Abraham, King David & You
What you have in common with Abraham & King David
“1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 ‘Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him’.” Romans 4:1-8 (NIV)
In Romans 4, Paul presents Abraham and David as examples of Old Testament believers who were justified by God on the basis of faith alone. Both Abraham and David believed God’s promise and “it was credited” to them as righteousness. The words, “it was credited” were not written for Abraham and David alone, “but also for us to whom God will credit righteousness...” Romans 4:22-24 (NIV). The great fact that Abraham and David were justified by faith and not works, is an illustration to show us that we are justified in exactly the same way.
Two Aspects of Justification
Full Forgiveness & Imputed Righteousness
When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Him alone for your salvation, the Bible says that God “justifies” you in His sight. The word “justifies", as used by Paul in this context, includes two distinct aspects.
1. Being justified before God means that on the basis of Christʼs substitutionary death for me, I have been completely forgiven. Because of Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf, my sins have been permanently removed, expunged and obliterated from my record forever! Therefore, my sin is no longer held against me before God. “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him” (vs.7-8).
Although there may be natural earthly consequences associated with our sins, Christʼs death on the cross means that we stand fully forgiven before God forever. “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1&2 (NIV). “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.” 2 Corinthians 5:19 (NIV). It should also be noted that if, as believers we continue on a path of sin and disobedience, our Heavenly Father may choose to lovingly discipline us to prevent us from hurting ourselves further and to teach us to trust Him more. “The Lord chastens those He loves.” Hebrews 12:6 (NIV). But this nurturing discipline (child training), being a demonstration of His love and commitment to us, is something entirely different than condemnation or retribution for our sins. Christ has already been “wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities” and “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Is. 53:5&6 (NIV). Therefore, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 (NIV). Our guilt, our blame and our culpability no longer exists in the mind of God. What He promised the Nation of Israel in the Old Testament is true for us today, “Your sins and your iniquities, I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)
2. Being justified before God means that on the basis of Christʼs substitutionary death and resurrection, God has pronounced once and for all that I am ʻperfectly righteousʼ in Christ. This means that I am fully accepted and approved by God because, in His accounting, I have the very righteousness of Christ Himself imputed to my record. Note: The word imputed comes from a Latin term of accounting that means to ‘enter in the account or ledger’. The moment you first trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, God makes an entry in your account that credits to you the divine righteousness of Jesus Christ. “To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (vs 5). Blessed is the man “to whom God credits righteousness apart from works” (vs 6).
The righteousness that God justly demands of us, He has graciously provided for us. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV). “For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last.” Romans 1:17 (NIV). “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known...This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:20-22 (NIV). The Scriptures tells us that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. The words ʻit was credited to himʼ were written not for Abraham alone, but also for us to whom God will credit righteousness, for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification.” Romans 4:22-24 (NIV). Yes, Christʼs perfect righteousness has been permanently imputed (credited) to your account solely on the grounds of His death and resurrection for you. As a result, your legal perfect standing before God is permanent, eternal and unchanging. Blessed is the man “to whom God credits righteousness apart from works.” Romans 4:6 (NIV)
Justification is By Grace Through Faith
Not by Our Own Righteousness or Works
“But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law... We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood... God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” Romans 3:20-28 (NLT)
Our justification before God is the result of His undeserved grace and kindness, totally apart from any commitment, effort or obedience on our part. It is exclusively the sovereign act of God by which He pronounces a wicked and undeserving sinner as being ‘not guilty and perfectly righteous’ because of the cross of Christ. Justification is only given to those sinners who recognize that they are totally meritless and undeserving before God, but who knowing their helpless and hopeless state, put their faith in Jesus Christ alone. “To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (vs 5). “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us...” Titus 3:5 (KJV). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV). “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT). “...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” Philippians 3:9 (NIV). “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’.” Romans 1:16-17 (NIV)
Justified Once & For All
Your justification is permanent & unchanging
If you have put your hope and trust in Christ alone for your salvation, you may be surprised to learn that your justification in Him (your righteous standing before Him) is entirely unaffected by your daily obedience or lack thereof. Your justification is fixed and permanent and is completely unaffected and undiminished by your thoughts, attitudes or behaviors. That is to say, your obedience as a Christian (as important as it is) adds nothing to your justified state before God, and your disobedience (as regretful as it is) takes nothing away from it. Having accounted the perfect righteousness of Christ to your heavenly record, God has declared, once and for all, that you are ‘justified and fully righteous’ in His sight. As a result, you now have His unchanging and unending acceptance, approval and affection. This means that because your new Father is fully satisfied and pleased with Christ on your behalf, He is fully satisfied and pleased with you. Since your justification in Christ is entirely the work of God (being in no way your own doing), it cannot be altered in any way by your circumstances, feelings or emotions. It is simply a state of fact, based on the eternal purpose and promise of God. “[He] has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:8-11 (NIV).
The truths expressed in the passages above are often difficult for us to receive, because they are contrary to what we typically believe about ourselves (what we typically tell ourselves about ourselves). For many of us, these truths are also completely contrary to the way we have been treated by our earthly parents. In some cases, some of us have also been mislead by other Christians, and even the church, toward adopting a performance-based, guilt-centered, and man-focused outlook which has handicapped our ability to embrace the grace of God as expressed in both aspects of our justification (full forgiveness and imputed righteousness). Believing and claiming these truths for yourself is the key to enjoying Christ and living in obedience to Him. It has been my personal experience that there is no real joy, true obedience or useful service in my life except when I am living in the recognition and awareness of these truths and claiming them by faith as mine in Christ.
If you have any questions about your relationship to Jesus Christ, please feel free to contact us.
What you have in common with Abraham & King David
“1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 ‘Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him’.” Romans 4:1-8 (NIV)
In Romans 4, Paul presents Abraham and David as examples of Old Testament believers who were justified by God on the basis of faith alone. Both Abraham and David believed God’s promise and “it was credited” to them as righteousness. The words, “it was credited” were not written for Abraham and David alone, “but also for us to whom God will credit righteousness...” Romans 4:22-24 (NIV). The great fact that Abraham and David were justified by faith and not works, is an illustration to show us that we are justified in exactly the same way.
Two Aspects of Justification
Full Forgiveness & Imputed Righteousness
When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Him alone for your salvation, the Bible says that God “justifies” you in His sight. The word “justifies", as used by Paul in this context, includes two distinct aspects.
1. Being justified before God means that on the basis of Christʼs substitutionary death for me, I have been completely forgiven. Because of Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf, my sins have been permanently removed, expunged and obliterated from my record forever! Therefore, my sin is no longer held against me before God. “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him” (vs.7-8).
Although there may be natural earthly consequences associated with our sins, Christʼs death on the cross means that we stand fully forgiven before God forever. “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1&2 (NIV). “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.” 2 Corinthians 5:19 (NIV). It should also be noted that if, as believers we continue on a path of sin and disobedience, our Heavenly Father may choose to lovingly discipline us to prevent us from hurting ourselves further and to teach us to trust Him more. “The Lord chastens those He loves.” Hebrews 12:6 (NIV). But this nurturing discipline (child training), being a demonstration of His love and commitment to us, is something entirely different than condemnation or retribution for our sins. Christ has already been “wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities” and “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Is. 53:5&6 (NIV). Therefore, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 (NIV). Our guilt, our blame and our culpability no longer exists in the mind of God. What He promised the Nation of Israel in the Old Testament is true for us today, “Your sins and your iniquities, I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)
2. Being justified before God means that on the basis of Christʼs substitutionary death and resurrection, God has pronounced once and for all that I am ʻperfectly righteousʼ in Christ. This means that I am fully accepted and approved by God because, in His accounting, I have the very righteousness of Christ Himself imputed to my record. Note: The word imputed comes from a Latin term of accounting that means to ‘enter in the account or ledger’. The moment you first trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, God makes an entry in your account that credits to you the divine righteousness of Jesus Christ. “To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (vs 5). Blessed is the man “to whom God credits righteousness apart from works” (vs 6).
The righteousness that God justly demands of us, He has graciously provided for us. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV). “For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last.” Romans 1:17 (NIV). “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known...This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:20-22 (NIV). The Scriptures tells us that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. The words ʻit was credited to himʼ were written not for Abraham alone, but also for us to whom God will credit righteousness, for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification.” Romans 4:22-24 (NIV). Yes, Christʼs perfect righteousness has been permanently imputed (credited) to your account solely on the grounds of His death and resurrection for you. As a result, your legal perfect standing before God is permanent, eternal and unchanging. Blessed is the man “to whom God credits righteousness apart from works.” Romans 4:6 (NIV)
Justification is By Grace Through Faith
Not by Our Own Righteousness or Works
“But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law... We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood... God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” Romans 3:20-28 (NLT)
Our justification before God is the result of His undeserved grace and kindness, totally apart from any commitment, effort or obedience on our part. It is exclusively the sovereign act of God by which He pronounces a wicked and undeserving sinner as being ‘not guilty and perfectly righteous’ because of the cross of Christ. Justification is only given to those sinners who recognize that they are totally meritless and undeserving before God, but who knowing their helpless and hopeless state, put their faith in Jesus Christ alone. “To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (vs 5). “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us...” Titus 3:5 (KJV). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV). “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT). “...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” Philippians 3:9 (NIV). “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’.” Romans 1:16-17 (NIV)
Justified Once & For All
Your justification is permanent & unchanging
If you have put your hope and trust in Christ alone for your salvation, you may be surprised to learn that your justification in Him (your righteous standing before Him) is entirely unaffected by your daily obedience or lack thereof. Your justification is fixed and permanent and is completely unaffected and undiminished by your thoughts, attitudes or behaviors. That is to say, your obedience as a Christian (as important as it is) adds nothing to your justified state before God, and your disobedience (as regretful as it is) takes nothing away from it. Having accounted the perfect righteousness of Christ to your heavenly record, God has declared, once and for all, that you are ‘justified and fully righteous’ in His sight. As a result, you now have His unchanging and unending acceptance, approval and affection. This means that because your new Father is fully satisfied and pleased with Christ on your behalf, He is fully satisfied and pleased with you. Since your justification in Christ is entirely the work of God (being in no way your own doing), it cannot be altered in any way by your circumstances, feelings or emotions. It is simply a state of fact, based on the eternal purpose and promise of God. “[He] has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:8-11 (NIV).
The truths expressed in the passages above are often difficult for us to receive, because they are contrary to what we typically believe about ourselves (what we typically tell ourselves about ourselves). For many of us, these truths are also completely contrary to the way we have been treated by our earthly parents. In some cases, some of us have also been mislead by other Christians, and even the church, toward adopting a performance-based, guilt-centered, and man-focused outlook which has handicapped our ability to embrace the grace of God as expressed in both aspects of our justification (full forgiveness and imputed righteousness). Believing and claiming these truths for yourself is the key to enjoying Christ and living in obedience to Him. It has been my personal experience that there is no real joy, true obedience or useful service in my life except when I am living in the recognition and awareness of these truths and claiming them by faith as mine in Christ.
If you have any questions about your relationship to Jesus Christ, please feel free to contact us.
