and Gentile,

right? Is that kind of what's the case that's

being made? Like, there's no difference? It's

a heart issue? Well, that's not what Paul's...

I wouldn't say that's what... What Paul's dealing

with here. He's dealing here with all men being

condemned. And there's only one way of salvation.

And it has nothing to do with your birth. In

verse 10 of chapter 2. Right. Okay. No, that's

fine. That's fine. Right. Well, if you read over

there, read on down there to chapter 12. Paul

seems to give an idea here of a greater responsibility

or a greater... I think you mean verse 12. Verse

12. Did I say chapter 12? Verse 12. We're really

jumping ahead. No, I'm sorry. Chapter 12. Verse

12 of chapter 2. Verse 12. Verse 12. So in verse

12 here, he says, for all who have sinned without

the law will also perish without the law. And

then those who have sinned under the law will

be judged by the law. Okay. Martin O. Jones says

that those two words, perish and judge, that

they have to do with a greater degree of punishment

or judgment or based on. the fact that the Gentiles

didn't have the law, and so they're not held

to the same standard as the Jews are. And so

there's a degree here of punishment, a degree

of responsibility. And so, does that help? Again,

with more light comes more responsibility, right?

I mean, we have been given, you know, just in

this church, okay, we have greater responsibility

than the guy down the street who's a Christian,

but he's in this church that's barely preaching

anything good. But he's trusting Jesus. He's

saved just as much as we are. But he's just in

a bad place there and he's not given the good

teaching and he's not encouraged to do certain,

you know. We are of a greater responsibility.

We will be held to a higher standard. Just like

the guy, the unconverted man who sits in the

pew every week and hears the truth and is pleaded

with to repent and to believe the gospel and

never does, he will be held to a higher standard

than the guy who is down in South America jungles

and all he has is his conscience telling him

that there is a God. Other questions? Oh, you

had the question. So then in chapter 1, verse

16, it also says about salvation to everyone

who believes to the Jew first and also to the

Greek. Is that just because they had an opportunity

for salvation first? Well, yeah, they were given

great blessings, which Paul says here, right?

So back to my question, why does Paul ask these

questions? Why does Paul say what advantage has

the Jew or what is the benefit of circumcision?

Okay, he was defending God. Why else does he

ask the question? Here's what I'm getting at.

Paul, throughout the book of Romans, Asks question

after question after question. Alright. When

you find that question. This one right here.

You have to understand why he asks the question.

What he said here was something outlandish. In

chapter 2. That was totally foreign and crazy

to the Jews. So the Jews are sitting there listening

to Paul, and they're like, well, what benefit

is it? If we're condemned just like everybody

else, what good is it to be a Jew? What's the

benefit to me? I'm going to hell just like the

next guy. Right? And so that's why Paul says

this. He's anticipating someone saying, Paul,

hang on now. What about the fact that we are

the chosen people? Isn't there benefit in that?

Don't we get it? Isn't there some privilege there?

Right? That's what you would expect someone to

ask. And that's why Paul says it here. He goes

on here, just like Dad said, he asks some other

questions here, and he's defending God. Showing

that God is just, that God is faithful. But you've

got to ask yourself, why does Paul ask this question?

And if you can't come to that understanding,

then you've missed the point of what he's already

said. Okay? So as we go through here, as you

read through Romans, Romans is a unique book.

All of this book is just theology, theology,

theology. And then he talks about how we apply

that in our lives. But it's a logical progression.

You've got to understand his argument. It's not...

Paul does that in different... different letters,

but it's really a lot here. So you've got to

understand the argument as you go along. When

he asks a question, you have to ask yourself,

why does he ask that question? What has he said

before that's going to make somebody say, why

this? And if you can't come to that, you've got

to go back and say, I'm missing something. I'm

missing the point of what he just got done saying,

because I have no idea why he's just jumping

to this question. Okay? Does that make sense?

Okay, so he says, what advantage has the Jew?

If we're all condemned, I've got the law, he

doesn't have the law, we're all going to hell,

what advantage has the Jew? Well, what is the

advantage? Does anybody know? I think it does.

Okay. So, what advantage is that? To have the

written word of God, is that an advantage? Absolutely,

right? Absolutely. Because in those oracles of

God, in your Old Testament, the gospel was there.

The gospel was there. Now, it wasn't as clear

as Paul's going to make it for us here in the

New Testament, but it was there. In fact, he's

referred to it already. I didn't write it down.

Is it Habakkuk or the just shall live by faith?

Okay. It's right there. The just shall live by

faith. Mine says the righteous. In Habakkuk it's

the just. Does King James say just? So the just

shall live by faith. In other words, we're justified

by faith. Right there in the Old Testament. And

we hear the same thing then here in the New Testament.

Paul's going to tell us that time and again.

Justified by faith. Okay? So, he goes on and

he asks some other questions here. And real quick,

the oracles of God. I'll just say this because

we're probably not going to have time to get

to it all. But maybe we will. In verse 21 of

chapter 3, he also kind of answers this question.

He says, But now, apart from the law, a righteousness

of God has been manifested, being witnessed by

the law and the prophets. Alright? Same thing

there. Same thing. What is the law and the prophets?

It's the Old Testament Scriptures. And he's saying

there, a righteousness apart from the law. In

other words, by faith. This righteousness that

is revealed. In the Old Testament. Again, another

benefit of being a Jew. The Old Testament Scriptures

pointed to Jesus Christ, the full embodiment

of the Gospel. Okay. Alright. So then he asks

another question. In verse 3, he says, what then?

If some did not believe, their unbelief will

not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

Okay, so there's another question, right? He's

got another question. Will, and if we put it

in, I wrote it down here. I said, if God, is

God unfaithful to his promise to Israel, if some

are lost or unsaved? So the people of God, right?

God made all sorts of promises. Is God unfaithful

if some of the Jews are not saved? That's what

Paul's asking there. Because again, why is he

asking that? Because that's the accusation that's

going to come against him. If all of us Jews

aren't saved and we have the promises of God,

isn't God unfaithful? Didn't God? fail in all

that he promised us paul says what does he say

may it never be rather let god be found true

though every man be found a liar as it is written

so again paul's there he's vindicating and he

goes on here then to talk about the faithfulness

of god that god is faithful despite the jews

not all being saved all right But I want to point

out there the questions, right? Paul, the questions

that he's asking, the responses that he gives

are all because of something that he said that

has caused somebody to say, hang on a minute.

If you're saying that, then this must be the

case. And Paul says, no, God is faithful despite

that. Okay. Again, I mean, we're going through

it fast. Did you want to say something? I was

just going to remind you that you don't have

to finish tonight. We've got to do it next Wednesday

also. Yeah, yeah. I think we'll be all right.

Again, guys, there's so much here. There's so

much that we're just kind of glossing over. And

we're just kind of picking out the highlights

here so that we all kind of know where we're

headed. And hopefully then you can read through

these first four chapters again this week and

pick some of these things out for yourself. Maybe

have some more questions and go find your answers.

So, any questions about that little bit there?

Sure. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, he goes on here. If

we read verse 5, but if our righteousness demonstrates

the righteousness, I'm sorry, if our unrighteousness,

so our sin, demonstrates the righteousness of

God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts

wrath is not unrighteous, is he? And then he

says, I'm speaking in human terms. May it never

be. For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

So in other words there, he says, well, again,

what's the accusation? The accusation is, how

can God be just? How can God be fair if my sin

shows forth the righteousness of God? If God's

glorified, how am I judged? How could God judge

me? Isn't that a double standard? Isn't God unrighteous

then? Isn't He an unfair judge? Paul, of course,

says, may it never be. Of course not. He says,

may it never be, for otherwise, how will God

judge the world? And why does he say that? How

will God judge the world? His point is, if God's

unrighteous, if God's unjust, how could He ever

be the one who's going to judge? And yet we know

God is the judge. So we know God is righteous

and we know He's fair. That's His reasoning there.

He's vindicating God in all of this and saying

God is just. And our sin and God's dealing with

our sin in condemnation does not make God unjust

or unrighteous in His dealings with us. Hang

on. Because he goes on there and he says, right?

At the very end there of 8, their condemnation

is just. Those who think in that way, their condemnation

is just. To think that God is unfair to judge

me when my sin shows forth His righteousness.

Chris. Is God unfaithful to his promise to Israel

if some are lost or unsaved? Did we get to that

already? I wasn't going to deal with it anymore.

If you want to ask something, go ahead. Well,

what did we say when we went through all the

covenants? Who is the promise to? Who did God

promise to save? All of Abraham's children, right?

All his true children. We talked about Abraham's

four seeds. It's physical seed, spiritual seed.

I don't remember them all. Anyway, the promise

was that those who had faith, those who believed,

would be saved. Those are the ones who he promised

to save. Those are Abraham's true seed and heirs

of the promise, Galatians says. Again, they don't

understand it. They don't understand this, right?

Because why are they asking these questions?

Because they think they're good. They're Jews.

They're okay. How can Paul say that they're condemned

and they're just like everybody else? Well, I

mean, again, if we were to... delve into here

and just really go in, we would see all of these

things that we're saying in greater detail. And

the Jews understood. The Jews understood what

was being said. That's why Paul is giving these

rebuttals to these hypothetical questions that

he's anticipating. Because he knew they would

understand. and it's like the same thing. It's

pretty interesting. Yeah. Like how are they thinking

about Romans? Yeah, they're not. So what does

this mean as far as our unrighteousness demonstrates

the righteousness of God? That's their issue,

right? How can God judge us if our righteousness

unrighteousness shows his righteousness? How

is that okay? Verse 9. What then? Another question.

What then? Are we better than they? And again,

Paul answers it. It says, not at all. For we

have already charged that both Jews and Greeks

are all under sin. As it is written, there is

none righteous, no, not one. He quotes this whole

scripture here. To show just the utter condemnation

upon men and the corruption of man. Now, we're

going to skip down to verse 21. Well, I guess

we shouldn't. Verse 19. Now we know that whatever

the law says, it speaks to those who are under

the law. so that every mouth may be closed and

all the world may become accountable to God.

Because by the works of the law, no flesh will

be justified in his sight. For through the law

comes the knowledge of sin. Okay? That's a bold

statement by Paul. A couple of bold statements,

really. No flesh will be justified by the law,

by the works of the law. Okay? Salvation does

not come by the law. That's what Paul's telling

them there. Again, would that have been a shocker

to the Jews? Absolutely. Absolutely. But then

he heaps upon that even more, right? What else

does he say? For through the law comes the knowledge

of sin. What? Now there's a statement. Okay,

the Jews would have been all up in arms over

that statement. We're not going to deal with

that statement now. Paul deals with the law later

on here. We will wind up dealing with that some

in future weeks and months or whatever. But those

are some very bold statements by Paul. That would

have been very controversial. Now, again, he's

been saying that very thing. I mean, he sums

it up for us right there. sums up what he's just

got done telling us in the first three chapters

up to this point. No flesh will be justified

by the works of the law, and through the law

comes the knowledge of sin. He's going to deal

with this first thing. By the works of the law,

no flesh will be justified. So that's what he

starts with here in verse 21. He says, But now,

apart from the law, a righteousness of God has

been manifested, being witnessed by the law and

the prophets, even the righteousness of God through

faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe.

For there is no distinction, for all have sinned

and fall short of the glory of God, being justified

as a gift by His grace through the redemption

which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed.

publicly as a propitiation a wrath bearer in

his blood through faith this was to demonstrate

his righteousness because in the forbearance

of god he passed over the sins previously committed

for the demonstration i say of his righteousness

at the present time so that he would be just

and the justifier of the one who has faith in

jesus so paul is telling us here what is the

way how is a man justified By faith. By faith.

That's what he's saying. Is he justified by the

works of the law? No. He is justified by faith.

This is what the law and the prophets have said.

This is what has been revealed now. Where was

it revealed? Revealed fully on the cross. In

Jesus Christ being the sacrifice. The propitiation

for our sins. Okay? God revealed it all right

there. That's what Paul is telling us. That's

what he's telling the Jews. That's what he's

telling those Gentile Romans there. Here is the

way to be right with God. By faith. Now, that's

big. That's really big. And that was really big

to the Jews. It's bigot to us. This is a huge

truth. Okay? But the Jews would have been, they

would have been blowing their minds, right? Because

they had the law. That's what they wanted to

keep. That's what they thought made them right

with God. Paul's saying, no, it's faith. And

it's faith in Jesus Christ. That is how a man

is right with God. Now, he goes on here. He says,

again, Where then is boasting? It is excluded.

And he goes on and talks about some of those

things. He brings in circumcision and uncircumcision

again. And then he asks this big question in

31. Do we then nullify the law through faith?

Paul says, may it never be. On the contrary,

we establish the law. So again, some other big

statements there about the law and faith. Paul

goes on in chapter 4 here to drive home the fact

that we are justified by faith. Alright? And

his point in chapter 4 is that this has always

been the way of salvation. This isn't new. Okay?

And who does he bring in to talk about that?

Abraham. Right? Abraham. Father of the faithful.

He brings in Abraham and he talks about how was

Abraham justified? And when was Abraham justified?

He says, what then, verse 1, what then shall

we say that Abraham, our forefather, according

to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified

by works, he has something to boast about. but

not before God. For what does the scripture say?

Abraham believed God and it was credited to him

as righteousness. Alright? And then it goes on

here. In verse 10. How then was it credited?

While he was circumcised or uncircumcised? Paul

says, not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.

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

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. What's his

point? His point is, when was Abraham saved?

Before he was circumcised or after he was circumcised?

Before, right? And so what's Paul's point? Your

circumcision is no good. Abraham didn't need

it. He didn't have to be circumcised to be saved.

He was saved and then was circumcised as a seal

or evidence. That here he is. A child of God.

Okay. How else was Abraham? What else does he

say about him? Did Abraham work for his salvation?

No. No. How was he saved? He believed God. What

is that? That's faith, right? Abraham believed

God. He believed what God told him. He believed

God. And it was credited to him as righteousness.

Okay? Abraham was justified by faith. Way, way

back. Before the law, right? When was the law

given? You had Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob

went into Egypt. And then he died there. And

then all the Israelites were enslaved. They came

out of Egypt. You had Moses leading them, right?

And then we had the law. The law was given to

Moses. Was it 490 years? Is that what it is?

Or 400 years after Abraham? 430, I think is what

it is. 430, okay. Either way, a long time after

Abraham is when the law came in. The law had

nothing to do with Abraham's salvation. Abraham

was not saved or justified because he kept the

law. And he wasn't saved or justified because

he was circumcised. He was saved because he believed

God. And then he was circumcised and 430 years

later the law came. The law and circumcision

are not salvific. They are not saving. It's faith.

We are justified by faith. Okay? That's Paul's

point in chapter 4. Driving home salvation, justification

by faith. Believing God. Trusting in the work

of Jesus Christ. That He accomplished what Paul

said here. He was the sin bearer. He was our

propitiation. Okay. And so again, I just want

to stress this to us. Salvation has always been

the same. I was talking to Dad the other day.

He pointed this out to me. You know, there are

other denominations and other places that teach

that God saves people in different ways throughout

the Old Testament. Different dispensations. God

dealt with men differently. And yes, He maybe

dealt with them differently, but He saved them

in the same way. Okay? The same way. Salvation

has always been by faith. We are justified by

faith. And we are not justified because of our

works. We don't do something. It's all the grace

of God. It's all the grace of God. It's what

He gives us. He gives us faith to believe. Okay?

Again, it's not a work. It's not I work up some

faith and so I can be saved. God gives me faith

to believe and I believe. And I am made right.

We're going to end there. Any questions? Okay.

So, when I begin to preach, we will begin in

chapter 5. I thought we might get further tonight,

and so I thought we maybe would go over what

is justification, right? We didn't answer that

question. Salvation, basically. But what all

does it mean? We'll talk about that when I begin

to preach on chapter 5. So if you've got other

questions over this, we can deal with them in

the future. But we'll start chapter 5 when we

get together and I'm preaching.