The Triumph of Grace: Romans 1--8
Lesson Six--Page 19
Lesson Six--Romans 4 Abraham and David triumphed by grace alone through faith 4:1-8 "By faith" proved from the life and writings of two Old Testament men If you want to win an argument, the best way is to quote the words of someone your opponent respects. That's what Paul does here. The Jews respected Abraham and David. Verses 1-3 Refresh your memory on the story of Abraham's life. What is the context of Genesis 15:6? (Note: At the end of chapter 4, we will discover in what way Abraham's faith in God's promise parallels our faith in Jesus.) Verses 4,5 Some say that justification is a process that extends over the course of a Christian's life. In this sense, justification is defined as “to make a person more and more righteous.” How does verse 5 prove that justification means “to declare righteous?” (Hint: Link together the thoughts in the following phrases: “does not work,” “believes,” and “faith is credited.”) Verses 6-8 Paul also quotes from David to prove salvation by faith. We are going to collect some phrases that differentiate between “Salvation by Keeping the Law” and “Salvation by Faith.” You might make two lists with those titles.
Abraham and David lived by faith. They were given God's righteousness as a gift and they rejoiced in God's mercy and forgiveness. 4:9-12 Abraham is the father of Jews and Gentiles When God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, Abraham was set apart from the rest of the world by a physical sign. In a sense, at that time Abraham became a Jew. Verses 9-11 How does Paul use the chronology of Abraham's life to prove that the gospel was intended for the Gentiles as well as the Jews?
Verse 12 Paul beautifully expresses how Gentiles and Jews should view themselves as spiritual descendants of Abraham.
The gospel is for Jews and Gentiles-for all who believe as Abraham did before he received the covenant of circumcision.
Phrases for our lists: -We get what we deserve -We receive a gift
© 1997 Northwestern Publishing House. Reprinted by permission.