1. Father Abraham
Romans 3:21-4:25
Chapter 3

2. Paul’s theme: salvation – righteous declared
Salvation justification by faith
Justification: the act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous in Christ on the basis of the finished work of Christ on the cross
Act, not process
Each believer has the same right standing before God
Something God does, not man

3. Sanctification: a process whereby God makes us more like Christ
God declares us righteous, not make us righteous
Legal matter
God puts righteousness in our record in place of our own sinfulness
Sanctification: a process whereby God makes us more like Christ
Change from day to day; justification no change
Justification Explained (3:21-31)
“But the righteous of God has been manifested” (3:21)

4. Through faith in Christ (v.22a)
In O.T. revelation His law, judgment against sin, His appeals through the prophets, & His blessings on the obedient
Apart from the law (v. 21)
O.T. law: righteousness by behaving
Gospel: righteousness by believing
Witnesses: sacrifices, types, “gospel” Scriptures like Isa 53 bore witness to God”s righteousness
Through faith in Christ (v.22a)
Faith: good as object; example of a chair
Law righteousness, a reward for work; gospel righteousness, a gift through faith

5. At great cost to God (v. 24b-25)
For all men (v. 22b-23)
“All have sinned, and are coming short of glory of God” (/Rom 3:23)
God declared everyone guilty
By grace (v.24)
Absolute attribute (what He is in himself)
Love: God is love (I John 4:8)
Relative attribute (how He relates to the world & man)
When God relates love to us, grace & mercy
God in His mercy does not give us what we deserves (hell)
God in His grace what we do not deserve (heaven)
Freely – without a cause
At great cost to God (v. 24b-25)

6. In perfect justice (v. 25-26)
Free, but not cheap
Propitiation: satisfying God’s holy law and its just demands
Blood: the price
Illustration of Atonement Day
Two goats; temporary
“As far as east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Ps 103: 12)
Coal miner
In perfect justice (v )
God is love (I John 4:8); God is light (John 1:5)
God of loves forgives sinners, but God of holiness must punish sin & uphold His righteous law
God: just and justifier in Jesus
Sins back to Adam

7. To establish the law ( v. 27-31)
Justification by faith
Fulfillment of the demands of the law: Jesus
Faith makes it impossible for man to boast
Justification Illustrated (4:1-25)
Abraham, the father of all them that believe
He was justified by faith, not works (1-8)
God promised Abraham a son (Gen 15)
Believed: to say Amen
Counted (4:3): to put in one’s account
Banking term: deposit
11 times in Romans 4 righteousness
Reckoned, imputed
Christ’s righteousness put in Abraham’s account
God justified the ungodly (4:5)
Christ’s righteousness put in our account

8. He was justified by grace, not law (9-17)
Ps. 32:1-2
God forgives sins and impute righteousness apart from works
Christians do sins & need forgiveness for fellowship with God (I John 5: 5-7, 9)
God keeps record of good works, not sins
He was justified by grace, not law (9-17)
Circumcision of heart
Abraham was uncircumcised & declared righteous
99 years old, 14 years later from Gen 15
Circumcision has nothing to do with justification
Why circumcision?
Sign: he belonged to God 7 believed His promise
Seal: a reminder that God had given a promise & kept it

9. Believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit
Spiritual circumcision (Col. 2:10-12)
Putting off old nature through death & resurrection
Abraham was justified before the law
Promise before the law
Abraham, father of all believers, both Jews & Gentiles
He was justified by the resurrection power, not human effort *v )
“Who quickeneth the dead” (4:17)
Abraham’s body as a picture of resurrection
Sarah, 89 years old, beyond fertility
Walked by faith, not sight
Abraham, strong in faith

10. Spiritual & physical descendants of Abraham righteousness
Sinner is dead & unable to help himself before God can save him
The gospel is “the power of resurrection” (1:16) because of the resurrection from the dead
Proof that God accepted His Son’s sacrifice
The key: “if we believe” (4:24)
Dr. Ironside
Spiritual & physical descendants of Abraham righteousness
Abraham “ believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness”