Romans 4

Verses 1-8

• In the story or Abraham and in the words of David, in the Old Testament, we are told that we are made righteous and blessed by God when we believe and receive forgiveness freely from God. 

  • This shows that being saved through faith proves what the law has always said.

• ​Verse 4. One of the reasons why salvation must come through faith, rather than works, is because if salvation was earned through works, then it would be a wage owed to us. But salvation is a grace of God; it is given freely. Something that is free cannot also be earned, otherwise it is not a gift.
• Verse 5:
  • ​1. To believe is a decision of the heart. If you believe in Christ sincerely, you are declared righteous before you've done any works.
    • ​Works will naturally follow.
  • 2. To believe sincerely, we must not also think that some physical task must be completed before God will accept us. This is faith in self, not faith in God.
    • We are saved and accepted on the basis of what Christ has done. If we believe this and repent sincerely, then we will naturally begin obeying God as a result of salvation.

Verses 9-12

• We know that all kinds of people can be saved—not only circumcised Jews—because Abraham was saved before he was circumcised. If he was saved before he was circumcised, God is telling us that uncircumcised and non-Jewish people can be saved.

  • Everyone who is a person of faith is, spiritually, a descendant of Abraham. This makes Gentiles as much children of God as anyone else.

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• Again, the message of the Gospel is proven by what the Old Testament says.
  • This also proves that the physical act of baptism, alone, does not save us. Faith saves us, and we are baptized after we have believed (Acts 8:37).

Verses 13-15

• The Old Testament also teaches that we cannot be blessed by keeping the law. Why?

  • Abraham was saved (made righteous) before the law of Moses existed. And when the law of Moses came, it only brought death (2 Corinthians 3:6-7), which is far from a blessing.

    • Therefore, being saved must come from faith, not from trying to keep the law of Moses.

Verses 16-25

• If our salvation depends upon keeping the law, our salvation is not secure; since it is impossible to keep the law perfectly. Therefore, our salvation is made secure through a promise of God. And since it is a promise of God, it does not require our performance. It comes by grace, so it depends on God, not us.

• In addition, salvation through faith makes salvation accessible to all people. Having faith is possible for all people, so salvation is possible for all people. How Abraham was saved is exactly how we are saved—by faith.

• • Look at Abraham's life for an example of what it means to have faith.

    • Abraham trusted God's Word even though he didn't see physical evidence of it all yet.

    • If you will be saved and/or if you'll grow spiritually, you must trust God's Word above everything else.