May 9, 2004

ABRAHAM, DAVID, AND US

Romans 4:1, 6, 24

   If boasting is excluded, what about Abraham and David? And, if we conclude "that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law," then have we "made void the law through faith"? By no means! By faith we "establish the law" (Rom. 3:27-31)!

   "What then can we say that our father Abraham gained by fleshly ordinance? For if Abraham were justified by works, boasting is not excluded in his case. But he has no ground of such boasting before God, for the Scripture tells us that Abraham believed God, and this faith of his was counted for righteousness. But if a man earn his pay by his work it is not reckoned to him as a favor, but it is paid him as a debt; but if he earns nothing by his work, but puts faith in Him Who justifies the ungodly, then his faith is reckoned to him for righteous-ness. Just like David also who described the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness without works, saying, Bless-ed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin" (4:1-8).

   If by "faith Abraham, when he was called...obeyed and...went...not knowing where he went" (Gen. 12:4), why did God wait until Genesis 15:6 to proclaim that Abraham "believed the Lord, and He counted it to him for righteousness"? Abraham had to come to the end of him-self asking God, "What wilt Thou do...? I go childless!" Only then he was told that one would come out of his bowels whose seed would be innumerable as the stars. "So shall thy seed be!" Then it was said, he "believed God and his faith would be counted as righteousness."

   David's expressions are different, but the truth is the same: "iniquities are forgiven," and "sins are covered," for the one "to whom the Lord will not impute sin." That these indeed are the same is evident because God was "not imputing their trespasses unto them...that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:19-21).

   These things were not written for Abraham or David, 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 offenses and raised again for out justification" (Rom. 4:23-25).

Ivan L. Burgener