Abraham's Witness

Romans – A Treatise
Chapter Four
ABRAHAM’S WITNESS

Scripture Reading: verses 1-5

WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN THAT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER, AS PERTAINING TO THE FLESH, HATH FOUND? FOR IF ABRAHAM WERE JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, HE HATH WHEREOF TO GLORY; BUT NOT BEFORE GOD. FOR WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE? ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS COUNTED UNTO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NOW TO HIM THAT WORKETH IS THE REWARD NOT RECKONED OF GRACE, BUT OF DEBT. BUT TO HIM THAT WORKETH NOT, BUT BELIEVETH ON HIM THAT JUSTIFIETH THE UNGODLY, HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Here we are witnessing one of the greatest criminal trials of all times. It is the trial of the creature before his Creator. As prosecuting attorney, Paul has given his brilliant argument concerning the guilt of the accused prisoner, represented in both Jew and Gentile, and has brought both together under one indictment. They are guilty before God and without excuse; their mouth is stopped. Now, as counsel for the defense, he has taken up the argument on behalf of the Lord, who wants to justify the criminal. In this passage he calls his first witness. It is remarkable that the first witness called is perhaps the greatest personality in that pageant of human experience of the Hebrew Bible. Abraham takes the stand, and is examined concerning this point: Can the criminal be justified on the principle of works, and if not, may he be justified by faith?

Remember that Paul is the same attorney who analyzed the physical and spiritual man in chapter 3, indicating the corruption of his heart, his unrighteous acts, his incapability of understanding, his throat, his tongue, and his mouth – all members expressing the incorrigible character of the heart. Now, this same Paul presents the case for the defense. Will that man whom he has so unequivocally condemned ever be justified before his Creator on the principle of works? That is the point at issue.

The witness Abraham is called in because he is perhaps the best specimen of Adam’s race. He is a man who spiritually has more to his credit than any other man who traversed the pages of the Hebrew Bible. Because of that reason he is the progenitor of the faithful. In the darkness of Mesopotamian idolatry, this man had the faith and courage to step forth in obedience to the command of the Lord; leave behind his country, kindred, and father’s house; going forth at the behest of Jehovah, not knowing where he was going. One would think that a man of such creditable action would be justified before God on the principle of works. So the defense attorney asks the question:

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Is Abraham justified by works? No indeed. He is justified on this basis: he believed God and his faith was counted for righteousness. In other words, the best man who has the most good works to his credit falls short of the mark. We willingly confess that if a man with such distinguished merit as Abraham did not have enough good works to be justified in the presence of God, then certainly we come far behind him – as does everyone.

Should not this cause all of us to give attention? We are living in an age when the gospel of works is popular. If the casual stranger on the street were to be asked how to get to heaven, probably several might answer: “By doing the best you can.” Such an answer expresses the principle of works, yet in these verses God eliminates this reasoning. Even Abraham, who is called the father of the faithful, who, on the basis of good works, distinguished himself head and shoulders above all other men because he was obedient to the Word of God, was not justified by works. Abraham’s hope for a place in the realm of glory is founded not on the fact that he did the best he could; it is not founded on his works; it is founded on this unequivocal statement: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” The only hope for our justification before God is to take God at His Word, believe Him, obey Him and not depend on our good works.

Now what is the Word of God in this connection? What does He call us to do? Paul tells us in the tenth chapter of Romans:

the Word . . . which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We shall soon see in the first few verses of Romans 6, that baptism is part of God’s plan of salvation – we are buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. The way to make sure we will get to heaven is to obediently accept and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in accordance with God's Word. According to Holy Scripture, the Lord Jesus died for us in order that our sins might be put away. God has told us so in His Word. If we believe God, He will reckon our faith for righteousness. If we disbelieve God, we have no righteousness wherewith to stand in His presence.

The conclusion to all this is summed up in verses 4 and 5 of this fourth chapter. It says:

Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

The meaning is simple. If righteousness before God is obtained by our works, then we are earning a place in heaven. Further, if righteousness can be obtained by our good works, then God owes it to us. But that is not the truth of the Gospel. On the contrary, "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." If one takes God at His Word and obeys Him, accepting salvation on the principal of faith in the faith of Jesus Christ, by grace and as a free gift, then that person is a righteous person before Him. In fact, that is the only righteousness God recognizes. One of these days we are going to leave this world. If we are dressed in the righteousness God has provided, we shall forever be in His presence in the land of fadeless day. If we come dressed in the filthy rags of our own self-righteousness, our own good works, we shall stand before Him having to answer why we did not believe and obey what He said in His Holy Word.