Paul's Epistle to the Romans — page 13

such”. The Greek word is “logizomai”, and it is used eleven times in this passage. (Unfortunately, the KJV does not always translate the word as “reckoned”. Sometimes it is translated as “counted” or “imputed”). In each of the eleven references found in the chapter, it is always God who reckons. This is important to note; the subject here is God’s reckoning – not the believer’s. We are “made righteous” in the mind of God (chap. 5:19). (In chapter 6:11, the believer will be called to “reckon” himself in relation to certain facts that Paul sets forth in that passage, but here in chapter 4, the subject is God’s reckoning). Thus, “the righteousness of faith” is a divine reckoning in relation to the believer. It has to do with what takes place in the mind of God in connection with the person who believes. It has nothing to do with the believer’s thoughts and feelings about his justification. A common mistake of new believers is to look within themselves for certain feelings that they think should correspond with the fact of being saved. The problem with this kind of introspection is that, when the believer does not feel as he thinks he should feel, he can be led to doubt and discouragement, and sometimes fear that he was never truly saved.

To be reckoned righteous does not mean that God makes the ungodly sinner a righteous and godly person, but that He has or considers the believing sinner to be thus righteous, in His thought or evaluation. W. Scott said: “It is simply to have or to consider someone as righteous... a man who in himself is wrong is counted right” (Doctrinal Summaries p. 15). Thus, Paul, in presenting the gospel, brings us first the Godward side of the believer’s justification. This is important; the believer needs to know how God sees him in order to have a solid assurance.

David

Chap. 4:6-8 – We see the same principle of faith in the example of David. In his case, it was in relation to his sins. God said to him, through the prophet Nathan: “The Lord also has put away [made to pass – TB] your sin” (2 Sam. 12:13). David believed the Word of God and went on to write Psalm 32, which Paul quotes: “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute [reckon – JND] sin”.

David speaks of his “iniquities” being “forgiven” and his “sins” as being “covered”. Iniquities are the evil intentions behind the sinful acts that we commit (Ps. 41:6, 66:18, 78:37-38; Isa. 32:6, 54:17; Matt. 23:28; Acts 8:22-23). Thus, it is wonderful to see that, in blessing the believing sinner, God deals with his whole case – from the conception of his evil intentions to his evil acts. He not only deals with his sins, He also forgives his evil intentions! (Heb. 10:17) As mentioned earlier, since redemption has now been accomplished and the Spirit of God has been sent from heaven to dwell in the believer, forgiveness in Christianity goes beyond what the Old Testament saints knew – which for them was something purely governmental. They lived in fear of their sins being visited by God in judgment (Ps. 25:7, etc.), but in Christianity, we have a purified conscience in connection with our sins that have been forgiven, something they did not have (Heb. 9:14, 10:2).

Furthermore, from David’s perspective, having lived before the cross, he only knew about sins being covered – that is, kept in suspense for another year, as the Day of Atonement indicates (Lev. 16). Today, with the work of Christ having been accomplished, we have a fuller revelation through the gospel regarding what God has done with our sins. We know that our sins have been eternally “forgiven” (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38, 5:31, 10:43, 13:38, 26:18; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:22; 1 John 2:12), “annulled [taken away – JND]” (Heb. 9:26) and “taken away” (1 John 3:5). Paul is not quoting this Psalm to show that our sins are covered, but to teach us the result of believing the Word of God. It not only gives us assurance of someone’s justification, but also makes the believer a “blessed” (happy) soul. And this is all the result of believing the Word of God. This is essential for the believer’s assurance of his justification. In establishing this, Paul is building toward it, as we will see in verses 24-25.

Thus, the Old Testament affirms that God reckons men righteous by faith “without works”, but the New Testament shows how He does so

• by the righteousness of God. It is important to understand the doctrinal meaning of the

argument that Paul is setting forth here. Righteousness is not reckoned to those who try to work for it – for example, by doing good works, but to those who believe in God.

The Righteousness of Faith – Not By Rites

Ch. 4:9-12 – Paul goes on to speak of the rite of circumcision. Does it have any merit before God with regard to being considered righteous? And can uncircumcised Gentiles be considered righteous without being circumcised? To answer this, Paul appeals to Abraham again. When was he considered righteous? Was it when he was uncircumcised or when he was circumcised? He answers this by stating: "Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision". Thus Scripture records that Abraham was considered righteous while he was still on uncircumcised Gentile ground. He "received the sign of circumcision" in his body as a "seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had" 13 years earlier! This shows that his circumcision had nothing to do with his being considered righteous by God. Abraham is, therefore, a proof of the possibility that "also righteousness might be imputed to them" [the Gentiles] (TB). Thus, uncircumcised Gentiles can be considered righteous by faith, just as circumcised Jews are. In establishing this point, Paul shows that Abraham is indeed the "father of all who believe, even though they are also in uncircumcision" (v. 11).

Paul makes it clear that Abraham is indeed the "father of circumcision, of those who are not only of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision" (v. 12). He, of course, is not speaking of Abraham's fatherhood in a literal sense, but in a spiritual sense. Paul has already shown in chapter 2:28-29 that those who are of Abraham's descendants, and have outwardly the "sign of circumcision" in their bodies, are the seed of Abraham (as descendants), but if they do not have Abraham's faith, they are not his children (spiritually). Therefore, all (including the Gentiles) who walk "in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham" have him as their father spiritually.

Again, it is important that we not lose the doctrinal point being emphasized here. Paul has shown that the rite of circumcision cannot give a person a righteous standing before God. But the principle he established about the rite of circumcision applies to all religious rites and ordinances of any kind – Jewish or Christian. Whether circumcision, baptism, the sacraments, confirmation vows, etc. – anything outward that can be done in the name of religion – none of it will make a person deserve that God consider him righteous. Paul's argument is clear and simple – a person is only considered righteous on the principle of faith.

The Righteousness of Faith – Not By Keeping Law

Ch. 4:13-16 – Paul goes on to speak of the Law. Does keeping it have any merit so that God considers a person righteous? Paul answers this question by stating that "the promise that" (Abraham) "he should be heir of the world" was not "through the Law..., but through the righteousness of faith". The proof of this is that the Law was not given until about 430 years after Abraham was considered righteous! The Law, therefore, had nothing to do with it. (The exact expression, "the heir of the world" (JND), is not found in the Old Testament, but the truth of it is in Genesis 17:5). Note also, God did not say to Abraham: "I will make you a father of many nations." He said: "I have made you...". Thus, He declared it as an accomplished fact and Abraham believed God concerning this.

Paul gives additional proof that obedience to the Law could have nothing to do with Abraham's blessing (and that of his children) as "the heir of the world". He states that if the blessing could be inherited on the basis of obedience to the Law, then "faith" would be "vain" and the "promise" would be "made of no effect" (v. 14 – TB). That is, there would be no need for faith, and also no one would ever inherit the promise, because no one (except Christ) can keep the Law! On that basis, the blessing promised to Abraham concerning his posterity would never reach them; Abraham's children would never receive the blessing. Furthermore, if the blessing flowed from the principle of obedience to the Law, since God knew, even before He had given the Law, that no one would be able to keep it, He could be accused of making a promise that He would not need to keep! Thus, He would have made a useless promise to Abraham. This cannot be so, because it places our True and Faithful God in a dark situation and questions His character. Paul then speaks of what the Law does when it is not fulfilled. He says: "the Law works wrath" (v. 15). That is, it cursed the person who was under its obligations, who did not perfectly meet its demands. It could not bless, but it could curse! As Paul had said in chapter 3:20: "for by the Law comes the knowledge of sin". Its purpose is to make people know beyond any doubt that they are sinners. The Law magnified sin by giving it the specific character of "transgression", turning the sins men commit into intentional violations of the Law. Thus, the Law only increased a person's guilt, showing men their true sinfulness.

Paul concludes: "Therefore," (the blessing) "it is of faith, that it might be according to grace – JND" (v. 16). The promised blessing was given on the principle of sovereign grace, and will reach Abraham's children by sovereign grace. The promised blessing originated from the goodness of God's heart and will be delivered by His grace – man's performance has nothing to do with it. The legal system and the principle of grace are in fact totally opposed; grace is by faith and is a matter of believing; obedience to the Law is a matter of doing.

Paul, therefore, concludes that Abraham is indeed "the father of us all" (v. 16). This is so, not because of the Law, but because of faith – regardless of whether a person is Jewish or Gentile.

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Therefore, up to this point in chapter 4, Paul has shown that: