Romans 4:1-15 – Faith > Works

What’s The Point?

We are looking at these larger passages of Scripture because Paul is making a case for the righteousness of believers from the Old Testament Scriptures.

Side note: It is a good practice to read whole books and chapters of Scripture. There are plenty of verses that tell us wonderful truths by themselves, but when we read them in light of the text that surrounds them, we can understand the message of the text more fully.

Romans 4 gives believers a simple truth that is so practical and something we should remind ourselves of. Faith is greater than works. Does that mean Paul is telling his Jewish readers that the law and the prophets mean nothing? Absolutely not. In fact, that is exactly what Paul is addressing, and he makes the argument that the law and prophets proclaimed this same truth—faith is greater than works.

The topic of circumcision comes up in this passage. Circumcision was a physical sign of the covenant that God made with Israel. The physical sign was the removal of the foreskin of the male reproductive organ. This seems strange, but it was a really big deal for Jewish people and a part of their identity. It signified that God had changed them and chosen them to be his holy people.

Everything Abraham received—the guarantee of a child, the promise of a great nation, the blessings, God’s righteousness—these were all received by faith. He received all of these promises before he was marked as the forefather of God’s chosen people. The promise of an heir, a nation, and a blessing all came when he was called Abram. This isn’t a blow to the Jewish people though; it is a blessing to the whole world. Paul is pointing to the fact that Abraham’s blessing is available to all through faith, not just the Jews through a common ancestor. But this was offensive to the Jewish people.

To fully understand the weight of this we must realize what it means for the Jewish people. They were God’s chosen people, and they had let that go to their heads. They assumed that they had God’s righteousness because of their identity as heirs of Abraham, but if all they have is hope in their ancestry then, “faith is null and the promise is void” (v. 15). This pride and arrogance is what Paul is addressing.

Paul shows that Abraham has no right to boast. He then cites David, another hero in Israel, making the same point in Psalm 32:1-2, that our blessing is not from our accomplishments; the blessings come from grace and forgiveness. It has to be this way. If we were redeemed because of our efforts we would never be redeemed because no amount of good works could pay the sin debt we owe or satisfy God’s wrath toward sin. It is only through faith in Christ that grace can be experienced and the promise of salvation guaranteed.

Scripture Memorization

Psalm 32:1–2

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

Prayer

Father God, we are so quick to forget that faith is greater than works. Even knowing the truth, we think we can “do enough” or “be enough” to deserve your grace. Remind us that your grace is given freely and not based on what we have to offer. For, if it was based on what we offered then we would never deserve anything but eternal punishment.

Thank you that your plan rests on the finished work of Jesus and not on my failing grasp at righteousness. I am blessed because you have forgiven me, removed my sin from me, and not counted my sins against me. You are good and kind beyond measure.

Reflection

1. Have there been instances where you have taken God’s grace for granted or times when you thought you deserved something from God?
2. In what ways has Christ’s work fulfilled the promises God gave to Abraham? How do these promises from Scripture apply to you?
3. We have done nothing to deserve God’s grace. Why then do we strive to do good works for the Lord if we cannot do anything to earn God’s favor? (Hint: James 2:14-26)

Discussion Questions

1. Israel assumed they deserved God’s blessing because they were his chosen people. In what ways have we in the Church done the same thing, assuming that God will bless us because we are his chosen people?
2. See if you can put Paul’s argument from Romans 4 into your own words.
3. In what ways does the Church’s attitude mirror Israel’s sense of entitlement? What is the best way to combat this attitude of deserving God’s grace?

If you have any questions feel free to reach out: harry@swoutfitters.com. All of the Scripture referenced in this study is from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.