Romans 4:9-17: "Grace to all who Believe"

Paul continues his assault on works righteousness using Abraham as the example. Paul had previously refuted circumcision as a way to claim righteousness in Ch.2:25-29, and now he turns to it again in v.9-12 using Abraham and chronology to prove his point. Paul begins this section with another rhetorical question: "Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also?" By blessing he is referring to verses 7 and 8 in which Paul quotes David from Psalm where he is exalting in the Lord taking away his sins. Paul will quickly answer his question again by stating the well known fact to the Jews that Abraham was reckoned righteous by God, "not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised". This is an unrefutable point to the Jews. Being students of the Old Testament, they would have to have agreed with Paul that Abraham had been circumcised after he had been claimed righteous by God. MacArthur explains, "The obvious chronology of Genesis proves it. When Abraham was circumcised, Ishmael was thirteen years old and Abraham was ninety-nine (see Gen. 17:23-25). But when Abraham was declared righteous by God (15:6), Ishmael had not yet been born or even conceived (16:2-4)." This argument left little room for discussion. The Jewish readers would have to concede that in fact Abraham was declared righteous by God before circumcision. This was to further substantiate all that Paul had previously said regarding righteousness by faith in Christ apart from the law and any type of works.

Paul was masterful in his writing. Paul would systematically use scripture and the Jews common knowledge to slowly break down their false securities in what they had been so proud of their whole lives. He wanted them to understand that faith and belief in their customs and works would only lead them to hell. However, he would then always explain why God gave them those customs and rituals to uphold their importance. Paul does this again with circumcision. Paul continues, "and he received the sign of circumcision". MacArthur writes, "Circumcision was the physical, racial mark of identity for His people. Even under the New Covenant, Paul had no objection to a Jew being circumcised, as long as the act was seen in this light . . . circumcision was also a mark of God's covenant, setting Abraham's descendants apart as uniquely His chosen people, the Hebrews, or Jews as they became known during the Babylonian Exile. " Paul continues to explain the importance of circumcision and why it was asked of by God as it was a "seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised". Every time this ritual was performed it was to be a reminder to God's people of His righteousness that was reckoned to Abraham through faith. MacArthur helps explain the remainder of this section, "Abraham received circumcision after he was reckoned righteous in or that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be reckoned to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. Racially, Abraham is the father of all Jews; spiritually, he is the father of both believing Gentiles, who believe without being circumcised, and of believing Jews, who . . . are of the circumcision. Both groups of believers are reckoned righteous because of their faith in God through Jesus Christ, and they also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised." What Paul is really trying to drill into their heads is that not only does righteousness before circumcision show that circumcision is not what saves you, but that all men receive righteousness the same way (including the Gentiles), it is not merely unique to the Jews. Paul had already explained to them that, "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly" (Rom. 2:28-29).

Paul now moves away from the subject of circumcision and revisits the example of Abraham being justified without the Law. As we saw earlier the chronology of Abraham being declared righteous by God before being circumcised, will now be applied to the Law. MacArthur points out "As every Jew well knew, the law was not revealed to Moses until more than five hundred years after Abraham lived, and that patriarch obviously had no way of knowing what the law required." Therefore, Abraham could not have obeyed the law, because he did not know about the Law. Again proving his righteousness came apart from the Law. Paul writes, "For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith." In order for us to really understand this section we must be aware of the "promise to Abraham" to which Paul writes of. To help me explain I will summarize the important points made by MacArthur regarding the promise. "First, the promise involved a land (see Gen. 15:18-21) in which Abraham would live but that would not be possessed until some five centuries later . . . the promise also involved a people, who would be so numerous that they could not be numbered, like the dust of the earth and the stars in the sky (Gen. 13:16, 15:5). . . . the promise involved a blessing of the entire world through Abraham's descendants (Gen. 12:3) . . . the promise would be fulfilled in the giving of a Redeemer, who would be a descendant of Abraham through whom the whole world would be blessed by the provision of salvation. That promise to Abraham was, in essence, a preaching to him of the gospel (Gal. 3:8). Abraham believed that gospel, and even when Isaac, the sole divinely-promised heir, was about to be offered as a sacrifice, Abraham trusted that somehow God would "provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering" (Gen. 22:8)". Amazing insight into how Abraham was counted as righteous. He was given in sense a gospel presentation of a necessary Redeemer by God. Again, righteousness was only found in "faith".

Paul continues, "For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified". Paul is saying that God had promised Abraham that he would "be heir of the world", however this promise could never be kept if righteousness came through keeping the Law. We would in fact be calling God a liar and His promise would be nullified, for we have learned that no one can perfectly keep the law, for Paul also explains that "Law brings about wrath". Therefore, Paul is saying that God is not a liar and therefore, He must have provided another way to keep his promise and it would be apart from the law. He explains, "but where there is no law, neither is there violation." It is therefore found in faith in Christ through His grace, which Paul proclaims, "For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants". This can be better understood in light of Eph. 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." MacArthur brings up an interesting point, "Were it not for God's sovereign grace providing a way of salvation, even a person's faith could not save him. That is why faith is not simply another form of human works, as some theologian throughout the centuries have maintained." It is the grace of God that allows our faith in Christ to impart His righteousness to us and save us from eternal damnation. And this gift of grace is extended to all who would believe, not just to the Jewish people, as Paul explains, "not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." That is, that all who trust in Christ Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile. Again MacArthur explains, " . . . when Abraham was called in Ur of the Chaldeans, he was an idolatrous pagan. Before God's covenant with Abraham, there were no Jews and therefore no Gentiles, strictly speaking. But Paul's point here is that God reckoned Abraham's faith as righteousness before any such distinctions were made." Before the Law, before circumcision, before Jew, and before Gentile, God and God alone reckoned Abraham as righteous in faith.

Lastly, Paul again goes back to Scripture as he exclaims, "as it is written, 'A Father of many nations have I made you'" and goes on to say, " in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist." God will always follow through with His promises, including the one he made to Abraham who believed in God. The one and only God who has the power to give "life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist."

As I nod in agreement that all that is said, and as we have the privilege of thumbing through scripture to gain our understanding of it's wonderful truths, may we search our hearts to make sure we do not hold to any works, any idols, any rituals, anything apart from Christ to save our souls.