Articles

On January 29, Denver Gratia Community Church held Wednesday Bible Study at 7:00 PM.

Romans Chapter 4

4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, 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 Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[a]

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. ⁶ David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. ¹⁰ Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, ¹⁵ because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”^[c] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”^[d] 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. ²² This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” ²³ The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Abraham justified by faith

This is Abraham justified by faith. The law was consist of around 600 regulations. there is no one who can obey.

In Galatians, Paul evangelized people and they came to the church. Some people came to the church and started saying that the the salvation by grace is not enough. They started saying, “you should keep the law, you should get circumcised first and then you can become a christian.” The wrong teaching entered the church.

Wherever message of law proclaimed, we taste freedom and gain peace. Paul was very wise teacher. So he is saying that faith is not something unfamiliar.  Paul is saying that “the message that we are justified by faith is not what I invented.”  He is saying that long ago there was this teaching.

There was Abraham.  he was ancestor of Israelite.  How was Abraham able to become ancestor of faith? he is asking them, “is he ancestor because he obeyed the law?”  Why did that happen?  Because the law, came from after Abraham, in the days of Moses.  How was he able to be ancestor before that then?  The law which was a revelation given by Moses, is that why we became righteous?

Abraham was justified before circumcision

Genesis 15, and Genesis 17.  Abraham was justified as righteous before circumcision.  But in chapter 17, he was circumcised.  So it says in Galatians, the time is 14 years.  He was justified as righteous and after 14 years was circumcised.  So Jews say must be baptized, circumcised, and at the temple give offering.  And he is saying we are not justified as righteous because of circumcision.

This was really important critical part of faith.  The ritual that we made, if we say were saved by that, then the love of God is hidden.  So Paul, he couldn’t give up on this.

This is something that he couldn’t compromise.  If he backs up on this point, then the meaning of the gospel will be faded away.  So that you are justified as righteous by circumcision is not true.

It’s not a story of 2000 years ago.  Luther, Calvin in 16^th century reformists. Luther started in 1517.  16^th century, he fought against catholic church, which became secular and whose teaching was far from Gospel.  This is what Paul emphasized.

He did not know where he was going

Abraham became righteous not by action or deed.  When God asked him to leave and go to the land I will show you.  And he followed the word of God. Hebrew 11:8, By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

In church of Jesus Christ in, this kind of thing can happen. And  then the Gospel is hidden.  This is an important message.  When this is distorted, and when we misunderstand this, the faith deviates. Our faith become Human centered, always we become tired and frustrated.  Because the right relation with God can’t be done, you can’t have right relation with man either.

Chapter 4:9-10

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!

Circumcision came out.  The wrong teaching entered the early church and attacked the Godspel. They insisted that after you are circumcised, then you can become a Christian. When gentiles came in, Jerusalem church made sure people came in circumcised.  But Paul didn’t accept this teaching. He resisted this wrong teaching. He says that act, the human act does not save us.  Because of the grace of God having mercy on us, I have become myself.

Corinthians 15:10 by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of.

If all these human things enter the church, when the condition are added and when people say that we are saved because of those things, it becomes frustrating.  This crisis of faith can in many forms come to us.

Contrast of Peter and Jesus

So when do we struggle?  Peter was a great person. He had a decision to follow the Lord to the death, he tried to protect Jesus and fight for him when Judas brought the fearsome temple guard to arrest Jesus. First, he was courageous to cut off the chief Priest’s slave’s ear. But for his courage and decision were all self centered, they all collapsed at once before the threat of death.

How about Jesus, look at his Gethsemane prayer?  In the beginning, Peter was so powerful and bold and declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” How he looks so great and powerful! He looks never betray Jesus. But later how was Peter? How did he change? He became so weak.

On the other hand, Jesus was crying sadly, Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

He stayed two more days

In John 11, Mary and Martha’s brother was sick and they sent a man to bring Jesus to their village Bethany. Jesus heard that Their brother Lazarus was sick, he did not go to their house right away, instead, he stayed two more days. And when Jesus arrived, Lazarus died and already was in a tomb.  So their thinking, if Jesus came sooner, their brother would not have died.  Then Jesus mourned and what he said was the one who believes in me will live even when dead.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. 

In Jesus there is no death.  He had the faith that God can even make the dead alive.  It’s impossible in man, but possible in God.  With man impossible, but with God possible.  Mary truly loved the Lord.  But faith, hope and love these are the strength and the power of life that overcomes death.  The strongest is love.  But the first is faith.

Romans 4:11-12.

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Let us look at verse 18. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Even though he didn’t know where he was going, he went following promise.  Our faith is like that.  We can’t know everything.  There are many paths we take without knowing.  There are many paths that can’t be known without faith.  This is when we look at the ancestor of faith.

When he was 99, he received the promise.  And at 100 years old, God takes Abraham. And tells him to look at the sky.  He said, God what is this?  Just like stars in the sky, so your offspring will be.  Up to 99 years old, he didn’t have a son.  So thinking promises of God, think about what kind of promise it is.  how can you believe the promise? But God is unchanging.

There is a time difference when he fulfills

You pray to God, God listens to everything. But there is a time difference when he fulfills.  Prayer is something very scary.  When I had difficulty, there was a time God let me hear prayer I did when I was young.  I was thinking carefully, and in my tears and runny nose all mix.  That kind of prayer.

Through that experience, I realized that God listens to all our prayers.  When he fulfills it, it is up to him.

God is the faithful God.  He listens to all our prayers, and makes them all come true.  In Abraham, they had this kind of faith.  Abraham faith didn’t weaken.  You remember laughter of Sarah. She is saying that it is impossible.  But God changes it as possible in faith.  So he received a son.  But son he received, he says burn him and give as burnt offering. What is the faith of Abraham?  He can’t understand or analyze why God is doing this.  But the faithful God, the one who leads me to the good place.  There must be a will that only he knows.

This, with knowledge or reasoning, you can’t do that, but with faith you can overcome.  Abraham was able to overcome with faith.  Abraham giving Isaac is harder than giving himself.  But when we truly give, God can fill us up.

Faith is what overcomes death

The power of faith is what overcomes death.  That is why carried the harsh cross.  But Peter, he trembled and feared, that is why.  Since we are looking at Romans, it says we gain salvation by faith. Faith giving salvation, but it was from before, from Abraham. The life by faith. It is also for us.