Romans 4:1-25

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

June 2, 2012


 *From: ROMANS #6 - 4:1-25)*


 H. 4:1-25 A HISTORICAL PICTURE HOW FAITH JUSTIFIES

1. 4:1-8 HOW ABRAHAM & DAVID BECAME RIGHTEOUS

a. 4:1* What then shall we say that Abraham, *

Ti oun eROUmen heu-r*e*KEnai [2147] A-braAM,

*our :forefather, according to the flesh, has found?*

ton proPAto-ra [3962] h*e*M*O*N, kaTA SARka?


 b.4:2* For if Abraham was justified by works, he has whereof to glory; but
not toward God.*

ei gar A-braAM ex ERg*o*n e-di-kai*O*th*e* [1344], Echei KAUch*e*-ma [2745];
all' ou pros TheON.


 c. 4:3a* For what says the scripture?** *ti gar h*e* graPH*E* LEgei?


 d. 4:3b* And he - Abraham - believed :God, and it was reckoned to him for
righteousness.*

E-PI-steu-sen de - A-braAM - t*o* The*O*, kai e-loGISth*e* [3049]
auT*O*eis di-kai-oSUn
*e*n [1343].


 e. 4:4* Now to him that works, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but
as of debt.*

t*o* de er-ga-oMEn*o*, ho misTHOS ou loGIze-tai kaTA CHArin, alLA kaTA
oPHEIl*e*-ma [3783].


 f. 4:5 FAITH IN THE JUSTIFIER: THE BASIS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

*But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly
one, *

t*o* de m*e* er-ga-zoMEn*o*, pisTEUon-ti de ePI ton di-kaiOUNta [1344] ton
a-seB*E* [765],

*his :faith is reckoned for righteousness.*

loGIze-tai h*e* PIstis auTOU eis di-kai-oSUn*e*n.


 g. 4:6-7 DAVID FORESAW GOD'S METHOD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

*Even as David also pronounces :blessing upon the man, *

kaTHAper kai DauID LEgei ton ma-ka-risMON [3107] tou anTHR*O*pou,

*to whom :God reckons righteousness apart from works, *7* saying*

h*o* ho TheOS loGIze-tai di-kai-oSUn*e*n ch*o*RIS ERg*o*n,

*Blessed they whose :iniquities are forgiven, And whose :sins are covered.*

MaKAri-oi h*o*n aPHEth*e*-san [863] hai a-noMIai, kai h*o*n
e-pe-kaLUPHth*e*-san
[1943] hai ha-marTIai.


 h. 4:8 * Blessed the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.*

maKAri-os aN*E*R hou ou m*e* loGIs*e*-tai KUri-os ha-marTIan.


 2. 4:9-12 CIRCUMCISION IS A SEAL THAT FOLLOWS TRUE FAITH

a. 4:9 ABRAHAM'S JUSTIFICATION AS IT RELATES TO TIME OF CIRCUMCISION

*Is this :blessing therefore upon the circumcision,*

ho ma-ka-risMOS oun HOUtos ePI t*e*n pe-ri-toM*E*N [4061],

*or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say,*

*e* kai ePI t*e*n a-kro-busTIan [203]? LEgo-men gar,

*To :Abraham the faith was reckoned for righteousness.*

E-loGISth*e* t*o* A-braAM h*e* PIstis eis di-kai-oSUn*e*n.


 b. 4:10a* How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in
uncircumcision?*

p*o*s oun e-loGISth*e*? en pe-ri-toM*E* ONti, *e* en a-kro-busTIa?


 c. 4:10b-12 CIRCUMCISION: A SEAL THAT FOLLOWS TRUE FAITH

*Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision: *11* and he received a sign of
circumcision,*

ouk en pe-ri-toM*E*, all' en a-kro-busTIa: kai s*e*MEIon [4592] Ela-ben
pe-ri-toM*E*S,

*a seal of the righteousness of the faith which was through the
uncircumcision:*

sphraGIda [4973] t*e*s di-kai-oSUn*e*s t*e*s PIste-*o*s t*e*s en
t*e*a-kro-busTIa:

*that he be father of all them that believe, through uncircumcision,*

eis to EInai auTON paTEra PANt*o*n t*o*n pi-steuONt*o*n, di' a-kro-busTIas,

*that the righteousness might be reckoned to them;*

eis to lo-gisTH*E*nai auTOIS t*e*n di-kai-oSUn*e*n;

12* and father of circumcision to them who not only are of circumcision,*

kai paTEra pe-ri-toM*E*S tois ouk ek pe-ri-toM*E*S MOnon,

*but who also walk in the steps*

alLA kai tois stoiCHOUsin [4748] tois ICHne-sin [2487]

*of our :father Abraham's :faith which he had in uncircumcision.*

t*e*s en a-kro-busTIa PIste-*o*s tou paTROS h*e*M*O*N A-braAM.


 3. 4:13-15 THE CONTRAST OF LAW AND FAITH

a. 4:13 ABRAHAM'S FAITH: PRECEDED THE GIVING OF LAW

*For not through law was the promise to :Abraham*

Ou gar diA NOmou h*e* e-pag-geLIa [1860] t*o* A-braAM

*or to his :seed that he should be heir of the world,*

*e* t*o* SPERma-ti [4690] auTOU to kl*e*-roNOmon [2818 auTON EInai KOSmou,

*but through righteousness of faith.*

alLA diA di-kai-oSUn*e*s PIste-*o*s.


 b. 4:14-15 LAW AND FAITH: MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE

*For if they of the law are heirs, the faith is made empty and the promise
is made void:*

ei gar hoi ek NOmou kl*e*-roNOmoi, keKEn*o*-tai [2758] h*e* PIstis kai kaT*E
*Rg*e*-tai h*e* e-pag-geLIa:

15* for the law works wrath; but where no law is, neither is transgression.*

ho gar NOmos orG*E*N ka-terGAze-tai [2716]; hou de ouk EStin NOmos, ouDE
paRAba-sis [3847].


 4. 4:16-22 ABRAHAM: AN EXAMPLE OF HOW FAITH ACTS

a. 4:16-17 FAITH'S BASIS

*For this cause it is of faith, that it be according to grace;*

DiA TOUto ek PIste-*o*s, HIna kaTA CHArin;

*to the end that the promise be sure to all the seed;*

eis to EInai beBAIan [949] t*e*n e-pag-geLIan panTI t*o* SPERma-ti;

*not to that only of the law, but to that also*

ou t*o* ek tou NOmou MOnon, alLA kai t*o*

*which is **of Abraham's faith (who is father of us all *17* as it is
written [that],*

ek PIste-*o*s A-braAM (HOS es-tin paT*E*R PANt*o*n h*e*M*O*N kaTH*O*S
GEgrap-tai, [HOti],

*I have made you father of many nations), before him whom he believed, God,*

PaTEra polLON ethNON TEtheiKA [5087] se), kaTEnan-ti hou ePIsteu-sen, TheOU,

*who makes alive the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though
they are.*

tou z*o*-o-poiOUNtos [2227] tous neKROUS [3498], kai kaLOUNtos [2227] ta m*e
* ONta, h*o*s ONta.


 b. 4:18 FAITH'S BATTLE

*Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he become father of
many nations,*

hos par elPIda ep' elPIdi ePIsteu-sen, eis to geNESthai auTON paTEra polL*O*N
ethN*O*N,

*according to what had been spoken, So shall your :seed be.*

kaTA to ei-r*e*MEnon, HOUt*o*s EStai to SPERma [4690] sou.


 c. 4:19-21 FAITH'S METHOD

*And without weakening in the faith he considered his own :body*

kai m*e* as-theN*E*sas [770] t*e* PIstei ka-teNO*e*-sen [2657] to he-auTOU S
*O*ma

*now as good as dead (being about a hundred years old),*

*E*d*e* ne-ne-kr*o*MEnon [3499] (e-ka-ton-taEt*e*s pou huPARch*o*n),

*and the deadness of the womb of Sarah;*

kai t*e*n NEkr*o*-sin t*e*s M*E*tras [3388] SARras;

20* yet, looking unto the promise of :God, he doubted not through :unbelief,
*

eis de t*e*n e-pag-geLIan tou TheOU, ou di-eKRIth*e* [1252] t*e* a-pisTIa
[570],

*but waxed strong through :faith, giving glory to :God,*

alLA e-ne-du-naM*O*th*e* [1743] t*e* PIstei, dous DOxan t*o* The*O*,

21* and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to
perform.*

kai pl*e*-ro-pho-r*e*THEIS [4135] HOti ho eP*E*Ggel-tai, du-naTOS es-tin
kai poi*E*sai.


 d. 4:22* Wherefore also it was reckoned to him for righteousness.*

di' HO kai e-loGISth*e* auT*O* eis di-kai-oSUn*e*n.


 5. 4:23-25 EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM SET FORTH FOR US TO FOLLOW

*Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned to him;*

Ouk eGRAph*e* de di' auTON MOnon, HOti e-loGISth*e* auT*O*;

24* but for ours also, to whom it shall be reckoned,*

alLA kai di' h*e*MAS, hois MELlei loGIzes-thai,

*who believe on him that raised Jesus our :Lord from the dead,*

tois pisTEUou-sin ePI ton eGEIran-ta [1453] I*e*SOUN ton KUri-on h*e*M*O*N
ek neKR*O*N,

25* who was delivered up for our :trespasses, and was raised for our
:justification.*

hos pa-reDOth*e* diA ta pa-rapT*O*ma-ta [3900] h*e*M*O*N, kai *e*GERth*e*diA t
*e*n diKAI*o*-sin h*e*M*O*N.


 *NOTE**: *This is one of the richest portions of the first 4 chapters of
Romans - and one of *the most practical.* The Outline for 4:16-22 - “How
Faith Acts” - is from a sermon I heard W. J. Ern Baxter preach in 1944 in
Victoria BC. Look at it in this context:

*a. 4:16-17 - Faith's Basis*

*b. 4:18 - Faith's Battle*

*c. 4:19-21 - Faith's Method*

*d. 4:22 - Faith's Result*


 Then look at the example of Abraham for *Faith's Battle*. Would he believe
his *sense* knowledge - or would he stick to what God's Word had said to
him - Faith's Basis? He chose the *latter*.


 Now see the steps in *the method* Abraham chose to exemplify faith in
God's Word, and how he let this triumph over the knowledge of the 5 senses:

*1. He didn't weaken in his faith.*

*2. He considered his body and realized the impossibility of fathering the
covenant child Isaac.*

*(He was 99, and impotent.)*

*3. He recognized Sarah was in the same situation.*

*4. Yet - he gazed steadfastly at what God had promised him - a child
through Sarah!*

*5. He refused to let doubt rise through unbelief.*

*6. He let his faith steadily grow!*

*7. He gave glory to God by praising and thanking Him before the answer
came to pass!*

*(Smith Wigglesworth and Billy Bray walked this same walk - not just a
talk!)*


 Then - Faith's Result. God looked down on Abraham, and counted his living
faith as “Righteousness!” - before the fulfillment of the promise! He had
become like God, who calls the things that are not, as if they *already are!
*


 E. W. Kenyon's 24 various books all acclaim triumphantly the above truth.
Of course he has been greatly maligned! Did not the Holy Spirit through
Paul say, “He that lives godly in Christ Jesus, *shall* suffer
persecution?” At least 3 books have been written against him. The enemy
Satan, the devil, doesn't want believers strengthening their faith through
this author of faith-fostering books! He died in the late 40's, at the same
time as Dr. Charles S. Price and Smith Wigglesworth.


 But Pastor Joe McIntyre felt the Holy Spirit motivating him to write a *
defense* for this man who was no longer here to* *defend himself. Joe's
book,* “**E. W. Kenyon: the **True** Story,” *is one of the finest
Apologetics and Defenses of* *a wrongly-maligned man I have read. Do a
Google-search on the *Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society <www.kenyons.org> *and
purchase this book. You will find yourself living in the reality of
Abraham's faith in Romans 4:16-22. *It works!* J.A.Watt



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