Faith, Not by Works– Romans 4:1-8
October 22, 2006
by Pastor Lee Hemen

I can remember my father standing over me as I slowly came out of my self-induced semi-conscious state. What happened was I had this really great idea to jump off the roof while holding several big pieces of cardboard. Now do not think I was stupid, I did duct tape them onto my arms first! The sky was blue, the birds were soaring in the white fluffy clouds, and I was soon going to join them. I knew something immediately went wrong when the ground came hurling up at me in a green and brown blur. Well, you know the rest. My father stood over me asking me, “What in the world do you think you were doing?” My thought was, “Why do you ask such silly questions of your son who is lying there, in pain, slowing dying? I was trying to FLY!” Just because I thought I could fly with cardboard taped to my arms did not mean that I could master the intricacies of aerodynamics. Faith did not equal works, so-to-speak.

Interestingly, Paul makes similar observation in his letter to the Roman church. Here’s what I mean: Just because a very young boy dreams of flying, it does not mean that just because you wish it makes it so. The same is true for our saying we are “Christian,” but depending upon our good deeds to make it true. Paul would say it is “Faith, Not by Works!” We learn this as we look at these verses of Paul’s and ask ourselves several questions. The Jews would go straight to their founder and so should we by asking…

I. What can we say about Abraham (vv. 1-3)?

1. Basically, Paul is asking a blunt question of his readers about the Jew’s reliance on Abraham’s example. They placed a lot of stock in Abraham and saw him as their spiritual father and physical ancestor. And rightly so. Therefore, Paul plainly asks, “What made Abraham right before God, faith or works?” What had this patriarch of patriarchs discovered in this matter? What did their spiritual and physical ancestor say? What lesson could Paul’s religious readers learn from the biblical record of “Father” Abraham’s experience? Paul knew that Abraham was declared righteous by believing God, apart from works, just as Genesis 15:6 testifies to. If Abraham was declared righteous by works he could boast, but Paul relates, not before God! So, what can we say about Abraham? Paul would retort, “What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’” Abraham’s righteousness came about because of his faith, not the good works he did. In fact, there was no law of Moses yet! Abraham’s faith brought about his righteousness!

EXAMPLE: We have all heard the old phrase: “Seeing is believing.” But the biblical truth is: “Believing is trusting.” In the TV show “Heroes,” there is a guy who thinks he can fly. He has visions about it, and constantly views himself flying. He finally confronts his brother about it and while they are arguing, he begins to walk toward his brother and floats in midair without realizing it. He literally takes a step into the air. Abraham was that kind of guy as well. He could have read books about God and how to walk with Him, but never experienced it himself until he took that step of faith. If all Abraham did was try to visualize himself being good, or tried to be good, he would have died in Ur of the Caldeans and we would not be reading about him or Paul. What can we say about Abraham? His righteousness came about because of his faith, not good works. He had to take that first step into the unknown and trust God with his life just as we are all called to do.

As I lay there on the ground, I hoped that my mother would not come out of the house. Too late, she did. Her first response was not concern for her broken and bleeding boy, but rather, “Just look at what you did to your clothes!” Then of course her focus did zero in on me when she declared, “What do you have to say about yourself this time young man?” Paul kind of does the same thing when he considers faith, not by works. He asks…

II. What can we say about ourselves (vv. 4-5)?

1. The apostle then discusses the significance of his Scriptural example because the idea of “credited” applies to a day’s earnings or the wages received for work given. Paul teaches us though that God’s righteousness is credited as a gift, apart from works, otherwise it would be as an obligation. God is not obligated to anyone. The one who works receives pay, does so not according to grace, but according to a contractual commitment. You work for me, I will pay you for the time you worked and the job you did. However, Paul throws in a surprising argument when he goes on to state that the one who does not work, but believes in the God, his faith is credited as righteousness as well! The Jews had no problem with the teaching that Abraham was justified not because he worked for it but because he trusted God. Yet, were those who were considered “sinners,” or worse: “gentiles,” justified as well in the same manner? Paul says, “Yes!” What does this say about us? Well, even the “wicked” unwashed gentile was saved by their faith and not their good deeds! What can we say about ourselves? Not much! But we can say we are saved by faith, not works!

EXAMPLE: Most people do not like to talk about themselves. They consider it bragging or at least kind of an evasion of their privacy to do so. Yet when we take a close look at ourselves we often come away with a picture we do not want to see. That is why professional photographers who shoot portraits often “airbrush” them. Although it is called “Photoshopping” them because it refers to the popular digital photo rendering software that many use now with their digital photography. Try as hard as we might, we can never physically or spiritually “Photoshop” ™ ourselves into something we are not. I realized that while falling to earth from the rooftop. What I wished right at that moment was to be somewhere else or at least someone else. Especially when my parents found me lying mangled on the front yard. Yet Paul asks the tough question, like my mother did, of “What do you have to say about yourself?” We have to face reality when we do. We are not perfect, in fact, we are sinners by nature and by choice. Only our faith in Christ can save us.

I know, I know, I should have called in the experts on aviation. No, not Orville and Wilber Wright, but Greg and Johnny my best pals who lived down the street! They surly would have been able to give me some sort of scientific consideration that I perhaps had overlooked in my endeavor to soar with the eagles. Perhaps one of the astronauts like Allan Shepard or Buzz Aldrin would have come on over and lent me a hand in my flight principles? That’s it! I should have called in an expert on the subject! Like Paul did concerning faith, not by works. Paul asks…

III. What does David say about it all (vv. 6-8)?

1. Paul would say that David agrees that righteousness is a gift, apart from works, and that it includes complete and irreversible forgiveness. David speaks in the Scripture about righteousness apart from works. In fact he wrote in Psalm 32:1-2 that “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one against whom the Lord will never count sin.” I believe David wrote these words because David often learned what they meant firsthand, not only in his relationship with Saul, but later in life as well when he sinned with Bathsheba. David agrees with Paul or rather Paul agrees with David who agrees with God. What does David say about it all? A person, like David, like you and I, to whom God credits righteousness apart from works, is indeed blessed! Such a person’s sins are forgiven and covered. And instead of his sin inventoried and billed to his account, God credits righteousness to him because of His mercy and grace. How wonderful to know this truth!

EXAMPLE: We often wonder what other people say about us behind our backs. We want to know how others view our lives. I know that as the neighbors looked out their windows, wandered over, and phoned my folks concerning their unusual son taking a flying leap off their roof, I wondered. I bet they would be surprised to see me standing here today! Not just because I am alive and well, but because I am a Baptist preacher. None of them would have guessed that for my life, I bet. The Jews would have not only wanted to know what Abraham thought but what David, their favorite king and hero, would have wondered about Paul’s notion of faith, not works. I bet they were surprised too!

Conclusion:

It does not matter who says what concerning their faith if it is not founded in their trust of Jesus Christ. You can never be good enough, do enough things, or live right in order to be saved. As Paul teaches us, it is faith, not by works.

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