Is this some new thing invented?
that tries to give the appearance that Abraham had something called "righteous faith"?
In other words, plain old works?
"Abraham was not justified by works, he proves
Romans 4:2, from an absurdity following upon it,
that he would have just reason to glory; whereas no man ought to glory before God..."
ABRAHAM was Guilty before God for HIS SIN:
"The apostle having, in the preceding chapters, proved that there is no justification before God by the works of the law,
partly from
the depraved state and condition that all men are in by nature, both Jews and Gentiles;
and partly from the nature of the law itself, which discovers sin, arraigns men for it, and convicts of it,
and pronounces guilty before God for it;"
THE FLESH:
Romans 4:1
"What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?"
"did he find out the way of life, righteousness, and salvation by the mere hint of carnal reason?
and did he obtain these things by his own strength?
or were these acquired by his circumcision in the flesh,
or by any other fleshly privilege he enjoyed?
or was he justified before God by any services and performances of his, of whatsoever kind?
Romans 4:2
"For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God."
For if Abraham were justified by works,.... That Abraham was not, and could not be justified by works,
is clear from hence, that if this was his case,
he hath whereof to glory; which will be allowed him before men, on account of his pious life and conversation:
"but not before God"; who saw all
the iniquity of his heart, and was privy to all his failings and infirmities:
ABRAHAM WAS UNGODLY WHEN HE RECEIVED FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST FROM GOD
WHEN GOD JUSTIFIED HIM:
Romans 4:5
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly..."
ABRAHAM HAD INIQUITIES AND SINS:
Romans 4:7
"Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered."
ABRAHAM HAD TRANSGRESSED THE LAW:
Romans 4:15
"Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression."
ABRAHAM WAS DEAD IN TRESSPASSES AND SINS
WHEN GOD QUICKENED HIM IN SALVATION,
THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
AND GAVE HIM THE SPIRITUAL ENABLEMENT
TO HAVE FAITH AND BELIEVE:
Romans 4:17
"(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,)
before him whom he believed, even God,
who quickeneth the dead,"
Salvation is by Free Grace, Faith only being a recipient, and what gives all the Glory to God;
"And this is still further argued from the effect of the law working wrath,
which, if justification was by it, it would never do,
Romans 4:15.
The wisdom and goodness of God in giving faith, and not works, a concern in justification, are observed,
Romans 4:16,
whereby it appears to be of
free grace, faith only being a recipient,
and what gives all the glory to God;
and also the promise of eternal life through justification by free grace
becomes sure to all the spiritual seed;"
"And now in the same way that he was justified, all his children, his spiritual seed, are justified,
whether they be Jews or Gentiles; for what is said
concerning
the imputation of the righteousness of faith to him,
does not concern him only,
Romans 4:23, but all true believers also; whose faith is described by the object of it,
"him that raised up Christ from the dead, that is, God the Father,
Romans 4:24, who is supposed hereby to have been dead,
and is represented as the Lord and Savior of his people; and of whom a further account is given,
Romans 4:25,
as being delivered into the hands of men, of justice, and of death, for the sins of his people,
which he took upon him, and bore, and made satisfaction for, and as being raised again for their justification;
"so that this is a benefit owing not to the works of men, but to what Christ has done and suffered
in the room and stead of his people; which is what the apostle meant to bring this point unto;
the blessed effects and consequences of which he relates in the next chapter."
from Gill's on Romans 4.
Third, as obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. Be open to the possibility that our views formulated during our immaturity might miss the mark.
