RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD

Roman 4:1-12

In Romans 4 Paul turns to the father of the faith, Abraham, in his discourse on justification by faith. To the Jewish people Abraham’s life and relationship with God offered a human example of how humanity can relate to God, and at the basis of that life was the underpinning of faith. Paul refers to him as our father has found according to the flesh (NKJV) and as such was regarded as the founder of the Jewish race and is life a pattern for succeeding generations to follow. Consequently, his relationship with God became fundamental for all humanity trying to establish a right relationship with God.

The Faith of Abraham

4 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:

7 “Oh, what joy for those
  whose disobedience is forgiven,
  whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those
  whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.” (Romans 4:1-8- NLT)

Much of Jewish thought centred around the idea that somehow, humanity needed to earn God’s favour and acceptance, particularly in scrupulously keeping the letter of the law. Paul noted that if Abraham’s good deeds had put him right with God he would have had something to be proud about, but the truth was that it was solely his faith, and his faith alone, that resulted in him be put right with God.  And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous [in a right standing before God] because of his faith. (Genesis 15:6 – NLT)

Paul knew his readers, like most people even today, would struggle with an abstract idea such as faith. It may seem a simple enough concept but in reality, it is often a difficult concept to not only grasp but also to integrate into our everyday living and thought processes. We understand concepts when we can visualise them in some sort of human example and Paul uses the faith life of Abraham to enable his readers to grasp the idea of faith as a basis for being put right with God. Abraham believed [believed in, trusted on, relied on] God, and God counted [granted him, bestowed on] him as righteous [right living, right standing with God] because of his faith.

Perhaps the truth that there is within human nature, a strong, driving, impulse to seek or acquit ourselves before God through what we can do and achieve. In fact, that seems to humanity a more rational way to peace with God. Surely if we want to be in a right standing before God we somehow have to achieve it by our own effort. Paul addresses this human rationale: When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. He then goes on to assert: But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. Being in a right standing before God is a gift that can never be earned, it is a gift given by a God of grace to those who will place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and redemptive death and resurrection. 

In verse 8 Paul reflects on the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 32:1-2: Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!  Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! In reflecting back to the Psalm Paul twice uses the word “joy” concerning the standing before God of those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He notes that sin and disobedience have been put out of sight and their record has been completely expunged. As a result, we are called to live in total honesty before God, devoid of any pretence or deception.

9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!

11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:9-12 - NLT)

Paul returns to the vexing question of circumcision, which for Jewish people was culturally and theologically of great significance. He needs to dispel once and for all the power that this tradition holds and he cites Abraham’s circumstances to make his point. He poses the question: Was he counted as righteous [i.e. put in a right standing with God] only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? He then answers his own question: Clearly, God accepted Abraham [i.e. He was put in a right standing with God] before he was circumcised!

The rite of circumcision came about as an affirmation of Abraham’s faith, a symbol that he was in a right relationship with God. In Genesis 17 God institutes circumcision as a sign of the covenant he has made with Abraham. All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. (Genesis 17:13) The great tragedy is that like so many traditions that are purely symbolical, the rite of circumcision became the fundamental and mandatory rather than the symbol. Once again we see the nature of humanity to focus on some tangible action rather than see the truth that lies behind it. The sad truth is that down through church history people have sought to focus on a tangible action, e.g. baptism, communion etc., and miss the great spiritual truth and experience that they embody.

Paul then goes on to make the point that Abraham is the spiritual father of the uncircumcised and the circumcised because of their faith in God and nothing else. The rite of circumcision (or any other ritual or tradition) is of little importance; rather it is a person’s faith in Jesus Christ and his redemptive death and resurrection that is the operative factor.

The example of Abraham’s faith is central both to the Jewish and the Christian way of life. The fact that Abraham placed his faith utterly and unerringly in God is central to our Christian walk today. However, no matter how difficult the exercise of faith may appear, we cannot circumvent or sideline it; we have to wrestle with it regardless of our comprehension, or lack of.  When we come to the place of accepting that our faith, no matter how miniscule it may be, is acceptable to God, we have taken a crucial step along the Kingdom lifestyle.

One fundamental lesson for us in all this is the fact that no humanly ordained ritual or ceremony can ever put us in a right standing with God. Only faith in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as simple as that may sound, can put us right with God.