Abraham Justified By Faith
A Sermon on Romans 4:1-3
Originally preached May 10, 1957
Scripture
1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for …
Sermon Description
The overwhelming message of Romans is that the righteous will live by faith. In the sermon “Abraham Justified By Faith” from Romans 4:1–3, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones believes that this is for the sake of the Jews who may not understand their Old Testament and are now rejecting this “new” message. There is only one covenant of grace and it was the same in the Old Testament as it was in the New. God’s way of dealing with humanity has always been the same. In this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones also discusses how Abraham and David were justified in the Old Testament dispensation. By what was Abraham justified? By faith, as the Scripture states that Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness. This is the first time in the Bible that the doctrine of justification by faith has been presented this clearly. When Abraham believed, it meant that he trusted and committed to what God said and this was established as a covenant. Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns that even though Paul continues to review the same points, the Christian must never skip over a Scripture that seems less applicable and appealing. This chapter provides a great explanation for justification by faith and it is essential to grasp and understand these arguments.
Sermon Breakdown
- The theme of Romans 4 is that there is only one covenant of grace and one way of salvation for all people in all dispensations.
- Paul proves this by using the examples of Abraham and David, two of the most prominent figures in Jewish history.
- In verses 1-5, Paul discusses Abraham. He asks what Abraham attained according to the flesh, meaning external things like works, circumcision, and the law.
- Paul says that if Abraham was justified by works, he would have grounds to boast before God. But Scripture says Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).
- This shows Abraham was justified by faith alone, just like we are today. Abraham's faith was in God's promise of salvation through the Messiah.
- The word "counted" or "reckoned" means to put something to someone's account that they do not possess. God put Christ's righteousness to Abraham's account.
- In verses 6-8, Paul shows that David also said people are blessed when God does not count their sins against them (Psalm 32:1-2).
- In verses 9-12, Paul says Abraham was justified before circumcision, showing it is by faith and not works.
- In verses 13-17, Paul says the promise to Abraham was through faith, not the law. This is so God's promise would be by grace.
- In verses 18-22, Paul expounds on Abraham's faith. Though unlikely, Abraham believed God's promise of many offspring.
- Paul concludes by saying the words "it was counted to him" were not just for Abraham but also for us - if we believe in Christ, God will count righteousness to us.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Justification by Faith in the Old Testament: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 4
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the main theme of Romans 4?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main theme of Romans 4 is that God's way of salvation has always been the same throughout history. He states: "Under the Old Testament dispensation, this way of salvation was not merely and only foretold and predicted. It was also God's way of dealing with men and saving them, then also." The chapter demonstrates that there is only one covenant of grace across all dispensations, and that men in all time periods are saved in exactly the same way - through faith, not works.
Why does Paul use Abraham as an example in his argument about justification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul uses Abraham for several strategic reasons:
- Abraham was "the father of the nation, the man out of whom the whole nation came, the original progenitor."
- The Jews were very proud of Abraham and constantly referred to him as "our father Abraham."
- Abraham was a crucial figure to whom God made special covenants and promises.
- By showing that even Abraham was justified by faith rather than works, Paul effectively proves his case for all people, since if the father of the Jewish nation was saved by faith, so would everyone else be.
What does "counted unto him for righteousness" mean in Romans 4?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this phrase refers to imputation, which means "to put something to somebody's account." He states: "This word, to reckon or to impute really means to put something to somebody's account. You put something to somebody's account which that somebody does not possess."
In justification, God imputes or credits the righteousness of Christ to our account even though we don't possess that righteousness ourselves. Lloyd-Jones clarifies: "to our account, when we have nothing at all, God puts the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He imputes it to us. He reckons it to us."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones refute the idea that faith itself is a work that saves us?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses this common misinterpretation by explaining that if our believing itself saved us, "it turns believing into a works." He states: "If it is our belief that saves us, well, we've got something to boast of... It makes it works again. It brings back the whole element of boosting."
Instead, he explains that faith is merely the instrument through which we receive Christ's righteousness. The actual grounds of our salvation is Christ's righteousness, not our faith: "So it comes to us by the instrument of faith, but the righteousness is that of Jesus Christ."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones reveal about Abraham's understanding of Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that Abraham had a genuine understanding of God's redemptive plan through Christ. He states: "Abraham believed in God's way of redemption as much as you and I do. He didn't see it as clearly. He saw it afar off."
He cites Jesus' own words in John 8:56: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. And he saw it and was glad." Lloyd-Jones concludes that Abraham "trusted his everything" to God's plan of salvation through Christ, even though Christ had not yet come. Abraham "saw that his salvation was entirely in the merits of the son of God, who was going to come."
Why is Romans 4 important for understanding the unity of Scripture?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Romans 4 helps us see that the Bible presents one cohesive plan of salvation. He states: "It shows us the oneness of this covenant of grace and of redemption." The chapter demonstrates that the Old Testament isn't disconnected from the New Testament, but rather that God has always had one way of saving people.
He criticizes those who create "an absolute division between the Old Testament and the new," stating: "The two are one. And that is where we see the leading and the guidance and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in leading the early church... to incorporate the Old Testament literature with their new literature. It's one."
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.