As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:
1Therefore what will we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to [the] flesh, has found? 2For, if Abraham was justified out of works, he has a boast, but not toward God. 3For what does the Scripture say? “But Abraham believed God and He counted [it] to him into righteousness,” 4but the reward [given] to one working is not counted according to grace but according to debt, 5but the faith of him is counted into righteousness, to one not working but believing upon the One justifying the ungodly, 6just as David also speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God counts righteousness without works: 7“Blessed ones [are those] of whom the lawlessnesses are forgiven and of whom the trespasses are covered.” 8“Blessed [is] the man of whom [the] Lord absolutely should not count sin.”
The first three chapters of Romans were concluded with Paul’s statement in 3:28, “Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” Paul next spends essentially an entire chapter answering the question, “But what about Abraham?” This is a question he had to address, especially when a huge part of the church at that time were Jews—Jews who for the most part believed and taught that Abraham was justified by his works and that only Jews could be saved (or Gentiles who willingly became Jews).
I confess that, as I have studied this, I find it difficult somehow to keep focused. In my own soul, it feels like this is so obvious (that we are saved by faith, not works, that the Gospel is for us Gentiles too) that I just want to move on and get to something more helpful to me personally. Essentially I’m saying, “I already know this,” which I acknowledge is a very, very dangerous attitude to take toward Scripture. It usually means there is something huge I’m missing. However, as I’ve tried to keep my heart open and let the Lord teach me, that sense just doesn’t go away. I studied through the book of Galatians over ten years ago and I feel like there, this whole faith/works thing really finally made total sense to me.
So it seems like I’m re-hashing those same truths. However, I do want to study through this incredible book of Romans, even if I have to work through sections of truth with which I feel I’m already familiar. One thing that often happens is that the Lord opens my eyes finally to see what I’m missing even as I’m typing this blog. It has happened a number of times that I conclude my studies feeling like I’m not quite sure what to do with it all, but as I wander into typing what I do see, suddenly something jumps off the page at me. So, for whatever it’s worth, here’s my thoughts rising out of these first eight verses of chapter four:
People often argue that this passage is in direct conflict with James 2:20-24 which discusses Abraham and then says in verse 24, “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” Romans 4:5 seems to say the opposite, “However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” The key difference between these two passages is the question, “In whose sight?” In Romans 4:2, it says, “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God.” In James, he says, “You see…” Therein is the difference in the two contexts. In Romans, the “justification” is coming from God and concerns the matter of our eternal salvation. In James, he is concerned about people who claim to have been saved, but then bear no fruit. To “justify” of course means to “declare righteous.” From what “you see,” it is hard to declare someone righteous when their life doesn’t show it. So the two passages are looking at “justification” from two completely different perspectives—one from God concerning the entirely invisible work of redeeming us fallen sinners, the other from what the rest of us can conclude from what we see of a person’s life. Jesus, of course, said exactly the same thing—on the one hand, “He who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47), and on the other hand, “By their works, you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16). Salvation itself is a matter of believing, but those who do believe will live changed lives. Frankly, if we’re reading our Bibles practically, I think all of this is obvious. I only mention it because it has historically been a matter of considerable debate, at least between people who are not necessarily trying to be practical.
Something I did learn from my study—I’ve always wondered how the quotations from David support the idea of justification by faith alone. After showing that Abraham was justified by his faith and not by his works, Paul quotes David, “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven…” It has always seemed to me like that leaves open the question of how they’re forgiven. Of course, we’re blessed if we are, but it seems like someone could suggest that somehow they get forgiven by what they do—like going to Mass, or doing penance, or whatever. However, what no one seems to acknowledge is this: If you want to be justified by what you do, then you are proposing that God should evaluate you according to your works. But what about your sins? The whole reason we’re talking about forgiveness is that you’ve already sinned. Your “works” have already condemned you. Forgiveness from God has to be entirely a gift of grace granted on some basis other than our works, and, praise God, it is by faith.
In a sense, verses 1-5 are the front door, considering our “good” works, while verses 6-8 are the back door, “Yeah, but what about our sins?” If someone doesn’t like verses 1-5 and demands to be evaluated on the basis of what they’ve done, verses 6-8 would remind them, “Oh, yeah. There is this small matter of your sins.” You may have done some good for which you think you deserve God’s favor, but what will you do about your sins? David is saying of people who already know they’ve failed, “Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven” or “Blessed are those whom God knows of their failure and yet still grants them forgiveness.” And so we see that these “blessed” persons are very specifically not being judged according to their works. They are proof that, in fact, “The just shall live by faith.”
Then I want to go a totally different direction. If someone wants a verse by verse commentary on this passage, there is a seemingly endless stream of commentaries on the book of Romans they can consult, including this passage here in Romans 4. What I want to do rather is step back and see a much, much bigger picture of what this passage is teaching. The issue before us actually goes far beyond just the matter of salvation. That is the greatest thing I feel I’m learning from Romans—that the Gospel itself reaches far, far beyond salvation itself. It isn’t just a set of truths about how to be saved. It is the Truth. Within the truths of the Gospel, we will find the very Truth about which the entire universe spins. To miss the Gospel is literally to miss the most basic truths of our existence. In the Gospel, we learn who God is and who we are. We learn what is the problem with all of us and what to do about it.
I think what I want to point out is profound truth for us to live by. We’ll see if this croaking toad can present it so anyone else can see it.
In the big scheme of things, what the Gospel teaches us is that grace is better than obligation. Now I’m not just talking about salvation. I’m talking about an all-day, everyday truth to live by. To live a life of grace, in general, is a far better way to live your life than by obligation. Consider the truth from here in Romans 4: “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” So, God, in His relationship with you, would rather you enter into a personal, trusting relationship with Him, than to somehow “rack up points” that you think will ultimately get you accepted. He’d rather grant you a free gracious salvation (at infinite personal cost to Himself, by the way), so that you could enter into a relationship with Him wherein you do what you do because you love Him, not because you’re trying to “earn” anything.
Now what I want to suggest is that this “model” of relationships goes far beyond your salvation. Again, the Truth of the Gospel actually informs the totality of our human existence. Consider what Joseph Parker said (ca. 1890) in The People’s Bible: “Faith lives on God, and in God, and with God, and in a sense faith is God. Faith is more largely rewarded than law. You can pay law, you cannot pay faith; you can pay a servant, you cannot pay a friend; you can pay for legal advice, you never can pay for fellow-suffering, deep, tender, night-and-day sympathy; you can even pay the doctor, but you cannot pay the mother.”
“You can even pay the doctor, but you cannot pay the mother.” There it is in a nutshell. You can pay a doctor to “fix” you, but he may very well do it only because he wants your money. I am reminded of the doctor who performed a particular surgery on me which was life-changing. He really helped me—but his bedside manner was nothing but a man in a hurry. He couldn’t care less about me. I was just another pocket to pick. The doctor who did Joan’s back surgery did a fabulous job—almost instantly relieving her of terrible sciatica—but he was about as close as I’ve come in years to punching someone in the face. He was a rude, arrogant man. On the other hand, we’ve all had doctors that were decent people, who acted like they did care—and here’s my point: but none of them can compare to a mother.
And why is that? Because a mother loves for no other reason than love itself. In a mother’s world, there is not even the thought that she’ll get anything in return. It is pure grace that moves her to change the baby’s stinky diaper, to prepare the bottle to just the right temperature, to make sure the child’s hair is combed and their clothes are clean. We have today the “Cracker Barrel” restaurants that supposedly offer “country” cooking. That is nice and I certainly enjoy eating there. It definitely brings back memories of growing up and my mom’s cooking and Grandma Bumbles’, of farm wives’ and almost anyone else’s grandma’s cooking. However, at Cracker Barrel, I’ve noticed for years there’s always just some little element that is “missing.” It finally hit me one day what it is: love. Moms and grandmas not only cooked the food according to whatever recipe, but while they were doing it, it was love that moved their hands. Every ingredient was added with love and then, invariably, they had some little trick, some little “special” they’d throw in, like a teaspoon of brown sugar or a glop of sour cream. When they set it on the table in front of you, it was the most heavenly, delicious food you ever put in your mouth, but I will maintain to the end, what gave it that little extra “punch” of deliciousness was love.
What I want to suggest then, is that, even if you are “working for wages,” it is a far, far better life, far more fulfilling for you and far more beneficial to the world around you, if you strive to do your job out of grace and not debt. Even though the doctor is being paid, he can still do what he does because he sincerely cares, and the same goes for you and me. The “caring” is a grace that must come from within us. People can pay you to work, they cannot pay you enough to make you care. But, even at work, it is the caring that makes your life worth living. Even if there is “obligation,” yet it is the relationship that matters.
Any why is this? Because it is the truth of the Gospel that informs our reality. God doesn’t want to reward you because He somehow “owes” it to you. He wants you to let Him love you just because He does.
And I want to take this a step further. What effect does that have on you and me? How does it affect you to experience God’s love as a total grace gift? How does it affect you to grasp that He cares for you? I hope anyone reading this knows what I mean. It totally transforms me. I almost can’t help but love Him in return. When I grasp His gracious love for me, even His Law is no longer a law. To me now it is simply an expression of the heart of this One who loves me. I actually want to serve Him. I want to study the Bible, not to figure out the rules or gain Heaven points, but precisely because I want to know Him. I want to know more of this One who loves me and gave His only Son for me.
Do you see what is happening? He loves us with a gracious love and what does it produce? More love. It moves us to love Him in return. How does it affect you when it is obvious your doctor does care? Your mechanic? Your realtor? The cashier at the grocery store? Your teacher? Does it not draw you into a love relationship with that person? We’ve all had waitresses who just “did their job” and then the ones who really do seem to care and do a fabulous job of serving us. I try to give good tips to the poor girls even if they’re lousy waitresses, but, for the ones who are marvelous, I find myself wanting to leave them a big tip. Why? Because I want to share back to them the love they’ve shown to me.
Well, there it is.
I hope that makes sense to you. It is far better to pattern your life according to God’s model, the model of grace, than to drudge through your days fulfilling “obligations.” Jesus’ entire life was lived for no other reason than to love. May we hear His words, “Go and do thou likewise.”
One last time—it just floors me how the simple truth of the Gospel actually informs the very core of our human existence. By entering fully and enthusiastically into an active and deliberate love relationship with God, we are actually being transformed into the very people we were created to be—not just in some sense of “religion” but in the totality of who we are all day every day.
Yes.
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