Verses 1-3 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
The Jews who had the Law given to them believed that they were justified before God if they obeyed the Law most of the time or when it was convenient, and if they performed the religious rituals and kept the feast days. The Apostle Paul contradicts this belief. He continues from chapter 3 where he stated that a man could be justified without the deeds of the Law to show that it is not the keeping of the Law that makes one justified. The Gentiles in Rome did not have the Law given to them, so how could they be justified? In the same manner that the patriarch Abraham, who also did not have the Law, was justified: by faith. If Abraham had become great because of his own righteousness and works then he would have had the glory and God would not have had the glory. So Abraham, because of his faith in God, became a great man and was seen as righteous by God because of his faith, and not because of his works or because of any law. The Law was not given until the time of Moses. Abraham obeyed God without having the Law because he had faith. He believed God and that made him righteous. Therefore, Gentiles do not have to have the Law in order to be justified and seen as righteous by God Almighty. They simply have to believe God and have faith in Him. And since Jesus Christ is God manifested in the flesh, it is through faith in Jesus that one is justified.
Application: Notice that the Apostle Paul who is writing this epistle or letter to Gentile Roman Christians calls Abraham “our father”, thereby including the Christian Gentiles as spiritual descendants of Abraham. This is important because the Apostle Paul teaches in other epistles that the true Israel of today is the Church and not any race of people. The chosen ones or called out ones today are from all nations, tongues, and races. All true Christians are children of Abraham spiritually and are God’s chosen, plain and simple. “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:6-14
Verses 4-5 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
No one can work their way into Heaven. Good works should be done because of a desire to please the LORD and because a debt is owed to the LORD Jesus Christ who shed His blood for those who are called and chosen by Him to be His children. But justification comes from believing the LORD and having faith in Him and in His Word.
Verses 6-8 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
King David understood forgiveness as he sinned and was forgiven by God and called a man after God’s own heart. King David understood that he could do nothing without the help of the LORD and that it was God who attributed righteousness to him and not anything that he, David, did to earn that righteousness. He was blessed because the LORD forgave him his trespasses and sins.
Verses 9-10 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
The Apostle Paul, after using King David who was revered by the Jews as an example, asks if God’s blessings are only given to the circumcision which is another name for Jews? Do the uncircumcision, another name for Gentiles, also receive God’s blessings? The answer is that both Jew and Gentile can have the blessings of God and the proof is that Abraham was not only a Syrian by nationality but also uncircumcised at the time his faith resulted in being justified or declared righteous by the LORD God.
Verses 11-12 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
Application: The Greek word translated as “sign” is “semeion” and it means a sign, mark, token or that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and is known. This sign was technically a disfigurement of the foreskin of the male genital organ. As stated before, circumcision was simply a slitting of the foreskin and not a complete removal as is done today to male babies shortly after birth. This disfigurement marked Abraham and the male members of his family and resulted in the Hebrew men being distinguished from other men in the land in which the Hebrew people dwelt. Should a Hebrew man sexually assault a woman of a different race and culture, he could be easily identified.
The LORD God made a covenant with Abraham which was sealed by blood when he was circumcised. This circumcision was a seal or confirmation that Abraham was righteous before the LORD because of his faith and his belief in the promises of the LORD. He was promised to be the father of many nations, the father of those who would come to believe in the LORD Jesus Christ whether they were circumcised or not circumcised. His physical descendants became known as Israelites through the descendants of his eleven grandsons, and as Jews through the descendants of his grandson, Judah, but his spiritual descendants are all who by faith follow Jesus Christ and believe His promises. So the Apostle Paul was reinforcing the fact that the Roman Christians and all other Gentile Christians are not justified by God through the Law which included obedience to the act of circumcision, but through faith (a gift from God) in the LORD Jesus Christ and His redemptive sacrifice on the cross. Christians are covenanted with and sealed not by circumcision but by the shed blood of Jesus.
The story of Abraham and the covenant God made with him which included circumcision can be found in Genesis chapter 17.
Verse 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
God chose Abraham because of his faith and not because there was any law that Abraham was able to keep. He chose Abraham to father physical nations and to father a spiritual people because of his faith in God.
Application: When people try to keep some type of law or various rules, regulations, or statutes in order to be righteous before God, they are creating their own doctrine and religion and are not exercising faith in the LORD Jesus Christ’s power to save and to make them righteous through His blood. Hence the many different denominations today calling themselves Christian. Most of these denominations have their own catechism or book of do’s and don’t’s which they require the congregations to learn and conform to. The institution of Catholicism has it’s catechism, and false religions have their books to reinforce their doctrines. These added doctrines and written books make faith void as people believe they have to perform works of various kinds to be accepted by God. The only place that faith comes from is by hearing the Word of God, that being Jesus Christ and the Scripture. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
Verses 16-18 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
So because of his faith, Abraham not only physically fathered many nations including the Arab peoples, but he became the spiritual father of all who down through time have had faith in God and in His promise of sending a Messiah, His only begotten Son, the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verses 19-22 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
The amazing story of Abraham and Sara receiving a child, a son, when they were past the age of childbearing can be found in Genesis chapter 17 and chapter 21. Abraham’s faith in the promise of God was so strong that although it was basically impossible for him and for Sara to have a baby, he disregarded the physical limitations of age, and giving all glory to God, he expected a son and he received a son who he called Isaac. It was this kind of faith that justified Abraham and made him righteous before the LORD
Verses 23-25 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4)
The written story of Abraham and Sara and the promises of God was provided for all who would follow in Abraham’s spiritual example and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ who shed His blood for the remittance of sins and who was raised from the dead so that His children could have faith like that of Abraham and become the fulfillment of the promises made that Abraham would father spiritual children who would be a great nation. It is through the faith of Jesus Christ that His called and chosen who make up His Church are justified and are citizens in His spiritual kingdom.