Does Romans 4:4-5 say God credited Abraham's faith or God's instilled faith? Abraham's faith.
Pay no attention to these long non-germane posts claiming Abraham's faith was not credited as righteousness, and that our faith is likewise credited, Romans 4:23-24.
Is the issue that Abraham was ungodly? Nope so a strawman deflection.
In summary, the sum and substance of this thread is that God credits the faith of believers as righteousness, therefore the "T" of the TULIP is bogus.
God is Allowed to Write Words in The Bible and Explain His Position.
God's Servants, who are Called to Teach His Word, are Allowed to be Given an Understanding of the various Words, in sentences, God Uses to Describe What He Has to Reveal to mankind.
God Says What He Means and Means What He Says.
When someone has rules which involve not knowing, or deliberately ignoring, what God Says, they WILL NOT KNOW, or care to understand WHAT GOD MEANS.
That's easy.
From John Gill: who discusses how a Saved child of God, in their persons and services, are Acceptable to God; compared to those who ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE to GOD.
by Showing ABRAHAM had a reward reckoned, CREDITED, AND COUNTED to him, and accounted his, which was God himself,
"I am thy shield, and exceeding, great reward", (
Genesis 15:1 );
Those who have not been Given God remain dead.
Romans 4:4
Now to him that worketh
The apostle illustrates the former case by two sorts of persons in this and the next verse, who have different things accounted to them, and in a different manner.
The one is represented as working, the other not.
By the worker is meant, not one that works from, and upon principles of grace.
The regenerate man is disposed to work for God;
...the man that has the Spirit of God is capable of working;
...he that has the grace of Christ, and strength from him, can work well;
...he that believes in Christ, works in a right way;
...he that loves Christ, works freely, and from a right principle;
...and he that has Christ's glory in view, works to a right end:
but the worker here, is one that works upon nature's principles, and with selfish views;
...one that works in the strength of nature, trusting to, and glorying in what he does;
...
seeking righteousness by his work, and working for eternal life and salvation.
Now let it be supposed, that such a worker not only thinks he does, but if it could be, really does all the works of the law, yields a perfect obedience to it;
...what
is the reward that is, and will be
reckoned to him?
There is no reward due to the creature's work, though ever so perfect, arising front any desert or dignity in itself: there may be a reward by promise and compact;
God may promise a reward to encourage to obedience, as he does in the law, which is not eternal life;
...for that is the free gift of God, and is only brought to light in the Gospel;
...and though heaven is called a reward, yet not of man's obedience,
but Christ's;
...but admitting heaven itself to be the reward promised to the worker, in what manner must that be reckoned to him?
not of grace:
...for grace and works can never agree together;
for if the reward is reckoned for the man's works, then it is not of grace,
"otherwise work is no more work", (
Romans 11:6 );
and if it is of grace, then not for his works,
"otherwise grace is no more grace", (
Romans 11:6 );
...
it remains therefore, that if it is reckoned for his works, it must be of debt:
...it must be his due, as wages are to an hireling.
Now this was not Abraham's case, which must have been, had he been justified by works;
...
he had a reward reckoned to him, and accounted his, which was God himself,
"I am thy shield, and exceeding, great reward", ( Genesis 15:1 );
....which must be reckoned to him, not of debt, but of grace;
....wherefore it follows, that he was justified, not by works,
but by the grace of God imputed to him;
....that
which his faith believed in for righteousness.
The distinction of a reward of grace, and of debt, was known to the Jews;
...a the one they called (orp) , the other (rkv) : the former
F4 they say is (lwmgh) , "a benefit",
...which is freely of grace bestowed on an undeserving person, or one he is not obliged to;
....the other is what is given, (Nydb) , "of debt", in strict justice.
FOOTNOTES:
F4 Maimon. Bartenora & Yom Tob in Pirke Abot, c. 1. sect. 3.
...
Romans 4:5
But to him that worketh not.
Not that the believer does not work at all, but not from such principles, and with such views as the other; he does not work in order to obtain life and salvation;
....he does not seek for justification by his doings:
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly:
...
or that ungodly one: particular reference is had to Abraham, who in his state of unregeneracy was an ungodly person;
...as all God's elect are in a state of nature, and are such when God justifies them, being without a righteousness of their own;
...wherefore
he imputes the righteousness of another, even that of his own Son, unto them: and though he justifies the ungodly,
he does not justify their ungodliness, but them from it;
...nor will he, nor does he leave them to live and die in it;
...now to him that worketh not, that is perfect righteousness;
...or has no opportunity of working at all;
...or what he does, he does not do, that he might be justified by it;
...
but exercises faith on God as justifying persons, who, like himself, are sinners, ungodly and destitute of a righteousness:
his faith is counted for righteousness;
not the act,
but the object of it; which was Abraham's case, and therefore was not justified by works. The Vulgate Latin version here adds, "according to the purpose of the grace of God".
Romans 4:6
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man,
&c.] the apostle having instanced in Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, cites some passages from David, king of Israel, a person of great note and esteem among the Jews, in favor of the doctrine he is establishing;
who in a very proper and lively manner describes the happiness of such persons:
unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.
This righteousness cannot be the righteousness of the law, or man's obedience to it;
... for that is a righteousness with works, is a man's own, and not imputed;
... and indeed is not a righteousness in the sight of God: nor does man's blessedness lie in, or come by it; no man is, or can be instilled by it, nor saved by it, or attain to heaven and eternal happiness by the means of it;
...but
the righteousness here spoken of is the righteousness of Christ, called the righteousness of God; and is better than that of angels or men;
...
is complete and perfect; by which the law is honoured, and justice is satisfied.
This is freely bestowed, and graciously "imputed" by God.
Just in the same way his righteousness becomes ours, as Adam's sin did, which is by imputation;
...or in the same way that our sins became Christ's, his righteousness becomes ours;
...and as we have no righteousness of our own when God justifies us,
this must be done by the righteousness of another; and that can be done no other way by the righteousness of another, than by imputing it to us: and which is done "without works";
...
not without the works of Christ, of which this righteousness consists;
... but without the works of the creature, or any consideration of them, which are utterly excluded from justification;
... for if these came into account, it would not be of grace, and boasting would not be removed.
Now such who have this righteousness thus imputed to them, are happy persons;
... they are justified from all sin, and freed from all condemnation;
...their persons and services are acceptable to God;
... it will be always well with them; they are heirs of glory, and shall enjoy it.
