Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification (19)
[Romans 4:17-25]
We are contemplating nine sub-themes under the overarching theme of "Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification": (1) "The Necessity of Justification." Due to everyone having sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), absolute justification is required for "all people." (2) "The Originator of Justification." The originator of justification is God the Father. He is declared righteous (v. 2). (3) "The Foundation of Justification." The foundation of justification is exclusively Jesus Christ. God the Father justifies sinners based on the atoning sacrifice and propitiation of Jesus Christ. (4) "The Method of Justification." We receive the justification provided by God the Father through faith alone (v. 22). (5) "The Universality of Justification." As God the Father is righteous, everything He does is fair. Therefore, there is no discrimination in the "righteousness of God" (justification) given to "all who believe" in Jesus Christ (v. 22). (6) "The Purpose of Justification." The dual purpose of justification is to manifest that God is righteous and to justify those who believe in Jesus (v. 26). (7) "The Exemplification of Justification." Apostle Paul used Abraham as an example of justification.
Today, focusing on Romans 4:17-25, we continue to meditate on Abraham as an exemplification of justification. Specifically, we want to reflect on the fact that Abraham received righteousness not by what he did [such as keeping the law, practicing circumcision, or doing good deeds] but solely by believing in God for righteousness. Genesis 15:6 says, “And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” What kind of faith did Abraham have when he believed in God?
Romans 4:17 states, "As it is written, 'I have made you the father of many nations'—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist." God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations, and He fulfilled that promise. Abraham's faith in God is described as believing in the God who "gives life to the dead and creates new things out of nothing" (v. 17, Modern Korean Bible).
Romans 4:18 states: "In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, 'So shall your offspring be'." Abraham's faith was believing against all hope, or, in modern terms, he believed in something that seemed utterly impossible. Abraham believed in God's promise that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. This promise is found in Genesis 15:5 (Modern Korean Bible: "He took him outside and said, 'Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be'"). At the time Abraham received this promise, he had no children. However, God promised him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. From Abraham's perspective, this promise was something he could not hope for. In other words, in Abraham's view, God's promise was something utterly impossible. Nevertheless, Abraham believed in the God who "gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist" (Rom. 4:17, Modern Korean Bible). When thinking about the God who gives life to the dead, we might recall Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11). And when contemplating the God who calls into existence things that do not exist, we can think of the creation of heaven and earth (Gen. 1). As a result of Abraham's faith, he became the father of many nations (Rom. 4:18).
Romans 4:19 says, "He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb." Abraham was still healthy at the age of 100, yet the aspect of procreation, the ability to have children, seemed dead. Consequently, he could not bear children. When Abraham was 99, God appeared to him (Gen. 17:1) and promised to give him a son through his wife Sarah (v. 16). Upon hearing this promise, Abraham "laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?'" (v. 17, Modern Korean Bible). In other words, Abraham was aware that neither he nor Sarah could bear children. Despite this, Abraham believed in God.
Romans 4:20 says, "No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God" (Modern Korean Bible: "Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God"). Even in an impossible situation where having a child was inconceivable, Abraham did not doubt the promise of God. Instead, he became stronger in faith, giving glory to God.
Romans 4:21 says, "Fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised" (Modern Korean Bible: "Being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised"). Abraham was not vaguely believing in the promise; he was fully convinced that God had the power to fulfill what He had promised. Abraham's profound faith stemmed from God granting him such faith (he didn't just believe; he became one who believes).
Romans 4:22 says, "That is why his faith was 'counted to him as righteousness'." Abraham received righteousness, not through his own efforts, but because God, out of grace, gave him the gift of faith without cost. Ephesians 2:8 emphasizes this aspect, stating, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Modern Korean Bible).
Romans 4:23-24 states, "But the words 'it was counted to him' were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord." The declaration that God regarded Abraham as righteous is not limited to him alone but also extends to "us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead" (v. 24, Modern Korean Bible).
Romans 4:25 says, "He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." God the Father did not spare His Son, delivering Jesus for the sake of our sins and raising Him for our justification (8:32). What does it mean that the Father did not spare His Son? Clearly, the Father and the Son had loved each other from eternity and had shared in glory together (Jn. 17:4-5). The expression "did not spare His Son" signifies that, when the time came, the Father did not hesitate but, out of love for us and for our salvation, delivered His only begotten Son, Jesus, to the cross. There was no other way for us to be saved outside of this path. The enormity of our sins required the atoning death of Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation. Furthermore, the Father raised Jesus from the dead to declare us righteous. Acts 3:15 states, "and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this, we are witnesses" (Modern Korean Bible).