Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification (16)
[Romans 4:1-8]
We are reflecting on nine subtopics under the overarching theme of "Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification": (1) The first subtopic is "The Necessity of Justification." Since "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23), everyone absolutely needs justification. (2) The second subtopic is "The Originator of Justification." The originator of justification is God the Father. God the Father declares righteousness (v. 2). (3) The third subtopic is "The Foundation of Justification." The foundation of justification is solely Jesus Christ. God the Father justifies sinners based on the atoning sacrifice and propitiation of Jesus Christ. (4) The fourth subtopic is "The Method of Justification." We receive the justification given by God the Father only through faith (v. 22). (5) The fifth subtopic is "The Universality of Justification." Because God the Father is righteous, everything He does is fair. Therefore, the "righteousness of God" (justification) given to "all who believe in Jesus Christ" has no discrimination (v. 22). (6) The sixth subtopic is "The Purpose of Justification." The dual purpose of justification is to (1) demonstrate that God is righteous and (2) declare righteous those who believe in Jesus (v. 26).
Today, while meditating on the seventh subtopic under the overarching theme of "Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification," titled "The Evidence of Justification," I seek to receive the grace and teachings provided. In today's passage, Romans 4:1-8, we encounter the account of Abraham, who received justification from God the Father, the Originator of justification. The passage emphasizes that Abraham, a descendant of the Jews in the flesh, is included in the category of "everyone" mentioned in Romans 3:23, who falls short of the glory of God. Therefore, Abraham, as a person in desperate need of justification (The Necessity of Justification), believed in Jesus Christ, the foundation of justification (The Foundation of Justification), as the means of receiving justification (The Method of Justification). The narrative of Abraham receiving justification from God the Father is found in Genesis 15:1-6. In this passage, God reassures Abraham, who expressed fear, that He is his shield and great reward. Abraham, having no offspring, mentions Eliezer of Damascus as his heir, but God assures him that his heir will come from his own body. God takes Abraham outside, directs him to count the stars, and promises that his descendants will be as numerous. Abraham believes God's promise, and God credits it to him as righteousness. Examining this narrative, we see that the Bible acknowledges Abraham's sin. His sins are articulated in two aspects: (1) He feared and lacked trust in God [(v. 1) "Do not be afraid"], and (2) He doubted God's promise [(vv. 2-3) Abraham's unbelief]. In light of this, Revelation 21:8 mentions the fearful and unbelieving as those who will face the second death, emphasizing the severity of these sins. Therefore, Abraham was a fearful and unbelieving individual according to God's Word. Consequently, he was a sinner who could only be destined for the second death. In other words, he was someone who had committed sins that would inevitably lead to hell.
Abraham was a respected figure among the Jews. Even during the exodus, when he led around two million Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years from Egypt to the east of the Jordan River, he earned the admiration of the Jews. He prayed for Moses, who led them, and received God's response. Additionally, when he prayed for no rain, it didn't rain for about three and a half years, showcasing God's response to his prayer. Even Elijah, a prophet admired by the Jews for such miracles, considered it glorious to be descendants of Abraham (Ref.: Lk. 9:29-31). However, despite Abraham's accomplishments, he, as a sinner before God, needed justification. His justification was not based on his "works" (had it been, he could boast), but it was solely through God's grace and received by faith. The Scripture says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness" (Rom. 4:3). The Bible refers to the narrative in Genesis 15, where God spoke to Abraham, promising that a son born from his own body would be his heir. God took him outside, asked him to count the stars, and promised that his descendants would be as numerous. Abraham believed God, and God counted it as righteousness. God specifically mentioned that Eliezer of Damascus was not the heir but that a son born from Abraham's body would be the heir (Gen. 15:4). God promised that descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (v. 5). Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (v. 6). This transformation from a fearful and unbelieving person to one counted as righteous was solely by God's grace and the work of the Holy Spirit. Abraham did nothing to earn his justification; it was a gift from God through faith. Romans 4:4-5 states, "Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." Abraham, though not working but believing in God, was considered righteous by God. How could God declare the ungodly as righteous? It was because Jesus Christ died on the cross as a substitute for the ungodly. Romans 5:6 affirms this, stating, "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." The originator of justification, God the Father, declared the ungodly righteous based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Therefore, our response is gratitude and humble service to the Lord, acknowledging that our justification is solely by God's grace.