Conc=
erning
Justification, Romans 4 begins with a question: “What did Abraham =
find?” The word find implies seeking,
exploration, and experiential learning.&nb=
sp;
From Abraham’s perspective, his life after God’s calling=
was
a life of discovery about himself and about God. From God’s view, as de=
picted
by Paul in Romans 4, it was an exemplary life of faith.
Abra=
ham’s
history in Genesis (11-25) seems to show inconsistency. Abraham received God’s appea=
ring
and answered His call, though not always perfectly. He had bouts of wandering, weaknes=
s, and
doubt. His experience varied =
from
great acts of faith, to failure and “misconception” of what God
wanted. God’s promises =
needed
Abraham’s participation, but he often impeded God’s work.
Romans 4 shows us
God’s view, and indicates no inconsistency, only faith (cf Hebrews 11).
Here, God uses the lens of faith to view His believers. Abraham was justified, accounted
righteous, and received the promise through faith. This occurred apart from any work =
on his
part, while he was uncircumcised and apart from the law, leaving him no
boasting in himself.
In G=
od’s
eyes, Abraham became the father of faith, to Jews and Gentiles, through his
experiential faith that found God gives life to the dead and calls things n=
ot
being as being. Abraham had t=
o be
brought to his end, to consider himself dead, ut=
terly
incapable to fulfill God’s promise through human effort. Then, being beyond hope (in himsel=
f), he
believed in hope through God’s repeated appearing and speaking. Faith empowered him to not doubt
God’s faithfulness to deliver what He promised. Such faith was accounted to him as
righteousness.
This example was written for our sake, who believe on Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead=
. This Jesus died for our offenses a=
nd was
raised for our justification. So
today, our unrighteousness has been washed away, and our justification with=
God
is found in a living person, in whom we believe, and with whom we live day =
by
day.
God =
used
Abraham’s circumstances to train him in faith – showing his
incapacity, while revealing Himself as the all-sufficient God, able to fulf=
ill
everything He promised.
Abraham’s “failures” were necessary “steps of
that faith (12)” so that he would let go of himself and lay hold of
God. This is what Abraham fou=
nd
through experience. Therefore=
, it
is not that Abraham was “inconsistent,” rather he was learning =
to
live a life of faith.
We h=
ave much
in common with believing Abraham.
We have a justified position with God, eternally secure; through our
ongoing experience, however, we become justified dispo=
sitionally
in our living through faith. =
Then
God can fulfill more of His promise through us. Until we are beyond hope (in ourse=
lves),
we will not believe in hope, nor be able to follow Abraham’s steps of
faith. Failures and missteps =
are
merely training opportunities that teach us to yield to our Savior God. They remind us of who we are, who =
we are
not, and of our desperate need for God as our living faith. We therefore may “have life =
and
live by faith (1:27).
WILL YOU
NOT YIELD TO HIM?