Abraham’s faith was in God and apart from the law (Romans 4:13-25)
By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts
Ministries:Biblical precepts & Gospel music
Scriptures reading Romans
4: 13-25
Abraham’s faith was apart
from the law
4:13 It was not through law
that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of
the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 4:14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value
and the promise is worthless,4:15 because law brings wrath. And where there is
no law there is no transgression.
4:16 Therefore, the promise comes by
faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's
offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of
the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 4:17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he
believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as
though they were. 4:18 Against all hope,
Abraham in hope believed and so became the father
of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring
be." 4:19 Without weakening
in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was
about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead.4:20 Yet he did
not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened
in his faith and gave glory to God, 4:21 being fully persuaded that God had
power to do what he had promised.4:22 This is why "it was credited to him
as righteousness." 4:23 The words "it was credited to him" were
written not for him alone, 4:24 but also for us, to whom
God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our
Lord from the dead.4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life
for our justification.
Romans
4:13 Justification is for God’s chosen ones to inherit the world that they may
exercise God’s dominion on earth (Gen.1:26). The law was God’s temporary
economy (dispensation) for man in the Old Testament, since it was added
temporarily because of man’s transgressions (Gal.3:19), the faith is God’s
eternal economy (dispensation) for man in the New Testament, because it is
based on God’s eternal plan.
In
the Old Testament God dealt with man according to the law. If, according to
that dispensation of God, man would have done what God commanded in the law, he
would have obtained righteousness, that is, the righteousness of the law
(9:31), the righteousness which is out of the law(10:5;Phil 3:9).
In the New Testament God deals with man
according to the faith. If, according to this dispensation of God, man believes in Christ,
the One in whom God has ordained that man should believe (1John3:23), he will
obtain righteousness, that is, the righteousness of faith
(v.11), the righteouseness which is out of faith (9:30;10:6).The faith , which
is ordained by God in the New Testament economy and which replaces the law of
the Old Testament, did not come until the New Testament time (Gal.3:23,25).
This faith, which replaces the law, is objective to us. When according to this
objective faith we believe subjective to us. When according to this objective
faith we believe subjectively in Christ, in whom God intended that we believe,
we receive the righteousness of faith. This righteousness is the
Christ whom we possess whom we receive by our subjective believing according to
the obejective faith ordained by God –as God’s righteousness received by us
(1Cor.1:30).
Romans
4 :16 as the father of all those called by God, Abraham was the first of a new
race chosen by God. We were born into the fallen Adamic race, but we have been
reborn into the called out Abraham was, is a member of this new race and a son
of Abraham (Gal.3:7).
Romans
4:17 he believed, Abraham believed God regarding two things (1) the
birth of Isaac, which is related to the God who “calls the things not being as
being,” and (2) the offering up and the gaining back of Isaac, which is related
to the God who “give life to the dead.” Abraham believed such a God and applied
Him to his situation. Because Abraham had such faith, he believed God’s
seemingly impossible word concerning the birth of Isaac, and he also
immediately obeyed God’s commandment to offer Isaac, believing that God would
raise him from the dead (Heb.11:17-19). Gives
life to the dead this is God’s great power
of resurrection. This great power of creation. As the creating God, He needs no
material to work with; He can create something out of nothing simply by
speaking: “For He spoke, and it was”(Psa.33:9).
Verse 18 In hope Lit., on. Abraham, as the example of one who is justified out of faith, lived by the things hoped for (Heb.11)
Verse 19 as already dead This indicates the termination of Abraham’s natural strength. This termination is related to God’s justifying him subjectively.
Verse
24 The faith that is accounted to us as righteousness is our believing on God,
who righteously judged Christ for our
sins, righteously put Him to death in our place, and righteously raise Him from
the dead.
Verse
25 Was raised to life for our justification -The death of Christ has
fulfilled and fully satisfied God’s righteous requirements; hence, we are
justified by God through His death (3:24). His resurrection proves that God’s
requirements were satisfied by His death for us, that we are justified by God
because of His death, and that in Him, the resurrected One, we are accepted
before God. Furthermore, as the resurrected One, He is in us to live for us a
life that can be justified by God and is always acceptable to God.
Bibliography,
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.
King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The
world publishing company
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment