Abraham & David – justified by faith… vs. 1-8

• The debt of sin…
  • Paul uses the word ‘accounted’ – Logizomai – 11 times in chapter 4 – important word
  • It is an accounting term – carrying the idea of paying a debt that is owed…
    • Paul is not questioning if we have sin – he has already stated ‘All are sinners’
    • The question is ‘how do we pay the sin debt we owe to God’… 
    • We tend to think of our sin in reasonable terms – I owe God 1000P – I can pay that…
    • But Jesus clarifies – our sin debt to God is more like – 8 billion pesos – Matthew 18
    • In other words we cannot ‘work off’ our sin – do enough good to counter the bad
  • Paul spent 3 chapters establishing we cannot ‘pay our debt’ by good works…
    • The only way to ‘pay our debt’ to sin – is through faith in Jesus Christ…
    • Paul now gives us the illustration of salvation by faith – in the example of Abraham
      
• Abraham believed – Genesis 15:6… vs. 1-5
  • Father Abraham…
    • Abraham was the ‘Father’ of the Jewish nation – the 1^st Israelite
    • God gave the Law (works) to the Jews – so how God saved the 1^st Jew is important
    • Was the 1^st Jew saved by works (following the Law) – or by faith…
  • Justified by faith or works…
    • If Abraham had been ‘justified’ because of good works – he could have boasted…
      • For the sake of argument – 1^st class condition – Abraham was justified by works
      • He could have boasted before men – but not before God
      • The problem was – not matter how good Abraham was – he was not perfect
      • He was not – could never be as good as God – he could boast to men / but not to God
    • Abraham believe God – and it was accounted as righteousness
      • But the Bible does not say he was made righteous by his good works – but by faith
      • God made him a promise – and Abraham believed God by faith
      • His faith was ‘counted’ (as payment for the debt of sin) as righteousness
  • If you work for it – wages / if it is freely given – gift
    • When you receive money for your hard work – it is not a gift – you earned it – wages
    • When something is freely given to you – you did not earn it – it is a gift
    • If you worked for a day and earned 150 pesos – wages / if I gave you 150 pesos gift
    • We do not ‘earn’ (work for) our salvation – God gives us salvation (gift)
    • God justifies – the ungodly – not because they deserve it – but as a free gift!
    • We do not deserve to go to heaven – we do not earn our salvation
    • No one will ever get to heaven because they worked hard to get there – it is a gift!
      
• King david – Psalm 32:1-2… vs. 6-8
  • The greatest of all kings…
    • Among Kings of Israel none were as important as King David – greatest king of Israel
    • Example of King David – was he justified by – works or faith
  • The sin of Bathsheba…
    • King David was a man after God’s own heart – a good Godly man – but not perfect
    • He saw a married woman from his rooftop bathing (Bathsheba) – lust – adultery… 
    • When she became pregnant – he conspired to have her husband murdered…
  • Blessed is the man who is forgiven / sins covered / God does not count their sin…
    • David understood the blessed (happy) man was one who was forgiven!
    • The man whose sin (and all are sinners) are not counted against them…
    • God does not Count sin –(oo may subjective) – strongest negative in the Greek language
    • If we have to stand before God accountable for all our actions – works – thoughts
    • It will be a VERY bad day – we will not be happy (extreme understatement)
    • But if we stand before God – and our sins / mistakes – are not remembered – forgiven
    • That is a VERY good day – we will be very happy because it means we go to heaven!
      

Abraham – the father of all who believe by faith… vs. 9-16

• When did Abraham believe – as a Jew or a Gentile… vs. 9-12
  • Circumcision was the sign God gave to Israel they were His people…
    • God gave the covenant of Circumcision to Abraham – 1^st Jew – Genesis 17
    • But Abraham believed God by faith – Genesis 15
    • Abraham was made righteous by faith – before – the covenant of Circumcision!
  • Circumcision was given as a sign that Abraham was already righteousness…
    • Abraham was not made righteous by being circumcised – being a Jew – following Law
    • Circumcision was the sign God had already made him righteous by his faith!
    • Much like a wedding ring does not make you married – it just shows you are married
    • Doing the things in the Law does not make you righteous…
    • If you are righteous – by faith – you will do the things in the law showing your faith!
    • If we say we have faith in Jesus – but all the ‘works’ in our life are to the contrary…
    • The ‘proof’ of our faith in a life that is transformed / changed – full of good works
    • Good works reveal a good heart that has been saved by Grace through faith in Jesus
      
• The father of us all… vs. 13-16
  • Since Abraham was made righteous before his circumcision – he is an example to us all
    • Not an example of the Law/Works/Merit – but of Faith/Grace/Promise 
    • If the promise – heaven – could come through the Law/Works then faith is useless…
    • But Works/Law – only bring about the wrath of God – without the Law there is no sin
    • The Law is a mirror that reveals our true righteousness before God
    • If we don’t have a mirror – we can convince ourselves we are handsome – but…
    • Once we have a mirror – we see ourselves as we truly are
    • Without the Law there is no sin (or knowledge of sin) – the Law can only condemn us
  • So then Abraham’s example is one of faith – by grace – receiving the promise of heaven
  • Whether religious (Jew) or unreligious (gentile) – Abraham is the father/example for all

Abraham – example of faith… vs. 17-25

We get to see that our God is indeed the God of the impossible!

The promise – father of many nations… vs.  17-22

God had given Abraham the promise of being the father of many nations…

God went so far as to say his decedents would be – as the stars in the heavens!

Just as you cannot count the stars (10 billion –trillion) so shall your children be!

Yet Abram still had no son – his ‘heir’ was his servant Eliezer of Damascus

It would be easy to see why Abram would a hard time believing God’s promise…

Sometimes circumstances can get the best of us – it’s hard to focus on Jesus…

There is nothing wrong with having honest doubt

We cannot fool God – we can say we believe and trust Him – but He sees the heart

Better to be honest with the Lord – talk to Him if there are doubts

God’s encouragement to Abram – Look up…

The answer to any doubt Abram might have had – look up!

When we are honest with our doubts – the Lord can answer them

He encourages us to Look Up – He is the answer!

The only reason that we doubt is we get our eyes off Jesus – onto circumstances

When we are honest about our doubt – God encourages us to look back to Him

He reassures us – and the doubts and fears go away!

Righteousness through faith…

Then Abram believed the Lord – and God counted it to him as righteousness

This is the first time in the Bible that we see that Abram believed…

Up to that point Abram listened – but now he truly believed Lord’s Word!

We don’t always get things the first time we hear them…

Often the Lord has to repeat Himself – sometimes many times

Before we really come to the place where we believe that He says!

God counted it as Righteousness for Abram!

Abram knew that what the Lord promised him was impossible

But he did not consider his own body – he did not waver in unbelief…

He was 100 years old – and WELL past the age when he could father children

Sarai was 90 years old – and WELL past the age when she could have children

And if he had looked at his circumstances he would have been  filled with doubt

But by looking up – strengthened by faith – he believed God could do the impossible!

He believed by faith God could do exactly what He said He would do…

Are we struggling with doubt and fear – look up!

That is when we see the Lord who is the God of the impossible

Maybe its financial – we just don’t see how we are doing to make it

Maybe there is not even enough rice to feed the family

Chuck Smith – the check is in the mail…

If I told you I would give you a kilo of rice for dinner – would you believe me?

Why would you believe me – but not believe the Lord

He is far more faithful – and has a LOT more resources 

Written for our benefit… vs.  23-25

The example of Abraham was not written for his benefit – but for ours!

It is ‘impossible’ for Jesus to be resurrected from the dead…

It is ‘impossible’ for us as sinners to be forgiven – and as sinners be counted as sinless

It is ‘impossible’ for sinners to go to heaven – yet God has promised us all these things

If we believe – like father Abraham – we also are counted as righteous – forgiven