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SECTION G – Doctrine: Justification,
Individual (3:21 –
4:25)
Balanced
by SECTION g – Doctrine: Justification, National (9:30
– 10:21)
Romans Four - verses 1 to 12
01. What, then, shall we declare that Abraham,
our forefather, according to flesh, has found?
The
kingdom proclamation reverts to David, for it is founded on the covenant
made with him. The evangel of God, dispensing justification, takes us back
to Abraham, with whom the covenant to bless all the families of the earth
was made. The far greater grace of conciliation goes back still further,
and engages us with Adam and his offense. As this gift of justification was
first given to Abraham and he is its great example, the apostle takes up
his case at length to show its absolutely gracious character.
Concordant Commentary
Having
spoken of the manifestation of a righteousness of God for all men through
Jesus Christ’s faith and quite apart from any works of law, Paul cites the
example of Abraham.
The
allusion to Abraham as "our
forefather, according to the flesh"
makes it quite obvious that Paul does not
include the Gentile believers of the Uncircumcision in this category for
these are Abraham's only in
spirit - in a figurative sense.
Paul is referring to those in Rome who were believers of the Uncircumcision
evangel, but who were of a Jewish
background such as he and Timothy, etc.
Abraham
did try to put in his two-cents-worth of effort to help God make His
promise come true. Though Abraham was still virile enough, Sarai had passed
her ability to conceive, so she and Abraham devised a way to sidestep this
obstacle. He was not justified in this and the result was Ishmael, and
heartbreak over him. Abraham had to come to see that God would fulfil His
own promises, in His own way, and in His own time.
When
Abraham realized that it had become humanly impossible for him to
contribute to the conception of a child with Sarai, He put his trust in
God’s declaration. He believed God
would carry out His promise - and
Isaac was born.
Gen.15:6 And Abram believes in Yahweh Elohim,
and reckoning it is He to him for righteousness.
Isa.51:2 NIV look to Abraham, your father,
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and
made him many.
Gen.22:17,18 that, blessing, yea, blessing
you am I, and increasing, yea,
increasing your seed am I as the stars of the heavens
and as the
sand which is on the sea shore.
And your seed shall tenant the gateway of its
enemies,
18 and blessed, in your seed, shall be all the nations of the earth,
inasmuch as you
hearken to My voice."
02. For if Abraham was justified by acts,
he has something to boast in,
but not toward God.
Paul
draws attention to the fact that even Abraham, the fleshly father of all Israelites,
was not justified on account of any meritorious act of his own - which
would have been something he could have taken pride in as his achievement, as his personal contribution, his complementary effort to God’s
success.
Jer.9:23,24 Thus said Yahweh: Let not the wise
boast himself in his wisdom,
Nor let the mighty boast himself in his might,
Let not the rich boast himself in his riches,
24 But--in this
let the boaster boast himself, in understanding and knowing Me,
For I [am]
Yahweh,
doing kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth,
For in these I have delighted, an affirmation of
Yahweh.
Scripture makes it quite
clear that such ideas of self-importance on our part are unfounded and must
not be entertained. Boasting demonstrates self-righteousness and a
distorted understanding of the evangel.
Eph.2:8,9 For in grace, through
faith, are you saved,
and this is not out of you; it is God's approach
present,
9 not of works, lest anyone should be boasting.
1Cor.5:6 Not ideal is your boast.
Are you not aware that a little leaven is
leavening the whole kneading?
1Cor.4:7 For who is making you
to discriminate?
Now what have you which you did not obtain?
Now if you obtained it also, why are you boasting as though not obtaining?
1Cor.1:25-29 For you are observing your calling,
brethren,
that there are not many wise according to the
flesh;
not many powerful, not many noble,
27 but the stupidity of the world God
chooses,
that He may be disgracing the wise,
and the weakness of the world God chooses,
that He may be disgracing the strong,
28 and the ignoble and the contemptible
things of the world God chooses,
and that which is not, that He may be discarding
that which is,
29 so
that no flesh at all should be boasting in God's sight.
Faith in God entails our
placing our confidence in Him and an acknowledgement of our complete dependence on Him.
2Cor.1:9 But we have the
rescript of death in ourselves,
that we
may be having no confidence in ourselves, but in God,
2Cor.3:4,5 Now such is the
confidence we have through Christ
toward God
5 (not that
we are competent of ourselves, to reckon anything as of ourselves,
but our
competency is of God),
Phil.3:3 for we are the
circumcision
who are offering divine service in the spirit of
God,
and are glorying in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in flesh.
This admission is not some
platitude, some distorted sense of humility. We are not to even harbour the
thought that we are making something of ourselves so that we can present
our finished handiwork to God, and so that we may add to His glory. The fact is that Israel could not. And we
cannot make ourselves worthy of God. Nobody can.
Isa.55:8,9 "For not as My
devices are your devices,
and not as your ways are My ways," averring
is Yahweh.
9 "For as
the heavens are loftier than the earth,
so are My ways loftier than your ways, and My devices than your devices.
Jas.4:14 …for what is your life?
For a vapor
are you, which is appearing briefly and thereupon disappearing
We are explicitly told that
we are God’s achievement,
not our own. We are being created in
Christ Jesus for good works which
God makes ready beforehand for us
to walk in. Not just to do from time to time, but to walk in – to make it our
lifestyle. Stage by stage, we are being
conformed to the image of His Son – for, for this we have been
called.
Eph.2:10 For His
achievement are we,
being
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God
makes ready beforehand, that we
should be walking in them.
Rom.8:29,30 whom He foreknew, He
designates beforehand, also,
to be
conformed to the image of His Son,
for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren.
30 Now whom He designates beforehand, these He calls also,…
2Cor.3:18 Now we all, with
uncovered face, mirroring the Lord's glory,
are being
transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, …
Phil.3:20,21 … we are awaiting a Saviour also,
the Lord, Jesus Christ,
21 Who will transfigure the body of our
humiliation,
to conform
it to the body of His glory,
in accord
with the operation which enables Him even to subject all to Himself.
Even in the carrying out of
the work God has fitted us for, it is still He Who is working in us and, thus, through us, to achieve His goals. We
are vessels privileged for use in His operations.
Rom.9:23,24 it is that He should
also be making known the riches of His glory
on the
vessels of mercy, which He
makes ready before for
glory-- 24 us,
whom He calls also, not only out of the Jews,
but out of the nations also.
Phil.2:13 for it is God Who is operating in you
to will as well as to work for the sake of His
delight.
1Cor.9:16 For if I should be bringing
the evangel, it is not for me to boast
in,
for necessity is lying upon me,
for it were woe to me if I should not be
bringing the evangel!
1Cor.1:31 according as it is written,
He who is boasting,
in the Lord let him be boasting.
2Cor.10:17,18 Now he who is boasting, in the Lord let him be boasting.
18 For not he who is commending himself is
qualified,
but whom the
Lord is commending.
Paul took to boasting – not
in his own achievements but, rather in what God was achieving through working through him in spite of his afflictions and
infirmities which should have
been insurmountable obstacles to success.
2Cor.11:18 Since many are boasting according to the flesh,
I also shall be boasting.
2Cor.11:30 If I must boast, I will be boasting in that which is of my weakness.
2Cor.12:5,6 Over such a one I shall
be boasting;
yet over myself I shall not be boasting, except in my infirmities.
6 For, if ever I should be wanting to boast, I shall not be imprudent,
for I shall be declaring the truth. Yet I am
reticent.
No one should be reckoning me
to be above
what he is observing of me or anything he is hearing of me.
Everything is achieved
because of Christ’s obedience, even unto an ignominious death on the cross,
to His Father’s directions.
Gal.6:14 Now may it not be mine
to be boasting,
except in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to
me, and I to the world.
1Cor.3:21 So that, let no one be boasting in men, for all is yours,
2Cor.5:12 Not again are we
commending ourselves to you,
but are giving an incentive to you by boasting over you,
that you may have it for those who are boasting in personal appearance
and not in heart.
2Cor.11:12,13 Now what I am doing and
will be doing
is that I should strike off the incentive from
those wanting an incentive,
that in what they are boasting they may be found according as we also.
13 For such are false apostles, fraudulent workers,
being transfigured into apostles of Christ.
An alternative contextual
rendering of the Greek kauchêma,
boasting, is glorying. Knowing
that his afflictions and infirmities are graciously God-given, Paul glories
in them. They demonstrate God’s active involvement in his progress.
Rom.5:3,4 Yet not only so, but we may be glorying also in afflictions,
having perceived that affliction is producing
endurance,
4 yet endurance testedness, yet testedness
expectation
Rom.5:11 Yet not only so, but we
are glorying also in God,
through our Lord, Jesus Christ,
through Whom we now obtained the conciliation
2Cor.12:9,10 … "Sufficient for you is My
grace,
for My power in infirmity is being
perfected."
With the greatest relish, then, will I rather be
glorying in my infirmities,
that the
power of Christ should be tabernacling over me.
10 Wherefore I delight in infirmities, in outrages, in necessities,
in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's
sake,
for,
whenever I may be weak, then I am powerful.
03. For what is the scripture saying? Now
"Abraham believes God,
and it is reckoned to him for
righteousness."
Abraham
is reckoned righteous only on the
ground of faith - he believed
God! His case is the precedent Paul uses to establish his argument
concerning faith apart from works.
The argument goes: Why then should his fellow-believers out of the nations
seek to be justified according to
works?
Gen.15:6 And Abram believes in Yahweh Elohim,
and reckoning
it is He to him for righteousness.
Gal.3:6 according as Abraham believes God,
and it is reckoned
to him for righteousness
Rom.4:20-22 yet the promise of God
was not doubted in unbelief,
but he was invigorated
by faith, giving glory to God,
21 being fully assured also,
that, what He
has promised, He is able to do
also.
22 Wherefore, also, it is reckoned to him for righteousness.
Eph.2:8-10 For in grace, through faith, are you saved,
and this
is not out of you; it is God's
approach present,
9 not of works, lest anyone should be
boasting.
10 For His
achievement are we, being created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God
makes ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them.
Rom.11:6 Now if it is in grace, it is no longer out of works,
else the grace is coming to be no longer grace.
Now, if it
is out of works, it is no longer grace,
else the work is no longer work.
It must be noted that under the Circumcision evangel,
though James speaks of Abraham’s faith, he uses the example of Abraham’s
readiness to actually sacrifice Isaac in order to show the necessity for
works under that economy. This event occurred long after Abraham (he was Abram
then) was reckoned righteous through faith only.
Jas.2:23 And fulfilled was the scripture
which is saying,
Now "Abraham believes God, and it is reckoned
to him for righteousness,"
and he was called "the friend of God."
Jas.2:21,22 Abraham, our father,
was he not justified by works when offering up
his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You are observing that faith worked together with his works,
and by
works was faith perfected.
Jas.2:24 You see that by works a man is being justified, and not by faith only.
04. Now to the worker, the wage is not
reckoned as a favor, but as a debt.
It
is important to remember that, while God's future judgment is based on
acts, His present gifts are absolutely spoiled the moment we connect them
with any suspicion of merit or work. Justification is as free, or freer,
than sunlight. In judgment He will pay everyone who is entitled to wages.
He will not be in debt to anyone. But when He gives He gives, and refuses
to allow His gifts to be paid for, even if anyone could pay the price.
Justification is for him who is not working, but who is believing. This distinguishes
the gospel from all religion, divine or pagan. Concordant Commentary
The
employer owes the one who works
in his employ his wages. He is not doing his employee any favour by paying
him what is his rightful due. In fact, he could be prosecuted for failure
to fulfill this obligation.
Israel, as a nation, did
not grasp this relationship between faith and salvation. She was,
therefore, unable to avoid
failure.
Rom.9:31,32 Yet Israel, pursuing a law of
righteousness,
into a law
of righteousness does not outstrip.
32 Wherefore? Seeing that it is not out of
faith, but as out of law works,
they stumble on the stumbling stone,
Though works are not taken
into account in the salvation of
all, the evangel does reveal that each one will be accountable to God for
his decisions and conduct in life.
This will be at the time
when God will have brought the rest of creation under the Lordship of His
Son, and when God will reconcile all of His creatures to Himself and to
each other.
Phil.2:5-8 Wherefore, also, God
highly exalts Him,
and graces Him with the name that is above every
name,
10 that in
the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing,
celestial and terrestrial and subterranean,
11 and every tongue should be acclaiming
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
for the glory of God, the Father.
Rom.14:10-12 For all of us shall be
presented at the dais of God,
11 for it is written: Living am I, the Lord is
saying,
For to Me shall bow every knee, and every
tongue shall be acclaiming God!
12 Consequently, then,
each of us shall be giving account concerning
himself to God.
But, long before this,
there will be requital at the dais of
Christ for every act committed, whether good or bad, for each and every
one in the body of Christ.
2Cor.5:10 For all of us must be manifested in front of the
dais of Christ,
that each
should be requited
for that which he puts into practice through the
body, whether good or bad.
1Cor.3:10-15 According to the grace of God
which is being granted to me,
as a wise foreman I lay a foundation, yet
another is building on it.
Yet let each one beware how he is building on it.
11 For other foundation can no one lay
beside that which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone is building on this foundation
gold and
silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw,
13 each one's work will become apparent,
for the day will make it evident, for it is
being revealed by fire.
And the
fire, it will be testing each one's work--what kind it is.
14 If anyone's work will be remaining which
he builds on it, he will get wages.
15 If anyone's work shall be burned up, he
will forfeit it,
yet he shall be saved, yet thus, as through
fire.
2Cor.5:1-9 we are aware that,
if our terrestrial tabernacle house should be
demolished,
we have a building of God, a house not made by
hands, eonian, in the heavens.
2 For in this also we are groaning,
longing to be dressed in our habitation which is
out of heaven,
3 if so be that, being dressed also, we shall not
be found naked.
4 For we also, who are in the tabernacle, are
groaning, being burdened,
on which we are not wanting to be stripped, but
to be dressed,
that the
mortal may be swallowed up by life.
5 Now He Who produces us for this same longing is
God,
Who is also giving us the earnest of the spirit.
6 Being, then, courageous always, and aware
that,
being at home in the body, we are away from home
from the Lord
7 (for by
faith are we walking, not by
perception),
8 yet we are encouraged, and are delighting
rather
to be away from home out of the body and to be
at home with the Lord.
9 Wherefore we are ambitious also, whether
at home or away from home,
to be well
pleasing to Him.
Phil.1:20-26 …in nothing shall I be put to
shame, but with all boldness,
as always, now also Christ shall be magnified in
my body,
whether through life or through death.
21 For to me to be living is Christ, and to
be dying, gain.
22 Now if it is to be living in flesh, this
to me means fruit from work,
and what I shall be preferring I am not making
known.
23 (Yet I am being pressed out of the two,
having a yearning for the solution and to be
together with Christ,
for it, rather, is much better.)
24 Yet to be staying in the flesh is more
necessary because of you.
25 And, having this confidence, I am aware
that I shall be remaining
and shall be abiding with you all for your
progress and joy of faith,
26 that your glorying may be superabounding
in Christ Jesus in me
through my presence with you again.
Phil.1:27-30 Only be citizens walking worthily of the evangel of
Christ,
that, whether coming and making your
acquaintance, or being absent,
I should be hearing of your concerns,
that you
are standing firm in one spirit, one soul,
competing
together in the faith of the evangel,
28 and not being startled by those who are
opposing in anything,
which is to them a proof of destruction, yet of
your salvation, and this from God,
29 for to you it is graciously granted, for
Christ's sake,
not only
to be believing on Him, but to be suffering for His sake also,
30 having the same struggle such as you are
perceiving in me,
and now are hearing to be in me
Eph.6:5-8 Slaves, be obeying your
masters according to the flesh
with fear and trembling, in the singleness of
your heart, as to Christ,
6 not with eye-slavery, as man-pleasers,
but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God
from the soul,
7 with good humor slaving as to the Lord
and not to men,
8 being aware that, whatsoever good each one should be doing,
for this he
will be requited by the Lord, whether slave or free.
Col.3:22-25 Slaves, obey in all things your
masters according to the flesh,
not with eye-slavery, as man-pleasers,
but with singleness of heart, fearing the
Lord.
23 All, whatsoever you may be doing, work
from the soul,
as to the Lord and not to men, 24 Being aware that from
the Lord
you will
be getting the compensation of the enjoyment of an allotment:
for the Lord Christ are you slaving.
25 For he who is injuring shall be requited for that which he
injures,
and there is no partiality.
The evangel declares our
salvation through grace only, apart from any works of law. Salvation, then,
cannot be earned – it is God’s gratuitous
gift. It has been given
to some, and will be given
to all – for all have need of it.
Rom.5:12 … even as through one man sin
entered into the world,
and through sin death,
and thus death
passed through into all mankind, on
which all sinned—
Rom.5:19 … through the
disobedience of the one man,
the many
were constituted sinners,
Rom.3:22,23 yet a righteousness of
God through Jesus Christ's faith,
for all, and on all who are
believing,
for there
is no distinction, 23 for all sinned and are wanting of the
glory of God.
1Tim.1:15 Faithful is the saying,
and worthy of all welcome,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,…
05. Yet to him who is not working,
yet is believing on Him Who is justifying the irreverent,
his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
‘…who is not
working, yet is believing on Him…’
The one
who is brought to the realization that he needs salvation but cannot
justify himself, and that nobody else can do it for him, must come to
depend on God for it. He must come to the point where there is no place for
pride in his own attempts at justification. This is where he recognizes God
as God, the One Who operates all in accord with the counsel
of His own will. And the one who believes on God, rather than on his own
works, is reckoned by God as
righteous! This is not a rule
we set, but one that God declares in His evangel through Paul for those of
the body of Christ.
‘…Who is
justifying the irreverent..’
Who are
these irreverent? The whole of humanity. All are under the indignation of
God, for they do not acknowledge Him as God, having no reverence for Him as
such. They prefer going their own way, doing what seems right in their own
eyes, stubbornly holding course on their preferred path. Neglecting God,
they do not deserve His attention and consideration.
Rom.1:18 For God's indignation
is being revealed from heaven
on all the irreverence
and injustice of men who are retaining the truth in injustice,
2Tim.2:16,17 Yet from profane prattlings stand
aloof,
for they will be progressing to more irreverence,
17 and their word will spread as gangrene,
of whom are Hymeneus and Philetus,
Scripture is declaring that
these sons of stubbornness are the very ones God is justifying – the
operation is already under way for all
the irreverent, for all of
humanity, to be justified.
Rom.5:6 For Christ, while we
are still infirm, still in accord with the era,
for the
sake of the irreverent, died.
Even Israel, who continues
to attempt to establish her own righteousness, even though she has
continually failed, will have her irreverence removed.
Rom.11:26 And thus all Israel
shall be saved, according as it is written,
Arriving out of Zion shall be the Rescuer.
He will be turning
away irreverence from Jacob.
1Tim.1:9 being aware of this,
that law is not laid down for the
just,
yet it is for the lawless and insubordinate, the irreverent and sinners,
the malign and profane, thrashers of fathers and
thrashers of mothers, homicides,
‘…his faith is reckoned for righteousness…’
When considering the
immediate context, we may get the impression that a person’s faith,
self-generated, is the criterion for justification and righteousness. But
taken in the larger context of the evangel, we see that this faith is given by God so that it now belongs
to him and is his faith.
Eph.2:8,9 For in grace, through faith, are you saved,
and this
is not out of you; it is God's approach
present,
9 not of works, lest anyone should be boasting.
Gal.2:15,16 We, who by nature are Jews,
and not sinners of the nations,
16 having perceived that a man is not being
justified by works of law,
except alone through
the faith of Christ Jesus,
we also believe in Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by works of law,
seeing that by works of law shall no flesh at
all be justified
Phil.3:9 and may be found in Him, not having
my righteousness, which is of law,
but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is from God for faith:
Phil.2:12,13 So that, my beloved, according as
you always obey,
not as in my presence only, but now much rather
in my absence,
with fear and trembling, be carrying your own
salvation into effect,
13 for it is God Who is operating in you to will as well as to work
for the sake of His delight
Scripture declares
conditions for righteousness and salvation which no one can meet – unless He
first gives us holy spirit and
faith, which He gives simultaneously.
Rom.10:9-11 that, if ever
you should be avowing with your mouth the
declaration that Jesus is Lord,
and should be believing in your heart that God rouses Him from among the dead,
you shall be saved.
10 For with the heart it is believed for righteousness,
yet with the mouth it is avowed for salvation. For the scripture is saying:
11 Everyone who is believing on Him
shall not be disgraced.
1Cor.12:3 …And no one is able to say "Lord is Jesus" except by holy spirit.
Eph.1:13,14 In Whom you also--on hearing the word of truth,
the evangel of your salvation—
in Whom on
believing also, you are sealed
with the holy spirit of promise
14 (which is an earnest of the enjoyment of our allotment,
to the
deliverance of that which has been procured) for the laud of His
glory!
06. Even as David also is telling of the happiness
of the man
to whom God is reckoning righteousness
apart from acts:
This is not something new,
not something that applies only to those of the Uncircumcision – for even
David had been made aware of it through God’s dealings with him. Peter,
too, writing to the Circumcision people of the dispersion, also speaks of
the righteousness of God out of which those who were set for salvation were
‘chancing upon an equally precious faith with us’.
2Pet.1:1 Simeon Peter, a slave and an
apostle of Jesus Christ,
to those who are chancing upon an equally
precious faith with us,
in the
righteousness of our God, and the Saviour, Jesus Christ:
This ‘chancing upon’ does
not mean that they come upon faith by accident. Rather, it emphasizes the
fact that they do nothing to earn it and, therefore, have no expectation of
it. It is as if this faith and righteousness just fell onto their laps.
Because we are in Christ
Jesus, His righteousness is reckoned as our righteousness.
1Cor.1:30 Yet you, of Him, are in Christ Jesus,
Who became to us wisdom from God,
besides righteousness
and holiness and deliverance,
2Cor.5:19 how that God was in Christ,
conciliating the world to Himself,
not reckoning their offenses
to them,
and placing in us the word of the conciliation.
07. Happy they whose
lawlessnesses were pardoned
and whose sins were covered over!
Pardon
is the exercise of executive clemency, and is connected with the kingdom.
The covering of sin is an act of the priest who made atonement by the blood
of the sacrifices, under the law. But justification is the judicial act of
the Judge, and far surpasses both pardon and atonement. Only the guilty can
be pardoned. Atonement only covers sin from God's sight. Justification, or
vindication, is a complete acquittal from all guilt, the pronouncing of the
verdict "not guilty".
Concordant Commentary
Paul
cites David's declarations in the Psalms concerning this principle.
Psa.32:1 Happy is he whose transgression is lifted away,
whose sin
is covered over!
Psa.85:2 You
have borne the depravity of Your
people;
You have covered all their sin.
When Christ comes in glory
to rule in the kingdom, and when the New Covenant is implemented, this
principle of God cleansing His
undeserving people will still hold.
Rom.11:26,27 …Arriving out of Zion shall be the Rescuer.
He will be
turning away irreverence from Jacob.
27 And this is My covenant with them
whenever I
should be eliminating their sins.
Heb.8:
8-12 …"Lo! the days are
coming," the Lord is saying,
"And I shall be concluding with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah
a new covenant,… 12 For I shall be
propitious to their injustices,
And of their sins and their lawlessnesses
should I under no circumstances still be
reminded."
08. Happy the man to whom the Lord by no means should be reckoning
sin!
The
fact that Abraham was justified while still uncircumcised opens the door of
justification to the Uncircumcision. They, too, may claim him as their
father, for they have the reality of which circumcision was but the outward
sign.
Concordant Commentary
All these citations declare
God’s mercy and His righteousness in doing for His creatures what they are
absolutely unable to do for themselves. He will bring them to a realization
of their unworthiness before He blesses them with His righteousness.
Ps.32:2 Happy is the human to
whom Yahweh is not reckoning
depravity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
Ps.130:3 If You should keep account of depravities,
O Yah,
O Yahweh, who
should stand?
Mic.7:18-20 Who is an El as You are, bearing with depravity,
and passing
over transgression, for the remnant of His allotment?
He does not hold fast His anger for the future. For He delights in
kindness.
19 He will return, having compassion on us. He will subdue our depravities.
And You
wilt fling into the shadowy depths of the sea all our sins.
20 You wilt render the truth to Jacob, the kindness to Abraham,
which You swear
to our forefathers from days aforetime
Jer.33:7,8 And I have turned back the captivity of Judah,
And the captivity of Israel,
And I have built them as at the first,
8 And cleansed
them from all their iniquity, that they have sinned against Me,
And I have pardoned
all their iniquities, that they have sinned against Me,
And that they transgressed against Me.
09. This happiness, then,
is
it for the Circumcision, or for the
Uncircumcision also?
For we are saying, "To Abraham faith
is reckoned for righteousness."
Does it
now follow that, since Abraham’s case is the precedent chosen to illustrate
justification by faith, only those
of Abraham's fleshly descent are privileged to enjoy this 'justification by
faith'? Of course, not! Though this was the privilege in the reserve of the
faithful of Israel, it has now, since the advent of the evangel Paul was
commissioned with, been declared open to those of the nations who are being
called.
Col.1:25-29 ….in accord with the administration
of God,
which is granted to me for you, to complete the word of God--
26 the
secret which has been concealed
from the
eons and from the generations,
yet now
was made manifest to His saints,
27 to whom God wills to make known
what are the glorious riches of this secret among the nations,
which is: Christ among you, the expectation of glory--
28 Whom we are announcing,
admonishing every man and teaching every man in
all wisdom,
that we should be presenting every man mature in
Christ Jesus;
29 for which I am toiling also, struggling
in accord with His operation,
which is operating in me with power.
Rom.1:5-7 Jesus Christ, our Lord,
through Whom we obtained grace and apostleship
for faith-obedience among all the nations, for His name's sake,
6 among whom are you also, the called of Jesus
Christ:
7 to all who are in Rome, beloved by God, called
saints:
Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom.15:15,16 Yet more daringly do I write to
you, in part, as prompting you,
because of the grace being given to me from
God,
16 for me to be the minister of Christ Jesus for the nations,
acting as a priest of the evangel of God,
that the
approach present of the nations may be becoming well received,
having been hallowed by holy spirit.
It is not some God-seekers
out of the nations that come to God, as many think this verse means. Unaware
of the true God and having no perception of Him, they are completely unable
to even think of approaching Him.
Rather, it is GOD Who is approaching the nations with His approach-present that He has
reserved for them, and kept secret from all, the gift of faith that they,
hitherto, knew nothing of.
Gal.4:8 But then, indeed, having no perception of God,
you were slaves
of those who, by nature, are not
gods.
Eph.4:17,18 By no means
are you still to be walking according as those of the nations also are walking,
in the
vanity of their mind, 18 their comprehension
being darkened,
being estranged
from the life of God
because of the
ignorance that is in them,
because of the
callousness of their hearts,
Eph.2:8,9 For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is
not out of you; it is God's approach
present, 9 not of works, lest
anyone should be boasting.
10. How then, is it reckoned? Being in
circumcision or uncircumcision?
Not in circumcision, but in
uncircumcision.
Paul
draws attention to the fact that Abraham believed God's declaration to him while he was yet uncircumcised and
was, therefore, justified before
he was circumcised! Even the dyed-in-the-wool Jew cannot argue with this fact. The covenant of circumcision
was after-the-fact.
Gen.15:5,6 And forth is He bringing
him outside and saying, "Look, pray,
toward the heavens and number the stars, if you
can number them."
And saying is He to him, "Thus shall your
seed become."
6 And Abram
believes in Yahweh Elohim,
and reckoning
it is He to him for righteousness.
Gen.17:1-6 And coming is Abram to be
ninety nine years of age.
And appearing is Yahweh to Abram and is saying
to him,
"I am the El-Who-Suffices. Walk before Me
and become flawless.
2 "And giving am I My covenant between Me
and you,
and
increasing am I you exceedingly exceedingly."
3 And falling is Abram on his face. 4 And speaking with him is the Elohim,
saying, "I, behold! My covenant is with
you.
And you
are to become the forefather of a throng of nations.
5 And no further shall your name be called Abram.
Yet your name becomes Abraham,
for the
forefather of a throng of nations have I made you.
6 And fruitful I cause you to be exceedingly
exceedingly.
And I make of you nations, and kings from you
shall fare forth.
11. And he obtained the sign of
circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness of the faith
which was in uncircumcision,
for him to be the father of all
those
who
are believing through
uncircumcision,
for righteousness to be reckoned to them,
Circumcision was introduced
as the seal and token of this
already-reckoned righteousness concerning Abraham. As such, it was not the
circumcision that rendered him righteous. This means that righteousness may
be reckoned entirely independent of circumcision. (Muslims are not
in any way reckoned righteous even though circumcision is an essential for
all in Islam.)
Gen.17:9-14 And saying is the Elohim to Abraham,
"And you shall keep My covenant,
you and your seed after you for their
generations.
10 This is My covenant, which you shall
keep between Me and you
and your seed after you for their generations:
Circumcise to yourselves every male.
11 And circumcised shall you be in the
flesh of your foreskin.
And it comes to be for a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
12 And a son of eight days shall be
circumcised by you,
every male of your generations, homeborn
or acquired with money from any foreigner, he
who is not of your seed.
13 With circumcision shall be circumcised
the homeborn and the one acquired with your
money.
And My covenant comes to be in your flesh for a
covenant eonian.
14 And the uncircumcised male,
the flesh of whose foreskin was not circumcised
in the eighth day,
that soul also shall be cut off from his people.
My covenant he annuls.”
This seal of circumcision
was in the flesh, a visible and tangible evidence of it. But one with this
seal would have to be stripped to ascertain the fact. The days are coming
when an elite group of 144,000 out of Israel, 12,000 from each tribe, will
be sealed on their foreheads to
distinguish them from the rest of mankind.
Rev.7:2-4 And I perceived another
messenger ascending from the orient,
having the
seal of the living God.
And he cries with a loud voice to the four
messengers
to whom it was given for them to injure the land
and the sea,
3 saying, “You shall not be injuring the land,
nor yet the sea, nor yet the trees,
until we should be sealing the slaves of our God on their foreheads.”
4 And I hear the number of those sealed: a
hundred forty-four thousand.
Sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel are:
Rev.9:4 it was declared to them that
they should not be injuring the grass of the
earth,
nor any green thing, nor any tree,
except those of mankind who have not the seal of God on their foreheads.
On the other hand, those
who take their places in the body of Christ, are sealed with holy spirit on hearing and
believing the evangel of their salvation. But there is no physical evidence
of it – not even haloes or distinctive auras. This is a spiritual seal,
invisible and intangible to the rest of mankind. But it is a seal of utmost
efficacy, setting apart those whom God designates beforehand, calls,
justifies and glorifies, from the rest of creation. This seal is God’s guarantee of taking delivery of
those He now procures, at an appointed time.
Eph.1:13,14 In Whom you also--
on hearing the word of truth, the
evangel of your salvation--
in Whom on
believing also, you are sealed
with the holy spirit of promise
14 (which is an earnest of the enjoyment of
our allotment,
to the deliverance of that which has been procured) for the laud of
His glory!
2Cor.1:22 Who also seals us and is giving the
earnest of the spirit in our hearts.
Eph.4:30 And do not be causing sorrow
to the holy spirit of God
by which
you are sealed for the day of deliverance.
‘…the father of all those who are
believing through Uncircumcision…’
As Scripture indicates that
Abraham was the first one in this eon to be reckoned righteous through
believing God, he is considered the head, or father, of all those who are
reckoned righteous in the same way – in uncircumcision. They have no
fleshly ties with him at all.
Gal.3:7-9 Know, consequently, that those of faith, these are sons of Abraham.
8 Now the scripture, perceiving before that God
is justifying the nations by
faith,
brings before an evangel to Abraham, that In you
shall all the nations be blessed.
9 So that those
of faith are being blessed together
with believing Abraham.
Gal.3:27-29 For whoever are
baptized into Christ, put on Christ,
28 in Whom there is no Jew nor yet Greek, there is no slave nor yet free,
there is no male and female, for you all are one
in Christ Jesus.
29 Now if you are Christ's, consequently you are of Abraham's seed,
enjoyers of the allotment according to the
promise.
12. and the father of the Circumcision, not to those of the Circumcision only,
but to those
also who are observing the elements of the faith
in the footprints of our father Abraham,
in uncircumcision.
Therefore Abraham is the
father of the Uncircumcision believers in a spiritual sense (being the first to be justified by faith only), as well as the father of the
Circumcision believers in the natural
sense.
Rom.4:23-25 …it was not written because of him only, that it
is reckoned to him,
24 but because of us also, to whom it is
about to be reckoned,
who are believing
on Him Who rouses Jesus our Lord from among the dead.
25 Who was given up because of our
offenses,
and was roused because of our justifying.
Eph.2:11-13 remember that once you,
the
nations in flesh-- who are termed "Uncircumcision"
by those termed "Circumcision," in
flesh, made by hands--
12 that you were, in that era, apart from Christ,
being alienated from the citizenship of Israel,
and guests of the promise covenants,
having no expectation, and without God in the
world.
13 Yet now,
in Christ Jesus,
you, who once are far off, are become near by
the blood of Christ.
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Index of Articles - Romans
April 2007
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