Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA)
The
chapter before us today is deep indeed.
Charles Hodge goes on for pages on end explaining the details of verse
one alone.
I now remember why I have had no prior sermons on this chapter, and I am
certainly beginning to appreciate why many pastors leave preaching on this book
until near the end of their careers -- if they tackle the book as a whole at
all! Let’s
look at the issues here like the rings of an onion.
This week, we will make a minimal consideration of the material in the
first twelve verses.
Then, perhaps for several weeks, we’ll skin the onion layer by layer as
we are enabled.
There
is some debate over the proper placement of the last verse of chapter three.
Some commentators would advocate its inclusion as the opening for chapter
four.
The reasoning for this inclusion is in the way Paul’s argument unfolds.
If there is any way of salvation other than by faith, that way should be
found evident in the Old Covenant record.
So, Paul would point us to the record of Abraham, the natural father of
the Jewish people and our spiritual father as well, as a worthy example to be
considered.
“Do
we, then, nullify the law by this faith?
Not at all! Rather,
we uphold the law.”
The example of Abraham will be used here in our Scripture portion today,
to show how the life of faith establishes the validity of the Old Covenant Law.
And
that is the purpose of Paul’s argument -- to nullify not the law, but an
incorrect attitude about the law, which even plagues us down to our own time.
Do we see here a not-so-subtle argument against dispensationalism?
Dispensationalism, a common belief in our day, teaches that, before
Christ, some people were indeed saved by works rather than by faith.
Some of the popular study Bibles are full of such theories -- that the
means of grace varied from one historical period to another.
Others would allow the means of salvation to vary from one faith to
another.
Why else would all variety of cults be considered as equal to, and even
to be preferred to the more exclusive demands of the true faith once given to
the saints?
Certainly,
we must admit that some of the stray faithful may have turned up in less than
orthodox congregations.
And within God’s divine sense of humor, His own people are even
sometimes saved in some of those same congregations.
And I suppose that I must allow for some small remnant of orthodox
believers being allowed to remain in unbelieving churches to witness to the lost
in that place.
Not everyone is of Abraham's calling and character.
When
God called him out of his father’s house and away from the family gods,
Abraham believed and was saved.
F.F. Bruce would tell us that of all the righteous men in the Old
Testament record, none could surpass Abraham.
The record in Genesis
26: 5 indicates
that, while he obeyed God’s voice and kept God’s commandments, statutes and
laws, Genesis
15:6 also
indicates that, when the divine promise came, Abraham believed and God counted
it to him for righteousness.
Abraham’s acceptance with God was clearly not based on his works, in
spite of all the other records which highlight his good works and obedience.
Rather, as Calvin well notes concerning the imputed righteousness of
faith, Abraham, in believing, “embraces
nothing but the grace offered to him...the only ground of his righteousness was
his trust in the goodness of God, and his daring to hope for all things from
Him.”
The works that follow, after his belief, in his life of faith, spring up
from the Spirit of God that has brought him to faith.
Look at verses four and five for the proper perspective in this matter.
“Now
when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an
obligation.”
An older version even reads, “as
a debt.”
God
is not in the habit of indebting Himself!
Paul shows here that salvation is a gift, given to the one who trusts --
not wages, paid to one who earns them.
Calvin does not think that the verses here should show us how to regulate
our life, but rather to show us the reason for our salvation.
Works do not count in the equation, period!
To stress the point even stronger, Paul calls upon the witness of David
to support his pointed polemic.
Notice the key words towards the end of verse six,
“whom God credits righteousness apart from works.”
This is in keeping with the theme of this section and is the point that
Paul keeps foremost in mind as he explains the essence of the gospel: grace.
From David’s witness, which we shall consider later, Paul pointedly
asks if this blessedness is for those of the Covenant or also for those not of
the original covenant?
Now,
I know that I am purposely avoiding Paul’s treatment of the sign and seal of
the Old Covenant.
Certainly, in Paul’s argument the details were of vital importance to
the Jews, who had had the Covenant cut out of their very flesh.
But today, we think primarily of the baptismal sign and seal.
So in our mind, the question here could very well read,
“Is this blessedness only for the baptized, or also for the unbaptized?”
Certainly, we can comprehend this matter more easily.
We know full well that there are millions of people in this country who
have been baptized, who no more display the works of grace in their lives than
the man in the moon.
Yet,
to the elect, the sign of baptism is truly the seal by which the promises of God
are imprinted on our hearts.
Even as the reprobate consider the sacraments as lifeless and useless, it
is their unbelief which deprives them of the effect of those sacraments.
Still, the principle remains that the sacraments are testimonies by which
God seals His grace on our hearts.
It doesn’t matter if the imputed righteousness of salvation precedes
the sacrament, as in Abraham’s case, or if the sacrament precedes the imputed
righteousness, as in Isaac’s case.
In our time we must always be reminded that, as God’s elect are called into Christ’s church, some of the elect come from Covenant families of many generations in the Kingdom, while others come in with no prior knowledge or appreciation of the Covenant nature and its signs and seals. No matter! Faith is faith is faith; whoever God calls by His mercy and grace receives the precious gift. Now, very many would compare this gift to winning a million dollars in a lottery. They would imagine how much fun it would be to glory in expending that merciful capital. Since God is so merciful, why not sin and enjoy it? However desirable that image may be, I believe it misses the mark completely. Imagine instead that the winning ticket exposes your immense debt of sin, which you can never, ever pay off by your efforts alone. How many people would purchase a lottery ticket that gained them a million dollar debt? All right, so now you know that you have an unpayable debt which just as suddenly as it is “won” is paid in full by our Father in heaven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It was this knowledge that set hearts on fire for the Lord in the first century, the sixteenth century and in all the rest. May we here assembled learn again to appreciate the high calling which we share in faith with Abraham and all the rest.
Resources Used: The Holy Bible, New International Version
Places Preached:Bruce, F.F. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Romans. Hodge, Charles. Romans. Mackenzie, R. Calvin's New Testament Commentaries: Romans. Murray, John. New International Commentary: Epistle to Romans.
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Rom04a.htm 02 July 95
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