"Who Justifies the Ungodly"

“For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,” (Romans 4:2-5 ESV)

Remember that there was a strong contingent of former Jewish followers in the Church at Rome. Paul wrote this letter in 56-57 AD, while he was at Corinth. This is some two decades after our Lord’s resurrection, and we would think that the church of Rome had plenty of time to work through how people were justified (given a righteous standing) before God. But the things that we learned before coming to Christ still run deep in our minds and hearts, and the evil one will use every opportunity to use these false teachings to pull us away from our Savior. The Christian Jews of Rome were still having problems with leaving the Jewish Law behind them; they kept wanting to go back to “keeping the Law” to be justified before God. Paul, once again in Chapter 4, shows them what he stated in Chapter 3:28: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law”. Faith, not works of any kind, is what makes us justified before our God and Savior.

Paul uses this chapter as one of the great proofs of the Bible to demonstrate that God’s plan has always been to justify His chosen people by faith, not by obedience to the Mosaic Law. In verse 3, Paul quotes Genesis 15:6, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”  Paul uses this powerful demonstration of Abraham to show that Abraham was found righteous before God, not because of obedience to God’s direction. Now, to our ears, this might not sound like such a big deal, but it is earth-shattering to the Jewish mindset. For well over 1,400 years, the Jewish people had been trying to achieve righteousness by keeping the Mosaic Law, and now Paul is telling them that 600 years before they ever received the Law, Abraham was justified by God’s grace, through faith.

Paul goes on to show that Abraham was “justified by faith” before he was circumcised. Again, what a blow to the Jewish mindset. They were the chosen ones of God; they believed falsely that the seal of circumcision was proof of their “righteousness”, and here Paul is telling them that it is not so.

Maybe you’ve heard something all your life about God and how you need to “be good enough” to be accepted by Him. Maybe you’ve worked all your life trying to do what “the church” has told you to do. Maybe reading Chapter 4 of Romans is a startling slap in the face, just like it was to the Jews at Rome. Maybe you are saying, “If I can’t work to please God, then how can I ever be saved?” Only by faith in Him, my friend, only by faith in Him who justifies the ungodly.

Just like Abraham, your faith in Him who gave His only Son to die on the cross, to pay the price for your sins, to give you a gift of eternal life with the Father, your faith will be counted as righteousness. Quit fighting the leading of the Holy Spirit, know that it is God who is putting this truth in your heart, it is He who is calling you to put down your fists of defense, to open your arms and receive the gift that He is offering you. Today is the day of salvation.

For the believers reading this, remember that Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

We have been saved “for” good works, not “by” good works. Rejoice in your gift of salvation and ask the God of the universe how you can better serve Him, out of love and appreciation, not out of any sense of obligation. Re-read Romans Chapter 4 and follow Paul’s argument of being declared righteous by faith.

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"