Not By Works

Romans 4

Not by works, but by faith! Abraham believed God and was therefore looked upon as righteous, even before he was circumcised. Circumcision was the seal of his salvation, but faith was its source. He was declared righteous because of his faith.

“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.” Romans 4:1-4 (ESV)

Salvation is not like wages that you earn or works that you can boast about. Abraham was not saved by keeping the law because the law had not been given, nor was he saved by obeying a religious ritual. It was all by God’s grace!

Dr. Tony Evans writes, “Salvation is a gift, plain and simple. If you just reach out your hand and take it, then it’s yours. But if you work for it, you dismiss the gift and treat it as a wage that is earned. Many people will stand before God and list their credentials: I went to church every Sunday; I helped the needy; I read my Bible. But God will not grant salvation as something owed.”

David wrote Psalm 32 after his great sin with Bathsheba in 2 Sam. 11. Can God forgive a man who commits adultery, deceit, and murder? Yes! When David repented and turned to God, he was forgiven, even though the Lord allowed David to feel the bitter consequences of his sins. God justifies the ungodly, not the righteous.

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matt. 9:9–13 (ESV)

Matthew was also known as Levi. He was a Jewish tax collector and was thus considered a traitor since it was his job to collect taxes from his own people on behalf of the Roman Empire. Moreover, tax collectors would stick their own surcharge onto the tax so that they could make a nice profit off their fellow Jews.

Matthew had found grace and refused to keep it to himself because he knew others needed the same. That’s why he threw a party at his house and invited other tax collectors and sinners to it.
The Pharisees couldn’t conceive of upstanding, religious Jews socializing and eating with tax collectors and sinners. Tragically, many modern believers turn all their focus inward to their Christian club and forget the reason Jesus came to earth: to invite new members into the family. When was the last time you connected a sinner to the Savior?

“By quoting Hosea 6:6, Jesus essentially told the Pharisees to go back and study their Bibles: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. The Pharisees offered plenty of religious sacrifices, but their hearts weren’t merciful. Similarly, if your praise and worship isn’t making you more compassionate toward the lost, you’ve missed the point of church.” (Dr. Tony Evans, TESB)

“Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. Romans 4:9–12 (ESV)

How can you be saved? Simply by believing God’s promise as Abraham did. Faith and promise go together just as law and works go together. Abraham is the father of the Jewish nation physically, but He is the “Father” of all believers spiritually.

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” Matthew 3:7-9 (ESV)
At Calvary, our sins were put on Christ’s account; paid in full! When you trust Christ, God puts Christ’s righteousness on your account.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? Are you trusting solely in His work on the Cross or are you leaning on your own works of righteousness to make a way for your eternal life with the Father? What can be more blessed than to know that your sins are forgiven? Will you Give Him praise for your forgiveness and salvation today?

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