Romans 4 "Justification - By Wroks Or Faith?"

"What then shall we say, that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (vv.1-3)

The thought of justification by works (vs faith) begun in Romans 3:31 where Paul asks the question, “Does the idea of justification through faith, apart from the works of the law, make what God did in the Old Testament irrelevant?” 

In answering that question, Paul looks at Abraham, who was the most esteemed man among the Jewish people of his day – even greater than the “George Washington” of the American people. If anyone could be justified by works, they (or in this case he) would have something to boast about. Nevertheless such boasting is nothing before God. In other words, even if works could justify a man, he would in some way still fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

So, what does the Scripture say? The Old Testament does not say Abraham was declared righteous because of his works. Instead, Genesis 15:6 says, that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Paul makes it clear, it was a righteousness obtained through faith. Our justification is not God making us perfectly righteous, but counting us as perfectly righteous. After we are counted righteous, then God begins making us truly righteous, culminating at our resurrection. 

What makes Abraham's faith so exemplary? God called Abram to leave his homeland, friends, and family and move to a foreign land. He promised to bless Abram's posterity and honor him among nations (Genesis 12:1-3). At age 75 we can only imagine receiving this call upon our lives! But without hesitation, “Abram left, as the Lord had told him” (Gen.12:4).

Today's chapter also draws attention to the quality and motivation of his faith. It paints a picture of persistent, and ever-growing unbendable trust in God's power to fulfill His promises (vv.18-21). The character of God, on which Abraham waged his whole life, was specifically His creative, life-giving power. Abraham was, “fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (v. 21). Therefore, “it was credited to him as righteousness” (v.22).

Just as Abraham, so our faith is accounted for righteousness. It is not some special arrangement meant only for Abraham. We too can enter into this relationship with God...through faith. 

The Truth: “Therefore from one man (Abraham), and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude – innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore” - Hebrews 11:12. (because Abraham believed) 

Romans 3 “Jesus Paid It All”

“Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (vv. 22-24)

In Romans 3:21, Paul told us how this righteousness does not come. It does not come through the deeds of the law, it is apart from the law. Now Paul tells us how this saving righteousness does come. It is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. The righteousness of God is not ours by faith; it is ours through faith. We do not earn righteousness by our faith. We receive righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other way to obtain this righteousness. This righteousness is not earned through obedience to the law; it is a received righteousness, gained through faith in Jesus Christ.

Few things of value are inexpensive, and fewer still are free. But salvation—the most important gift of all—is free. Unlike anything of material value, salvation is of infinite value, and yet, it is free. As the hymn Elvina Hall wrote while sitting in a choir loft in a Methodist Church in 1865 reminds us, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him we owe.”

Scripture tells us no one can earn salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). And we know from our text we need only to believe in Jesus to receive His free gift of eternal life that God offers through His Son. The paradox here is, while salvation is free to us, its cost to God was great – the sacrificial death of His Son. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary.”

It is the cross of Christ that bridges the gap we could never cross on our own, and justifies us by His grace to stand before a Holy God, sanctified. It is the cross that unites us as one body of believers in which there is no difference; Jew or Greek, rich or poor, male or female, blue collar or white collar. And as believers, we are of one family, adopted sons and daughters of God through the purchase of Jesus Christ at Calvary, justified by faith in Him.

The Truth: “For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are His.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Romans 2 “Judge Not”

 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” (v.1)

The kind of judgement Paul is talking about here is a type of righteous condemnation. One that speaks of judging another for similar actions taken by the one who judges. That kind of judgment is wrong because we all sin. Therefore, sense all sin, none should judge, not even the chief of priests. For none is free from the condemnation of the law.

The apostle Paul, once a very strict Pharisee, came to realized he too was not above anyone, eventually seeing himself to be, "the chief” of all sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He knew the Lord had been patient and merciful to him, so he wanted to extend that same patience and mercy to others.

Today, if we take the time to see ourselves in others, we’ll see that Christ’s forgiveness does not reflect our superiority but God’s mercy. By overlooking the faults of others, we can take a big step towards overcoming our own. The apostle Paul said, "God will judge, and His judgement is according to truth" (v.2). 

As Dr. MeGee would so often say, "I'll just leave it right there."

The Truth: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2) 

Romans 1 “Salvation For All”

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” (v.16)

After a short greeting (v.1-7) and an explanation of his desire to have visited them sooner (v.13), Paul sets the tone of his letter to the Romans here in verse 16 concerning “the gospel” (good news) of Christ. The “good news” he presents to them without shame is, “the gospel of Christ contains the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” 

The key words being “everyone who believes.” Paul’s message of grace is so simple, that this is where many are vulnerable to error. We begin to think there is something else we should do, some works we should perform.   

Paul goes on to tell us in verse 17 that, “the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith” and that “the just should live by faith.” Therefore, faith is not only the starting point of salvation, but also the staying power as well. Meaning, once we as Christians have received Christ by faith, we walk through this life with Him in faith as well. 

The Christian life is not without “trials and tribulations.” But as Paul reminded the Galatians, “Having begun (your walk) in the Spirit, are you now perfected in your own flesh (knowledge)?” No! “For those who are in the flesh can not please God” (Romans 8:8) 

Therefore, Paul would say to us, “Walk ye in Him” (Colossians 2:6)

Acts 28 “Paul Spends Two Years In Rome”

 "Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.” (v.30-31)

Paul spent more than two years at Caesarea waiting for his case to be resolved (Acts 24:27). Now he spent another two years in his own rented house waiting for his case to be heard before Caesar. He probably continued his work as a tentmaker (leatherworker) to supply the rent for his house (as in Acts 18:1-2 and 20:33-35). Paul was always a hard-working man. 

We also read that, "He received all who came to him." One example of someone who he received in Rome was a convert of Paul’s, a runaway slave named Onesimus (Philemon 1:10), who Paul told to go back to his master Philemon. Though Paul could not travel, he could teach and preach to all who came to him – and this he did (Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence). He also wrote many letters; we have these two years of Roman custody to thank for the letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians, and the Colossians. These two years were obviously not wasted, and God didn’t waste Paul’s time in Rome. God never wastes our time, though we may waste it by not sensing His purpose for our lives at the moment.

As Paul came to Rome, the sea, the soldiers, and the snake all threatened his life. But God delivered him from them all. Through Paul, God shows that God’s man, fulfilling God’s will, cannot be stopped – though all kinds of difficulty may come in the way. Even the disbelief of some of the Jews – or anyone else’s rejection of Jesus – will not hinder the gospel. The gospel will go forth and find those who will believe.

Every story has an ending. But the great stories end with a new beginning. In the final chapter of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, the characters are invited “further up, further in” as the land of Narnia is restored. Lewis writes;

“The things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this, the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” (C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle)

Just as one adventure leads to another in the Narnia series, so Paul’s story is not over. Even though the book itself comes to an abrupt end, another story is about to begin. The Epistles are loaded with more chronicles, if you will, on the life and ministry of this faithful servant of God.

The Truth: His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (Matthew 25:21)

Acts 27 “Peace In The Storm”

 “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, Saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. However, we must run aground on a certain island.”(v.23-26)

Here in our text, God sent an angelic messenger to Paul to bring good, encouraging news when all else seemed hopeless. This wasn’t a direct appearance of Jesus (as in Jerusalem, Acts 23:11), but of an angel who said to Paul, "Do not be afraid. Indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you." 

There was a reason Paul needed to hear this. He was afraid in the storm, for both himself and those with him. Paul knew he would make it to Rome because God promised it. Yet in the storm (here, a literal storm) it was easy to doubt and Paul needed the assurance from God for the safety of everyone on the ship.

Paul then turns to all on board this sinking ship and says, "take heart, men. I believe God that it will be just as it was told me." He couldn’t keep this hope to himself. He had to pass it on to both the believers on board the ship and to those who had not yet believed. Paul’s confident word to the troubled sailors on a storm-tossed ship express the essence of what it means to put our faith in God and His Word. God said it to Paul (through an angel) and Paul said to everyone on board, “I believe God.”

Notice what Paul said here, “I believe God.” He didn’t say, “I believe in God.” Every demon in hell agrees with the existence of God. Paul declared his total confidence in God’s knowledge of his situation and His promise in his situation. Paul believed God when there was nothing else to believe. He couldn’t believe the sailors, the ship, the sails, the wind, the centurion, human ingenuity or anything else – only God. Paul’s unshakable confidence in God made him a leader among men, even though he was a prisoner of Rome.

Finally Paul says, "However, we must run aground on a certain island." This was mixed news, and in these circumstances to run aground might be fairly called to shipwreck. Paul essentially said, “We’re all going to shipwrecked on an unknown island, but everyone will be alright.” A certain island means that God did not tell Paul everything about what was going to happen. Paul had to trust that God knew which island they would run aground on, even if Paul didn’t know.


When the storms of life hit, we like Paul must place our trust in the Lord and cling firmly to the sure promises of His Word. Our confidence in God should be so steadfast that no matter how severe the trial, like Job we can affirm, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). 

The Truth: “To those who trust Him, He gives His "perfect peace" (Isaiah 26:3)

Acts 26 "Almost Persuaded"

 “Then King Agrippa said to Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian” (v.28)

In the previous chapter we saw that the Jews asked Festus for Paul to be returned to Jerusalem, so they might try him under Jewish Law. But Paul, being warned of a plot to kill him (while on the road to Jerusalem), requested of Festus to be judged by Caesar (25:11)

Now in chapter 26 Paul is still being held by Festus awaiting his audience before Caesar. Festus, wishing to have something to report to Caesar of Paul’s case, explained it to king Agrippa, who had come to Caesarea to visit saying; “When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him (Paul) of such things as I supposed, but had some questions against him about their own religion and about one, Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.”

Upon hearing this king Agrippa agreed to here Paul - who uses the opportunity not only to defend his position but to witness to all present testifying, “that Christ would be the first to rise from the dead” (v.23). King Agrippa upon hearing his testimony replied, “Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian” (v.28). However, king Agrippa then stood up and ended the proceedings (v.30).

By standing up, King Agrippa II was declaring that his part of the proceedings was over.  Paul would not testify any further on that particular day, before this minor king. Sadly though, by ending the proceedings, he was refusing to hear any more about the Lord. 

Jesus Christ died for kings, just like he did for you and me. He loves us no matter what our station in life is. Agrippa, was "almost" persuaded to receive the Lord but, “Almost” isn't enough. Because almost being a Christian means that one almost has eternal life and one almost would be delivered from the judgment of hell. The truth is, "No man can come to the father except he believes in Jesus Christ, God's only Son."

The Truth: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Acts 25 "The Passion Of Paul"

“I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” (v.10-11)

Acts 24 ended with Paul still in prison and a transition of the governorship from Antonius Felix to that of Porcius Festus. Felix was undoubtedly a bad man, but history tells us Festus was a basically good man. He governed well, despite all the problems left him by Felix. We can now see that Paul’s generous imprisonment in Caesarea was actually a providential provision of protective custody against the murderous intentions of the religious leaders. It was also a season of rest and replenishment after his years of hard missionary service, preparing him for the challenges in the years ahead.

Now here in chapter 25 we see that the case of Paul was still important to his accusers the religious leaders. They hoped to make Paul appear before them again in Jerusalem, knowing that Paul would be acquitted in any fair trial. Therefore, they requested Festus to summon Paul to Jerusalem. Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea: We don’t know if Festus knew the intentions of the Jewish leaders or not. Either way, he refused to grant their request for a change of venue, and this was another way that God protected Paul. Festus was willing to put Paul on trial again, to resolve the matter. Yet he insisted that it would happen in Caesarea, not in Jerusalem.

Though he was a good man, Festus also understood that it was important for him to have and keep a good relationship with the Jewish people of his province. Festus found it difficult to decide the case. Paul’s standing as a Roman citizen apparently prevented Festus from commanding the trial to be moved to Jerusalem, so he asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?" So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged…I appeal to Caesar.”

Passion is a powerful thing. When you are passionate about something, you have no issue being bold to support it. Paul was passionate about spreading the Gospel, and his boldness is evident here where he is on trial and could be sentenced to death, but because he believes in his actions and his purpose, he speaks boldly.

Paul’s passion for spreading Jesus’ message made him willing to face anything — even death. This kind of passion for the Gospel can change our communities (and eventually the world), one soul at a time. All we need to do is, exercise it.

The Truth: “And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:19-20)