Romans 4

Notes

Ver. 1-3. Nay, even our natural father Abraham, notwithstanding his circumcision and remarkable piety, had no ground to glory before God, as if his own works had contributed to his justification; for the Scripture expressly declares that he believed the promise of the Messiah as the price and mean of blessing to all nations; and that what he believed concerning him was graciously placed to his account, as if he had done and suffered what the Messiah would do and suffer in his stead. 4, 5. Now, it is plain that if a man fulfil the law himself, by his own personal good works, in order to justification, his acceptance with God and eternal happiness cannot properly be by grace, but what he has a claim to as his due wages by the covenant of works; but if, conscious of his utter inability to yield any acceptable obedience to the law as a covenant, he renounces all his own works, as to their being any part of his justifying righteousness, and by faith receives what is freely given to him in the gospel promises by that gracious God who justifies sinners through faith in Christ his Son, it is certainly that which he receives by faith which must be accounted to him for righteousness. 6-8. Accordingly the Holy Ghost, by David, has declared blessed, not the men who fulfil the law in their own persons, but the sinners to whom God, because of faith in his Son which he gave as our Savior, has freely, fully, and irrevocably forgiven all their sins, and whose persons he hath graciously accepted and entitled to eternal life. 9-12. It is no less manifest also that this privilege of free justification through faith alone belongs as much to the uncircumcised Gentiles as to the circumcised Jews; for what Abraham believed on was accounted to him for righteousness, not after, but long before he was circumcised; and many years afterwards he received circumcision, in order to mark the sinful corruption of his nature, distinguish him and his seed for the peculiar people of God, bind them to act answerably to this character, and to assure him of his being already a partaker of the blessed righteousness of the Messiah, and an heir of all the promised blessings of the new kingdom—all which tended, through the infinite wisdom of God, to render him a noble pattern of faith, an eminent example of free justification through it, and a distinguished mean of conveying spiritual benefits to all true believers in after ages, whether Gentiles or Jews. 13. For the promise, that he should be the renowned chief of the believing world, Jews and Gentiles; and in the Messiah, his promised seed, be the prime heir and possessor of the blessings of this world and of that which is to come, was given to him and his spiritual seed, not through any law, natural or ceremonial, or his personal obedience to it, but through the sacrifice of Christ which is received by faith. 14, 15. And indeed, if men could become heirs of such blessings by their own personal obedience to any law, natural or revealed, the doctrine of justification by faith, and the free promise of God, must be entirely set aside; but in our present degenerate state, the law of nature and revelation condemns every man to punishment, irritates our sinful corruption to acts of wickedness, and awakens our consciences to expect the eternal wrath of God, and that because of our transgressing his commands. 16, 17. It being therefore absolutely impossible that any man can be entitled to spiritual or eternal blessings by his obedience to the law, moral or ceremonial, God has wisely as well as graciously provided that they should be bestowed merely by infinite grace, and received by faith, that so his promises might, notwithstanding all our unworthiness and sinfulness, be absolutely certain and infallibly accomplished to all the truly believing seed of Abraham, who is constituted the common pattern of faith and mean of blessing to us all, Jews or Gentiles, who believe after his example, before that almighty Object of his faith who invigorates men's bodies, or raises them when dead, or even spiritually quickens men who are dead in trespasses and sins, and who, being anxious to produce them, speaks of things that are not with as much distinctness and certainty as if they actually existed. 18-21. In view of which, notwithstanding all the difficulties and high improbabilities arising from the condition of his own and his wife's body, Abraham was firmly confident, without any discernible doubts or staggerings of unbelief, that God, who had promised to make him the father of many nations, would certainly exert his almighty power in performing it. 22. And his faith, thus going out towards the Messiah, and receiving and resting upon him and his righteousness, that which he received and rested upon was accounted to him as his justifying righteousness before God. 23-25. Now the inspired account of this matter is transmitted to us, not chiefly to honour Abraham, but to direct and encourage us to believe that the very same righteousness which was credited to him for his justification shall in like manner be credited to us, if we truly and cordially trust in that same almighty and gracious God who, that we might be blessed in him with all his spiritual blessings, hath raised from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, who was, by himself and his Father, delivered up to servile obedience, sufferings, and death, to make atonement for our sins and secure our salvation, and was raised again to immortal life and glory, that he might become as our public Head and Representative, and that, in consequence hereof, we might, if we receive him, be delivered from condemnation, accepted into God's favour, and entitled to eternal life through the impartation of his sacrificial life to us in believing.

Ver. 11. That righteousness might be imputed unto them also. How can a sinner be made righteous? Paul answers, by faith in Christ. The doctrine of sacrifice being fundamental in truth, and most essential to the assurance of understanding (Col. 2.2), faith (He. 10. 22), and hope (He. 6.11), may be established by the three following steps of evidence:—(1) Some righteousness, whatever it may be, is imparted: see ver. 6, 11. (2) There is no human righteousness of any kind; see ch. 3. 10. (3) The only righteousness revealed in the gospel is the righteousness of God, ch. 1.17; 4. 22-24: therefore the conclusion is inevitable that the believer is justified by faith in Christ who fulfilled the righteous law. C.

Ver. 15. For where no law is, there is no transgression. Consequently, where 'transgression' is, there must be 'law.' But Jews and Gentiles have alike been proved guilty, ch. 3. 9, 22; therefore, under law—under wrath—and so, by law, not justified, but condemned. C.

Reflections.—The best of men can obtain nothing but emptiness by their own works. But justification through the obedience of Christ opens a door of hope to the most heinous transgressor who receives it by faith. This method at once delightfully secures the highest glory to God and happiness to every believer. And the death and resurrection of our Redeemer harmoniously concur to promote our full salvation and comfort. Here we have a sure foundation for the most unshaken faith in the promises of a faithful, almighty, and unchangeable God, notwithstanding all the obstructions and discouragements in ourselves or others which stand in the way of their fulfilment. And great is the mercy that now righteousness, grace, and salvation are extended to believing Gentiles equally as to Jews—as to Abraham; and that whatever is recorded concerning him or David, is granted to us, to encourage our faith and hope. And it is very necessary, for our instruction and comfort, everywhere in Scripture to observe accurately what relates to the justification of a sinner before God.