Romans 4-0 - Justification by Faith#
Romans 4-0 - Justification by Faith
(JP Text Group - Chenchen Compilation)
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for allowing us to gather once again in Your presence, renewing us through Your Word and blessing us. In Your Word, we enjoy Your presence. Holy Spirit, help us to know You more, receive Your revelation and wisdom, and guide each person's heart, so that we may learn to rely on You in our lives and receive Your blessings. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
Romans 4:1-8:
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation; however, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
The topic we are sharing is: Justification by Faith
Abraham holds a unique position among the Jews. He is the patriarch of the Jews. Abraham is a beautiful testimony of God. In the beginning, God appeared to Abraham and asked him to leave his home and the place where he lived. And Abraham followed God without hesitation. God then gave him a promise to make him the father of many nations, and all the families of the earth would be blessed through his offspring.
Genesis 12:1-4
The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
The Bible says that Abraham acted according to God’s command. When he went out, he did not know where he was going. Abraham’s pleasing God was not because of his obedience, nor because he was better than others. It was not because he followed the law, which had not yet been given at that time. The only reason he was pleasing to God was that he believed God, and the specific manifestation of that belief was that when he heard God’s words, he immediately acted on them.
Many people say that it is incorrect to not emphasize works under grace, that if one only talks about grace, they will fall, and that works should be emphasized more...
Brothers and sisters, how did Abraham's good works come about? Works are the fruit. They are produced by faith. How a person believes is how they act.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
Abraham fully believed what God said, so he was able to willingly leave his home. Abraham believed what God said, so he could follow God without hesitation; otherwise, who could bear to give up such a large estate?
Abraham did not say, like Moses, “Lord, give me a sign.” When God appeared to Abraham, He simply gave him these words. Abraham believed simply. Brothers and sisters, this faith produced actions. Actions are not emphasized; they are produced by correct faith.
Abraham received only a promise from God, with no other information or evidence. God did not explain in detail how wonderful the place Abraham was to go to was, nor did He explain in detail how He would bless him; He only gave him some promises. Nevertheless, Abraham believed. He believed that God’s words would surely come to pass; he believed that God would not lie. Such faith is worth imitating.
Hebrews 11:8-9
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
God credited him as righteous, not after he had good works, but when he believed God. Believing without seeing results is true faith. He first believed God and then followed God. If he did not believe, he would never have left his home, nor would he have left his familiar environment and his family and friends; he would not have given up so much of his estate.
Galatians 3:5-9
So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Abraham's true descendants are all those who are of faith.
When people accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior, they believe that Jesus shed His blood on the cross, sacrificing to forgive all their sins. Three days later He rose from the dead. This person is justified. The Holy Spirit will enter this person's heart, dwell within them, and will never leave.
The Holy Spirit will guide this person's actions and perform miracles. These are not achieved by following the law, nor are they the result of human effort. They are given by the Holy Spirit. When one believes in Jesus, these abilities are already in their heart, and they are expressed through faith. Everything is based on faith. This is just like Abraham believing God.
Abraham believed God, so he was blessed. We are the same. Justified by faith, we are blessed.
Many misunderstand Christians: this person behaves well, often helps others, so they must believe well. If their behavior is not good, then their faith is not good. This is how people condemn others based on behavior. But Jesus is not like this; He accepts everyone, including those rejected by society such as prostitutes, tax collectors, fishermen, etc. These people come to Jesus to receive His comfort, rest, and grace.
Abraham is justified by faith, not by works. Abraham believed God, and God credited it to him as righteousness. Abraham was convinced that God's words would surely come to pass, and therefore God credited it to him as righteousness. In other words, Abraham was counted as righteous not because of his works, but because of his faith. People are saved by faith; God accepts their faith, and this is counted as righteousness.
God is perfect and just; humans cannot reach God's perfection. If someone wants to reach God's standard through their own works or efforts, that standard is the Ten Commandments—who can achieve that? It means not breaking even one of Moses' laws in a lifetime. No one can do that. Therefore, no one can be justified by the law. However, God is love; He desires for people to receive His life, so He allows people to be accepted through the righteousness of Jesus.
Many people misunderstand our Heavenly Father due to erroneous teachings and are still striving for sanctification, trying to become perfect. In fact, we simply receive Christ's perfection and righteousness; we stand before God through Christ. Salvation is a gift. It is freely given by God, and those who believe receive it.
Romans 3:20: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Apart from Jesus, no one can be justified by the law. Before the law, people are condemned; through the law, people know they are sinners. This is the function of the law.
Ephesians 2:8-9: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Salvation is grace, received through belief. God's grace has already been prepared; when people believe, they receive it. All of this is given by God. God loves every person in the world with His perfect love. Because He loves the world, God hopes that everyone lives in His eternal life and His blessings, so He sent His only Son Jesus into the world to give life to people, allowing them to be justified through what Jesus has done. God has provided a way, the only path, the only truth, the only life; if you want to receive it, it can only be through Jesus Christ.
John 3:16-17:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Jesus and the Father are one. When anyone honors Jesus, they honor our Heavenly Father. When a person accepts Jesus, they acknowledge that our Heavenly Father is their God. When we exalt Jesus, we exalt the Father.
What is grace?
In verses 4-5, it mentions, Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. Verse 5 gives us a standard: However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. This is called grace.
Brothers and sisters, is there a difference? If you work for a month and your boss pays you three thousand yuan, that is not grace; that is wages, what you are owed. If one day suddenly the company gives everyone a bonus, that is grace; it is not earned through effort, but an extra reward.
When we receive God's salvation, we do nothing. The moment we believe in Jesus, we receive it. All of this is God's free grace.
John 3:18 says, Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Isn't it simple? Believe in Jesus, and you are not condemned. When a person knows that God no longer condemns us and understands the grace of forgiveness, they can live a life of forgiving others. In handling interpersonal relationships, they will not condemn others. As for those who die in sin, it is because they do not accept Jesus; on the day of judgment, they will have nothing to say. When a person rejects Jesus, they reject the path of justification through Jesus and seek to be justified by their own works, which will surely end in tragedy.
Proverbs 30:12: There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth.
Such people do not need Jesus; they think they are good, very capable, and believe they have no sin. Such people do not believe in God. But those who believe in Jesus know that their life and blessings come from God. God has given them so much wealth and allowed their business to succeed; such people often thank God for His grace. But those who live relying on their own efforts believe that everything they have is earned through their wisdom and hard work, thinking they are clean. Therefore, they do not need Jesus and do not believe in Jesus' grace.
We come before God, acknowledging our weaknesses, insufficiencies, and lack, and then pray to God, saying, “Lord, I need Your provision, I need Your power, I need Your help.” When a person prays like this to God, they acknowledge God's righteousness and God's blessings. God is willing to bless such a person and let them see greater blessings.
When a person believes in Jesus, they need to rely on Jesus' words in everything they do. This way, they can experience God's great power and wonders. Many believers only believe in Jesus, knowing that Jesus died for their sins and rose again. In life, when they encounter problems, they still rely on themselves, which is truly a pity. Such a life will miss out on many blessings that God originally wanted to give. Justification by faith is only the beginning. It is the provision for us to live a new life from then on, completely relying on Jesus and using His words as the standard for living.
In all matters, big or small, we need to ask God for wisdom because Jesus' method is so simple, allowing people to work in rest and achieve twice the result with half the effort. You are receiving His grace. You do things through His power, and everything becomes easy. We are justified by believing. In life, we still rely on God's power for victory. Amen!
Romans 4:6-8,
David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
This passage is from David in Psalm 32, where he tells us what kind of person is blessed. David says, the one who is credited as righteous apart from works. Who is credited as righteous apart from works? Those justified by faith are credited as righteous apart from works. All believers under the New Covenant are justified apart from works. Such people are blessed.
David lived under the Old Covenant. When reading the Bible, it is essential to correctly distinguish between the Old and New Covenants. The distinction between the New and Old Covenants is not based on the written words of the New and Old Testaments, but rather on whether Jesus has accomplished His work. Many people think that Jesus' birth means the New Covenant began, but that is not the case. Jesus preached grace during His time on earth, but He was still under the law until He was crucified and fulfilled the law.
Galatians 4:3-5
So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Jesus was born under the law to redeem those under the law. When was this redemption accomplished? It was when He shed His blood for our sins, that is, when Jesus was crucified. When He died for our sins and rose again three days later, the New Covenant officially came into effect, and the contents of the New Covenant that Jesus spoke of before began to take effect.
Much of what Jesus preached during His ministry belongs to the terms of the New Covenant. It is like when you do business with someone; you first sign the contract and then review its contents, right? No, you carefully read the content and confirm it is correct before signing. Only after signing does the contract take effect.
When Jesus came to the world, He often spoke of the gospel of the kingdom. He revealed many things about the kingdom of heaven and shared the heart of the Father, conveying much of the New Covenant's content to the people of that time. When people believed what Jesus said and waited until Jesus was crucified, that faith became effective. These people were justified by faith.
Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. Jesus not only tells us what is written in the New Covenant, but He has also signed His name. When did He sign? When He was on the cross, He said, “It is finished.” He wrote His name on the contract. Today, we hold the contract that Jesus has already signed, which is valid before the Father. When we pray to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus, He will surely answer our prayers because this covenant is eternally valid, established by the blood of Jesus. It will never change.
At the same time, we must tell those who have not yet accepted Jesus: come and see, this is the way to salvation. We share the gospel with others, telling them who Jesus is, informing the world that believing in Jesus allows one to enter the kingdom of heaven, along with all the various blessings in the kingdom, such as healing, joy, and peace—these are all part of the New Covenant.
How can people receive these? By accepting Jesus Christ, they receive them. Because Jesus has already signed, the contract has been backed up for two thousand years; as long as a person signs their name, they receive it.
Today, we are not counted as righteous; what is the characteristic of being counted as righteous? That matter has not yet been accomplished; that is the content of the Old Covenant. David was a person under the Old Covenant. He used a term, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” What does it mean to cover sins? At that time, before the Messiah had come, a person's sins had to be forgiven through sacrifices offered before God. These sacrifices could cover their sins for a year.
Every year, the high priest had to enter the temple to offer the blood of animals for the people and for himself to have his sins forgiven. This is what it means to cover. God saw the blood of the animals and said, “Your sins have been forgiven,” but the sins were not removed; they were only covered.
Leviticus is difficult to read due to the various reasons for offering different sacrifices; it seems quite cumbersome. But this was the only way for a person's sins to be forgiven and covered. Such a cumbersome sacrificial process maintained the relationship between God and man. If a person was unwilling to offer sacrifices and their sins were exposed before God, the people would receive curses and lose blessings. David longed to be counted as righteous apart from works; he felt that such a person was truly blessed.
In the New Covenant, we no longer need to use the term “cover,” but rather, through Jesus, all sins are removed.
Why did Jesus call John the Baptist the greatest prophet? Because he used another term, saying, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” He used the term “takes away” instead of “covers,” because the blood of Jesus is far more precious than the blood of bulls and goats. The blood of bulls and goats has a one-year effect, but the blood of Jesus Christ has an eternal effect. When sin is taken away, a person is no longer counted as righteous but is justified! Forever accepted by God.
In the Old Covenant, they were counted as righteous because their sins had not yet been removed; the price of sin had not yet been paid, meaning Jesus had not yet come and signed the contract. They only believed that a Savior would come who would take away their sins. The sacrifices offered were all foreshadowing Jesus Christ.
When they believed in these sacrifices, God counted them as righteous. But we, under the New Covenant, are different. When a person believes in Jesus, their past, present, and future sins are all forgiven. We believe that when Jesus said “It is finished” on the cross, all our sins were cleansed, and we were justified.
Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
When we recite the Apostles' Creed, we say that Jesus descended into hell. What did He go to do? He went to proclaim, “You who were counted as righteous through sacrifices in the past can leave here today because salvation has been accomplished; you are justified, and your sins are completely forgiven.”
Today, we no longer need to pray, “Jesus, please cover my sins…” That matter has already been accomplished. We should say, “Lord, I know You have taken away my sins, and You have forgiven my sins. I am a justified person by faith.”
Many people read the Bible and say, “I envy David; he had such a good relationship with God and wrote so many Psalms and devotional collections.” In fact, David envies us more; we are justified by faith.
What kind of person is blessed?
The one who is counted as righteous apart from works. God no longer counts our sins, nor does He hold us accountable; God no longer counts people's sins because Jesus has paid our entire debt of sin.
Hebrews 10:16-18
The Lord says, “This is the covenant I will establish with them after that time,” says the Lord. “I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
These are the words spoken by our Lord Himself. After that time refers to when Jesus was crucified, shed His blood for our sins, and rose from the dead three days later. The issue of sin was completely resolved. The New Covenant began.
What God gives us is not the law of Moses but the law of love, the law of the Holy Spirit. When a person accepts the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in their heart. He will guide people to know the truth, to understand what Jesus Christ did on the cross. At the same time, He reminds people: God no longer remembers their sins and lawless acts. Because Jesus is the eternal sacrifice for sin, already offered before God. Therefore, sins are forgiven, and there is no need to offer sacrifices as in the Old Covenant.
When people know that God no longer remembers their sins, this power will help them overcome sin and bad habits, and their lives will no longer be the same. As long as a person is willing to live relying on Jesus' words, the Holy Spirit will help them, giving them the strength to overcome various problems. The Holy Spirit will grant people the rest of Christ. For example, a person does not need to struggle to quit smoking. They only need to continually declare their new identity in Christ, acknowledging that Christ is their Lord and their strength, and they can overcome.
Blessed is the one whom the Lord does not count as guilty.
Blessed is the one whom the Lord does not count as guilty. So does this person still commit sins? Yes. If this person had not sinned, the Lord would not need to say, “I do not count you as guilty,” proving that people have weaknesses and will still sin; it is just that God does not count this sin against them. This is an important part of justification by faith.
It is not that once we believe in Jesus, we no longer sin. People have weaknesses and will still sin. Why are you blessed? Because God does not count the sins you commit against you. So you are blessed. God does not make you bear the consequences of your sins; you are blessed. But this does not mean that God lowers His standard of righteousness. In God's eyes, sin is a fact; it is just that God says, “I will not count the consequences of the sins committed against this person.” Because people cannot bear it. The wages of sin is death. God remembers the punishment Jesus suffered on the cross, and this sin has already been settled. Therefore, God no longer counts this person's sin. Amen!
Many people ask, “What should I do if I sin after believing in the Lord?” When a person sins, they should immediately come before Jesus and say, “Lord, I thank You because I know the price of sin is what I should bear, but You bore it for me. You love me so much, and You have once again forgiven me; You have borne the consequences of sin for me. Please give me strength to overcome this sin.”
Those under the law emphasize daily confession of sin, but what is the purpose? If your purpose in confessing sin is to have God forgive you, Jesus has already forgiven our sins and no longer remembers them. What we need is repentance, which is the power to overcome sin. This power arises from justification by faith; when you know what Jesus has done for you, you have the strength to overcome sin and grow more into the stature of Christ.
In the morning, you should say to yourself, “God no longer counts my sins. He has called me righteous. In Christ, I am a new creation; I am pleasing to God, and I carry the authority of Christ. Through Christ, my life will no longer be the same. Wherever I go, God's blessings are upon me.”
If you have had many unpleasant experiences in the past and others often bring up your past, you should say to yourself, “God no longer counts my sins; I am a blessed person.” When others say, “You were such a failure in the past, accomplishing nothing; you will not succeed in anything you do,” you should say, “The Lord no longer counts my past failures; I am blessed.”
Do not let your past affect your present. Since God does not remember your transgressions, we should also let go and focus on Jesus. That is our new identity. The robe of Christ's righteousness is upon us; we no longer live for ourselves but Christ lives in us. God blesses me, and I will also become a blessing to others.
At all times, do not let anyone take away your identity as a righteous person; do not be deceived. Believe in what Jesus did on the cross; believe in God's promises. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever; do not let what Jesus did become in vain. We must always remember that we are justified by faith. When a person lives with this identity, they will live out good works. The power of the Holy Spirit will flow through them, making them different.
Some people say that after believing in Jesus, they will no longer sin, and even if they do sin, it is not sin. This kind of theory does not align with the Bible at all. How can it be that if one sins, it is not sin? We who are justified by faith acknowledge that we will still sin, but this does not affect our identity as righteous people. It is like our relationship with our own children. Our children may make mistakes, but they are still our children. It is absolutely impossible to say that if they make a mistake and do not confess, they are no longer my child. That does not exist. Once this relationship is established, it will not change. This relationship is established by blood; do we not value blood relationships?
Our relationship with the Heavenly Father is also established by blood; it is the blood of Jesus that reconciles us with the Father, and it will never change. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
Romans 8:33-34
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
If God no longer remembers our sins, who can bring a charge against those whom God has chosen? Even God calls them righteous. What else can others say? Therefore, we must believe God's words and not believe teachings that do not align with the Bible. God no longer condemns us; who else has the right to condemn us? Therefore, we live in Christ, and our lives will no longer be the same. We will become more and more like Christ, receiving the Father's love and living out the Father's love.
The grace of Christ is upon you; you can live a holy life. When you go to work, you can pray for your company. When you stand in the company, you say, “Because I am here, I am a blessed person; God no longer counts me as guilty; He has called me righteous. I carry the blessings of the righteous. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I bless this company, and God's blessings will fill this place.”
Abraham simply believed God, and when he had no hope, he still believed God, and God allowed him to see what he believed. Brothers and sisters, you can pray for your work, family, and children. The environment may not change now, but do not doubt; believe that you are blessed. God will surely give you the best at the right time and place according to your faith.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Abraham believed God, and You counted him as righteous. I believe in Jesus, and You count me as righteous; this identity will never change. You no longer remember my sins, but instead, You will add grace to my life, making me different. Wherever I go, I believe I carry Your blessings, peace, and joy.
Because I am justified by faith, what I do with my hands, You will also bless, allowing me to see Your grace in what I do. In this new week, I am willing to experience Your goodness more. Let me see Your wonderful power in my life. I expect good things to happen to me; You bless me, and I will also become a blessing to others. All glory be to You. I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!