Romans 4:20-25

DISCOURSE: 1839
ABRAHAM’S FAITH

Romans 4:20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

THERE is no Christian grace, the want of which is so much condemned in Scripture, or the exercise of which is so much applauded, as faith. In the Epistle to the Hebrews there is one whole chapter occupied in celebrating the saints that were distinguished for this grace. Amongst these Abraham makes a very conspicuous figure. In the chapter before us also the Apostle mentions this eminent trait in Abraham’s character, and expatiates upon it in support of that, which it is the one scope of this whole epistle to establish, namely, the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
In opening the Apostle’s words, we shall consider,

I. The faith of Abraham—

This faith was most extraordinary—
[It had respect to two things, which God had promised him, namely, The birth of a son by Sarah, whose progeny should be numerous as the stars of heaven [Note: Genesis 15:4.]; and the gift of one particular seed, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed [Note: Genesis 12:2; Genesis 22:17.]. Incredible as these events appeared, he staggered not at God’s promises relating to them; but was fully persuaded that they should be fulfilled in their season.

Considering his age and Sarah’s, he being one hundred years old, and she ninety, there was no hope, according to the course of nature, that a child should be born unto them. But natural impediments were of no account with him: he knew that, whatever God should promise, he was able also to perform: and therefore, whilst “Sarah laughed” at the tidings in a way of unbelieving derision, Abraham laughed at them in a way of believing exultation [Note: Compare Genesis 17:17. with 18:12.].

The gift of a Saviour too to descend from his loins, a Saviour in whom both his own soul, and the souls of all his believing posterity, should he blessed, he fully believed. Our blessed Lord himself assures us, that, at the distance of two thousand years, “Abraham saw his day, and was glad [Note: John 8:36.].” Abraham knew himself to be a sinner before God, and consequently that he needed a better righteousness than his own to procure him acceptance with God in the last day: and he believed that this promised Seed should work out a righteousness for him, a righteousness commensurate with his necessities, yea, and with the necessities of the whole world. “This Gospel was preached to Abraham” in the promise before us [Note: Galatians 3:8.], and on this he founded all his hopes, and placed the most unshaken affiance.]

By this he was justified before God—
[“This faith of his,” my text informs us, “was imputed to him for righteousness.” But what are we to understand by this? Was the mere act of faith made his justifying righteousness? No, assuredly not: for if it were so, “he had whereof to glory;” which the Apostle assures us he had not [Note: ver. 2.]. Faith, as an act, is a work of our own, just as love, or any other grace is: and if he was justified by it in that view, he was justified by works, which no child of man ever was, or ever can be. No; it was instrumentally, as apprehending Christ, that faith justified him. In Christ alone his justifying righteousness was found: and it was by faith that he laid hold on this righteousness, and applied it to himself for the salvation of his soul. That is the righteousness which God has appointed to be received through faith in Christ, and which he has declared, “is unto all, and upon all, them that believe [Note: Romans 3:21.].”

Now the Apostle marks this point with peculiar jealousy and precision. It might be supposed that, because Abraham, in token of his believing the promise made to him, obeyed the command given him relative to circumcision, his obedience was meritorious, and was, in part at least, a ground of his justification before God. But the faith by which he was justified existed many years before he was circumcised; and his circumcision was “a seal of that righteousness which he had long before possessed in his uncircumcised state:” and consequently, it was his faith only, and not any subsequent obedience, that justified him [Note: ver. 9–11.]. The moment he believed in Christ as the promised seed, that moment the righteousness of Christ was imputed to him, and he was justified by it in the sight of God.]

Having distinctly marked the faith of Abraham, I proceed to state,

II.

The instruction to be derived from it—

Though God was pleased to honour his servant Abraham by transmitting to posterity an account of his faith, yet this was not the only, or the principal, reason that induced him to record these things concerning Abraham. His chief intent was,

1. To shew us how we are to seek justification before God—

[Abraham believed in God as able to accomplish all that he had promised: and by this faith he was justified Thus we are to believe in God as having already accomplished his promises, in having given up his Son to “die for our offences,” and having raised him from the dead as the author and pledge of our eternal justification. It is by the death of Christ, and through the prevailing intercession, which, in his exalted state, he makes for us, that we are to be reconciled to God — — — We must not for one moment dream of any other way of acceptance — — — If so eminent a man as Abraham was incapable of being justified by his works, much more must we: and if he was necessitated to look to Christ in order to obtain salvation, beyond all doubt we must stand indebted to the same Saviour for all our hopes of happiness and glory.]

2. To assure us that, if we truly believe in Christ, we cannot fail of being justified—

[Abraham’s views of Christ must assuredly have been very obscure: yet, dark as they were, they availed for his justification before God. But we have an incomparably clearer knowledge of Christ: we see him in his person, work, and offices, and therefore have stronger ground for our faith in him. If we then receive the record of God concerning him, and rely fully upon him as “dying for our offences, and as raised again for our justification,” shall not we be accepted? We need not fear. Our souls may appear as dead with respect to spiritual fruitfulness, as Abraham’s and Sarah’s bodies were with respect to their having a son and heir; and to the eye of sense it may appear as improbable that we should inherit the promise, as that they should; but if we believe, we shall soon find that “all things are possible to him that believeth:” we shall have the righteousness of Christ imputed to us; and, being made heirs with Abraham, we shall be enabled to “walk in his steps [Note: ver. 12.]” on earth, and “sit down with him in the kingdom of our Lord in heaven [Note: Galatians 3:6.].”]

By way of conclusion, we would entreat you to reflect upon,
1.

The folly and danger of self-righteousness—

[For what end did the Apostle take such pains to shew us that the most eminent saints of old were not justified by their works, but to caution us the more strongly against trusting in our own works? Let us not imagine this a light matter: on this one point our everlasting happiness depends. If we will renounce all dependence on ourselves, and “submit to Christ’s righteousness,” we shall be saved: but if we will “go about to establish our own righteousness,” either in whole or in part, we must inevitably, and eternally, perish [Note: Romans 9:30; Romans 10:3.]

2. The value and importance of faith—

[The highest commendation imaginable is given to faith, in the words before us. Two things are spoken of it, which should render it very precious in our eyes; it “gives the highest glory to God,” and brings the richest benefit to man. Faith glorifies all the perfections of the Deity, in a far higher degree than any other grace whatever: and it saves the soul; which cannot be said of any other grace. Faith is the (instrumental) cause of our justification: but all other graces are the fruits and effects of justification already imparted to us. Let us seek then to exercise faith, and to be “strong in faith:” and let us be well assured, that the more confidently we rely on the promises of God, the more certainly shall we laugh with holy exultation, and obtain a testimony from God that we were accepted in his sight.]