Lesson 5

GOD SAVES THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS,

TWO OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

Romans 4:1 – 15

REVIEW

Review Scripture and be prepared to talk about how Jesus life, death and resurrection resulted in God declaring everybody not guilty before him.

ROMANS 4:1 - 8

Paul previously said that the Old Testament, the law and the prophets (3:21) testified that we are acquitted before God through faith. Now he gives two examples. Abraham, the father of the nation and David, the great king of the nation are used to emphasize the point.

In the case of Abraham Paul says he had nothing to brag about before God. If he had done even just a small part to earn his acquittal, he would have something to brag about. That isn’t how Abraham was cleared of all wrong doing before God. In the context of Genesis 15, God told Abraham a child would come from his own body and a nation so numerous would follow that they would be like the stars in the sky. Previously God had promised that the Savior would come from his family line (Gen. 12:3). Abraham simply believed what God said. Paul quotes word for word the passage from Gen. 15:6. The word translated “credited” (vs 3) is used frequently in business transactions. It involves putting something on a person’s account as a credit. Notice God put it on Abraham’s account, Abraham didn’t put it on his account. God put on Abraham’s account, “acquitted, cleared of all sin, not guilty”. What did Abraham do? Nothing – he just believed what God said to him.

There are two ways to get a credit on your account. One can work for it or it can be given. God acquitted the non-worker (vs 5). It was a gift given to the one who trusts God. Notice it describes God as the one “who justifies the wicked.” It doesn’t say the believer but the wicked. We are all wicked before God by nature aren’t we? The wicked, the entire mass of humanity, were acquitted, declared not guilty. The one who believes God’s statement receives that forgiveness

David provides the same lesson. This is a quote from Psalm 32:1-2. David starts with a generalization and then in the following verses explains how he tried to hide his sin, but then confessed it and the forgiveness God was proclaimed to him. In the quote David is simply saying how happy a person is who knows their transgressions and sins are forgiven. He speaks of “transgressions” – many lawless acts a person has done in their life. He speaks of “sins” – many failures to fall short of what God demands. God forgave, covered them. Any sin in the future, God will not count against them. All of this happens simply through faith in God’s word of acquittal. Both are held up as examples of Old Testament believers, none more prominent that Abraham and David, who were declared not guilty before God simply through faith.

KEYWORD: CREDITED – Putting something on a person’s account as a credit

DISCUSSION

  1. How are wages and a gift different and how does that apply to our spiritual life?

  2. What does Scripture teach about how Abraham became righteous before God?

  3. How does Paul stress that righteousness is a pure gift from God? Vs 5

  4. What is the difference in meaning of the words “transgressions” and “sins”? Vs 7

  5. How do verses 7-8 support the truth that God credits righteousness apart from works?

ROMANS 4:9 - 12

Paul made the point that Abraham and David were both cleared of all wrongdoing before God simply through faith in the Messiah. Since both of them were Jews, he wants to be sure that a wrong impression isn’t given. He refers to Abraham. He was credited with being acquitted of all wrongdoing long before he was ever circumcised. Circumcision came nearly 20 years later. Circumcision was a sign, a seal, that in an outward way reminded Abraham that he was credited with forgiveness earlier in time. Circumcision was a sign that identified a person as belonging to God’s family through faith. Abraham was an uncircumcised believer and thus is a spiritual father of all uncircumcised believers. Abraham was also a circumcised believer and thus a spiritual father of all circumcised believers. All who believe as Abraham believed God’s Word are spiritual children of Abraham. Every believer can claim Abraham as a spiritual father.

DISCUSSION

  1. Why is it important to see that Abraham was acquitted of all sin before he was circumcised?

  2. How can Abraham bear the name “father of all who believe – whether circumcised or not?

  3. What makes you a child of Abraham?

ROMANS 4:13-15

Abraham wasn’t declared not guilty because of circumcision (9-12) nor was it because of any law that he was given and kept (13-15). Paul was very methodically removing every thought which someone might have to still believe I have to obey God in order to receive his promise. Law only produces anger – some say God’s anger over disobedience, others argue man’s anger because it is an impossible demand to keep law. Either way it results in anger. A right standing before God comes only through believing what he has promised and done in Jesus (13b).

DISCUSSION

  1. Why do efforts to live by the law make faith and God’s gospel promise worthless?

  2. Give two examples of religious beliefs and practices that express a “live by law” teaching and mindset.

[PREPARING FOR NEXT WEEK’S CLASS]{.ul}

  1. Read Romans 4:16 – 25

  2. Read Romans – the People’s Bible Pages 74-78

  3. Read Romans 4:16 – 25 a second time but this time out loud.

Would you say that an Old Testament person got to be innocent before God and thus got to heaven in the same way or a different way from a New Testament believer?

Create documentation issue Create project issue