Weekly Message: Abraham was justified by faith not by works
By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts &
Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling
God’s election,
righteousness vindicated, it is not of man’s works, but of the Lord who calls
and of His mercy and sovereignty. Christ
provides righteousness based on God’s grace in response to faith. At the present
time there is remnant chosen by grace and if by grace then it is no longer
by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (Roman 11:5-6) Romans Chapter 9 Apostle Paul discussed perplexing questions about the
Jewish people. Why were they refusing the gospel? How does this new scheme of
righteousness apart from the law relate to the privileged position of the Jews?
Have the promises contained in their covenants failed?
Ø God’s sovereignty, of God who call and His election
God’s economy in His
election, all Jews are born of Israel, but not all of them have been selected
by God. Only Isaac and a part of His descendants have been selected by God and
reckoned as the children of God. This election is not of man’s works but of
the Lord who calls and of His mercy (Romans 9:11,16)
Ø Abraham’s faith was apart from works
Apostle Paul points out the
faith-righteousness principle is not new, and he uses Abraham as
proof. Abraham was justified by faith not by works (Gen.15:6)
When then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered this matter?
If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about –but
not before God. What does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was
credited to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:1-3).
Now when a man works,
his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to
the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith
is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:4-5)
David says the same thing
when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness
apart from works: “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose
sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count
against him.” (Romans 4:6-8)
This righteousness from God
comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference. For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God and through the redemption that came by Christ
Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in
His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in His
forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. He did it to
demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies
those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:22-26)
To justify was a
legal term meaning to secure a favorable verdict, to acquit, to vindicate, to
declare righteous (Deut.25:1). It is an act of God (Rom.8:33) who take the
initiative and provides the means through the redemption that came by Christ
Jesus. The sinner who believes in
Christ receives God’s gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17), which then enables God to pronounce him righteous.
Ø Apostle Paul stated the children of the promise who are Abraham’s
offering
“It is not as though
God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
Nor because they are His descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the
contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other
words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For
this was how the promise was stated. ‘At the appointed time I will return,
and Sarah will have a son.’” (Romans 9:6-9).
Ø Apostle Paul stated, not by works but by Him who calls
Rebekah’s
children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins
were born or had done anything good or bad in order that God’s purpose in
election might stand: Not by works
but by Him who calls. She was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
Just as it is written: “Jacob
I loved, but Esau I hated.” What then shall we say? Is God unjust?
Not at all!
For He says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom
I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or
effort but on God’s mercy.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh:
“I raised you up for this very purpose, that I
might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the
earth.” Therefore: God has
mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. (Romans
9:10-18).
One of you will say to me “then why does
God still blame us? For who resists his will?” But who are you, O man, to talk
back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “ why did you make
me like this?” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same
lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? What if
God, choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great
patience the objects of His wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did
this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy, whom He
prepared in advance for glory- even us, whom He also called, not only from the
Jews but also from the Gentiles? (Romans 9:19-24)
As He says in Hosea:
“I will call them ‘my
people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my
loved one.” And “it will happen that in the very place where it was said to
them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called sons of the living God.”
(Romans 9: 25-26)
Isaiah cries out
concerning Israel:
“Though the number of
the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For
the Lord will carry out His sentence on earth with speed and finality.”
It is just as Isaiah said previously: “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us
descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like
Gomorrah.”
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness,
have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who
pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they
pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the
stumbling stone. As it is written:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone
that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who
trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 9:30-33)
Apostle Paul
expresses his deep longing for the salvation of Israel (Romans 10:1), who tried
to substitute law-righteousness for faith –righteousness (Romans
10:2-4), though the latter was universally available (vv.5-13). God gave the
Jews every opportunity to receive the gospel, but they had not responded in
faith (vv.14-21).
Christ is the end of the
law so that there may be righteousness
for everyone who believes. (Roman10:4) Christ is the termination of the
law. It could not provide righteousness based on merit, but Christ
provides righteousness based on God’s grace in response to faith (Romans
3:20; Acts13:30).
God’s economy in His election, Israel’s unbelief affects their
relationship with God. Nevertheless, since the calling of God is irrevocable
(Romans11:29), Israel is still the beloved people of God positionally.
Apostle Paul points out, “I do not want you
to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited. Israel has experienced a hardening in part
until the full number of the Gentiles has come in and so all Israel will be
saved, as it’s written, “The deliver
will come from Zion, he will turn godlessness away from Jacob and this is my
covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (Romans11:25-26)
Simon
has described to us how God at first showed His concern by taking from the Gentiles
a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as
it is written: “After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
that the
remnant of men may seek the Lord and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things that have been known for ages.” (Acts
15:14,16-18). The full number of the Gentiles who will be saved (Acts15:14). After
that God will turn again to the Jews and will save all
Israel at the Lord’s return. (Rom.11:26).
Amos 9:11-12 repeatedly stated, “In that day I will
restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its
ruins, and build it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of
Edom and all the nations that bear my name.” declares the Lord, who will do
these things.” In that day, the aspect of the Day of the Lord known as the
Millennium. David’s fallen tent the dynasty of David through humbled for a time
will be reinstated in rule over all the world. (Acts15:15-17) the millennial
kingdom will be characterized by fertility with Israel permanently possessing
the land promised in Gen.15:18:21.
Bibliography,
Bauer, Walter. A Greek-English Lexicon
of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd Chicago:
The University of Chicago press, 2000.
Brown, Robert, Philip W. Comfort and J.D.
Douglas, ed. The New Greek English Interlinear New Testament. Carol
Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.1990.
Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F.
Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1st ed.
Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.
Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim,
CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible
(NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
Strong, James. Strong’s: the
expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson
Publishers, 2010
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