The Sermon Notes of Harold Buls
On the Epistle Lessons of the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia
Text from Romans 4:1-8
Trinity III
1. Judaism, Islam and Christianity claim Abraham. But only Christianity speaks
of Abraham as the father of believers. That is the theme of Romans 4. He is
used as the prime example of justification by faith in Christ. See also John 8
and Galatians 3.
2. At Romans 3:21 Paul said: "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of
God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets." Peter
at Acts 10:43: "Of Christ all the prophets bear witness that through His name
everyone who believes in Him has received forgiveness of sins." And Jesus at
Luke 24:27: "And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained
to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures." What is the
central teaching of the Old Testament? Christ, the forgiveness of sins,
justification by faith. See also John 8:33-59.
3. Verse 1 of our text can be read this way: "What should we say Abraham, our
natural ancestor, found?" Or this way: "What then shall we say that Abraham,
our father, has found through his own deeds and efforts?" In view of the
context we consider the second translation superior.
4. The sense of verse 2 is: "You see, if Abraham (really) was justified on the
basis of his works he has something to boast of, but (as matters stand) not
before God." It is axiomatic that people boast about their deeds. That shows
the sinfulness of human nature. But not even Abraham, the father of believers,
had anything to boast about before God. How much less can we, his children,
boast!!
5. The voice of Scripture is the voice of god. Genesis 15:6 is quoted also at
Galatians 3:6. "Abraham believed God" means "Abraham believed what God said."
By believing Abraham was regarded, reckoned, counted, considered righteous.
God's reckoning changed Abraham's status before God. Is this verse speaking
about the righteousness of Christ? Yes. See John 8:56. _The whole Gospel is
found in Romans 4:3_. In the whole Bible faith is always and ultimately faith
in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Do not forget that!!
6. Verse 4 reads: "For the laborer the wage is not reckoned on the basis of
favor but on the basis of what is owed." It is an axiom from everyday life. It
always pertains in the kingdom of power. Even a pastor gets his salary not by
favor but on the basis of what is owed to him: "The laborer is worthy of his
hire," Luke 10:7. But in the kingdom of God this principle is absolutely ruled
out. Even if I could keep the Law of God perfectly I would still be saved by
grace, not by my works.
7. Verse 5 contains the heart of Christianity. The subjects of verses 4 and 5
are antonyms: the wage and the gift. "The one who does not work" means "the
one who believes" which means "the one who receives." Faith is here pictured
as the receiving means. In this verse, "the one who does not work" is the same
person as "the godless man" as are all people by nature. By nature Abraham was
a godless man. Though he was a godless man he received the gift of Christ's
righteousness. That happened about 2000 years before Christ.
8. Verse 6 introduces a second Old Testament example, about 1000 B.C., David.
The forgiven state of the believers is called "blessedness." That is the heart
of Christianity.
9. In verses 7-8 Paul goes on to quote Psalm 32:1-2. The word "blessed" occurs
twice in these verses. It denotes the forgiven state of the believer. It
refers back to the word "blessedness" in verse 6. In verses 7-8 Paul and David
use three verbs to describe the salvation of Jehovah, the God of promise:
"Forgive, cover, not reckon." Justification and forgiveness are identical.
Christ takes my sin and gives me His righteousness.
10. The remainder of this chapter, not a part of our text, is an exposition of
Genesis 17:5 where God told Abraham: "I have made you the father of many
nations." This means that Abraham is the father of all truly believing Jews
and Gentiles. Since Abraham's time (2000 B.C.) millions of believers have
lived and died and gone to everlasting life.
The Sermon Outline of Harold Buls
On the Epistle Lessons of the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia
Text from Romans 4:1-8
Trinity III
THEME: The Saving Righteousness Of God Clearly Revealed In The
Old Testament
INTRODUCTION
Many people have the mistaken idea that people in the Old Testament were saved
in a way different from that in the New Testament. But that is incorrect.
Immediately after man sinned, God promised the Savior, Genesis 3:15.
Throughout the Old Testament this promise opens and blooms like a flower. Our
text gives two examples. Jesus (Luke 24:27), Peter (Acts 10:43) and Paul
(Romans 3:21) make clear that there is only ONE way of salvation, clearly
revealed already in the Old Testament.
I. THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM, 2000 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST verses 1-5
A. Abraham had nothing in which to boast. In the kingdom of this world
people receive wages for their work, verse 4. The master of a worker does
the worker no favor by paying him. The worker earned it. In his sinfulness
natural man attempts to transfer this principle into the kingdom of God.
But the works and worthiness of sinful man is not acceptable to God,
Romans 3:23. Natural man is sinful since conception. The wages of sin is
death, Romans 6:23. He cannot save himself. Abraham learned that lesson
2000 years ago. By implication verse 5 of our text calls Abraham an
ungodly man.
B. Abraham believed God and this was counted to him for righteousness,
verse 3. This is a quotation from Genesis 15:6, repeated here is our text
and again at Galatians 3:6. Jesus said of Abraham: "Abraham your father
rejoiced to see My day. He say it and was glad," John 8:56. What does this
mean? It means that he believed and trusted only in the righteousness of
Christ for forgiveness and salvation. It is the same righteousness of
which Paul speaks at Philippians 3:9: "Not having my own righteousness,
which is from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the
righteousness which is from God by faith." Abraham had nothing of which to
boast before God. He believed in God Who justifies the ungodly man and
this faith was reckoned for righteousness. Faith in Christ is a gift of
God which comes through God's Word. With the faith God gives the
righteousness of Christ. That is what Abraham had and is now in heaven.
II. THE EXAMPLE OF DAVID, 1000 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST, verses 6-8
A. David admits his lawlessness and sins in our text, verse 7
David is speaking of himself when he says: "Blessed are those whose
lawlessnesses are forgiven and whose sins are covered." Though David is
now in everlasting live he did not get there by his own works and is now
in heaven.
B. But David clearly also knew and believed the Gospel, verses 7-8
1. He knew he was blessed because the Lord did not count his sin
against him. God not only forgives, He also forgets. We often hear
people say: "I'll forgive but I won't forget." That is not God's
way. No man can undo sin. But when God forgives He no longer holds
the sin against that person. David believed the promises of God. His
sins were no longer counted against him.
2. He knew that he was blessed because his lawlessnesses were
forgiven and his sins covered. Just as clothing covers nakedness, so
the grace of God covers the believer's sins. In the Old Testament it
was called justification, forgiveness and covering. It all amounts
to the same thing and that is blessedness. The Day of Atonement,
Leviticus 16, was known as YOM KIPPUR, the Day of Covering. On that
day they reminded themselves that their sins were covered.
CONCLUSION
The saving righteousness of God is clearly taught in the Old Testament.
Abraham and David had the same forgiveness which we have.
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of Dr. Buls. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text.
Please direct any comments or suggestions to:
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Walther Library
Concordia Theological Seminary
E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu
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