Bible Study Romans 4:5-16
Imputed righteousness; sin not imputed
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Romans 4:5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
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Paul is so specific here; To him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
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Some are so offended by this verse they will not read it aloud in their services. Some just read over it quickly without considering the truth in the message. However a righteousness apart from the works of man or the works of the law is imperative to understand. By the greatness of the sacrifice Jesus offered we can have righteousness imputed to us. If righteousness stands on any ground other than the work of Jesus Christ it is as filthy rags in the sight of God.
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What the law offered for righteousness was the doing of man.
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Romans 10:5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."
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As discussed in our last bible study the early church believed the Jewish believers should carefully practice the law of Moses even to the point of submitting to the Levitical Priesthood. They talked Paul into taking a vow shaving his head with four other Jewish believers, which included animal sacrifice. There was this transition time between the covenant of the law and the covenant of “grace and truth”.
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Hebrews 9:8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience; 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. 11 But Christ came…
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The fullness of the revelation of a purged conscience was not manifested while the first tabernacle was standing! The righteousness that came by faith in Jesus Christ alone was a revelation that God gave through the apostle Paul . It is not just a coincidence that Hebrews was written just before the time the tabernacle was completely torn down and destroyed. The fullness of grace and righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ is the reformation.
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Does this mean we do not believe in good works? Absolutely, we believe in good works! The good works in the covenant of grace do not give you righteousness; however the imputed righteousness prepares you and empowers you to do the good works that God has called every believer to do.
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Ephesians 2:7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
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There are two lies of the enemy the church needs to be careful to avoid. 1st your good work can earn the righteousness of God. 2nd God does not call every believer to do good works. Either of these extremes causes believers to walk in a unbalanced way.
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Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
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As Ephesians carefully laid out righteousness with God can not be of works, lest a man should boast. Salvation has come through faith in Jesus Christ alone! This imputed righteousness empowers us to do the good works God has prepared for us to do. God calls all His children to maintain good works.
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Romans 4:6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."
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King David was a prophet indeed! David himself was under the works of the law, yet spoke of a blessedness from God. It is one place where imputed righteousness was prophesied. Righteousness imputed; sin not imputed! This is a packaged deal. Divine influence so amazing. David wrote “Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin”. David did not know sin not imputed; due to his sin there was much grief in his kingdom. One son raped David’s daughter, another of his sons killed the rapist. Another son briefly stole his kingdom and raped his concubines in full view of all Israel . Yet another son tried to make himself king at the end of David’s reign. David’s sins were indeed imputed to him just as the prophet Nathan said. However by the influence of the Holy Spirit David spoke of a day when sin would not be imputed.
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John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
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Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
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Jesus is the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world. Jesus Himself purged our sins! Indeed Jesus is the sin bearer!
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2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
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God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them! You and me are the recipients of our trespasses and sin not being imputed to us! The Scripture is so clear, you and I have been committed to the word of reconciliation! Repentance and remission of sins in found in Jesus Christ and there is no other way to righteousness. God reconciling the world to Himself; there is no greater news or truth. Is it any wonder Jesus spoke concerning being set free from sin, “he who the Son sets free is free indeed”. Men being completely set free from sin is not elusive. Imputed righteousness and sin not imputed is a package deal! If the righteousness of God has been imputed there is no imputing of sin; if a man is found seeking his own righteousness by the performance of the law or by the strength of his own flesh, sin will certainly be imputed. Paul taught the Roman church to reckon themselves dead to sin and alive unto God! Why could Paul preach this to them; simply put, it is an absolute truth of the Word of God. (see Romans 6:10-12)
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Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
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Jesus is and was the sin bearer; God made Jesus' soul an offering for sin! At the very labor of Jesus' soul God was satisfied; Jesus bore the iniquities and now many shall be justified. Is the object of your faith in the strength of the sacrifice Jesus made for sin? The Father was pleased to make His Son the offering for your sin, not your sin only but indeed the sin of the world.
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Romans 4:9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also?For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
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The blessedness of imputed righteousness and sin not imputed is not based upon the law of Moses. Not of the Jews only but of all those who would believe. This blessedness came before circumcision of the flesh; this blessedness came before the law of Moses. This blessedness is for all who also walk in the steps of faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
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Romans 4:13 For the promise that he would 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 those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
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The promise was to Abraham through the righteousness of faith. If righteousness is of the law faith is made void and the promise has no effect. The law is not of faith and never can be! The law brings about wrath; where there is no law there is no transgression. Righteousness is of faith that it might be according to grace.
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Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
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There is not some middle ground to be arrived at or some mixture of law and grace to bring us to righteousness. If one puts himself under the law to any degree the whole lump is leavened. You can’t pick and chose which parts of the law of Moses is for the body of Christ to adhere to and others not so much. If one is under the works of the law the whole of the curse is upon them. Just as Galatians 3:10 declares cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. The law is not of faith; the law always points to the performance of man. The law says “The man who does them shall live by them.” Grace always points to the performance of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has indeed redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.
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More to come…
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