Introduction: Do you have one belief that is at odds with the rest of
your beliefs? For example, are all of your cars made by Chevrolet,
but you always buy a Ford truck? That is how many of you may view the
lesson this week. My father taught me to work hard and faster than
anyone around me. It is difficult for me to relax for too long, I
feel driven to do something. This view collides with righteousness by
faith. It is a gift from God that I cannot earn. But then, if I think
about this more carefully, I realize having a father with a strong
work ethic was not my decision. The blessings and direction of God in
my life have been a gift. Perhaps this is consistent with a right
view of grace? Let’s dig into what Paul teaches us about grace, so we
can get God’s teachings on this incredibly important subject right!

  1. Abraham’s Boast?


    1. Read Romans 4:1-2. If Abraham was so good that he could be
      justified by his works, why should his boasting be limited
      to other humans? Being justified is being justified, so
      why can’t he boast to God?


    2. Read Romans 4:3. How did Abraham become righteous? Who
      made him righteous? (This is the answer to the previous
      question. Abraham cannot boast before God about his own
      works, because God credited righteousness to him by faith.
      Abraham could hardly tell God that he was justified by his
      works.)


      1. In Romans 4:1 Paul says “If, in fact, Abraham was
        justified by works.” When Paul uses an “if,” does
        that mean that Abraham might not have been justified
        by his works? (Exactly! I don’t think Paul is saying
        that Abraham was truly justified by his works. We
        know enough about Abraham to know this cannot be
        true. See Genesis 20.)


  2. Works v. Gift


    1. Read Romans 4:4. What is the difference between wages and
      a gift? (You have an obligation to pay wages, but no
      obligation to give a gift.)


    2. Read Romans 4:5. What kind of people does God justify?
      (“The wicked.”)


      1. I recall that at one time it was popular to ask
        people if they were “safe to save.” The idea was
        that you could not be saved if you might unleash sin
        when you got to heaven. What would Paul say about
        this theory? (Obviously, it cannot be true if God is
        justifying “wicked” people. The “safe to save” theory
        is just another righteousness by works argument.)


      2. Aside from being “wicked,” what other attribute of
        the righteous does Paul mention? (They do not work,
        they trust God. Do you trust God?)


    3. Look again at Romans 4:5. This morning I was reading an
      excerpt from a discouraging article that argued that those
      who were saved were not like ordinary Christians. Instead,
      they were extraordinary in their character and behavior.
      It was like other statements I used to read when I was a
      young man by this same author, and they seemed to set the
      bar for salvation so high that I wondered why I even
      tried. Do you think these kinds of statements are
      absolutely false?


    4. Read 1 John 3:4-8 and then compare it to Romans 7:14-20.
      John tells us that “no one who lives in Him keeps on
      sinning.” Paul tells us that he cannot help sinning – even
      when he does not want to sin. Is the discouraging article
      that I read correct? If not, how do you understand the
      very plain statements written by John? How do you explain
      the apparent contradiction with Paul? (There are two
      issues that are easy to confuse. The first is salvation.
      Salvation is a gift that is given apart from our works.
      The second issue is trust. If you trust God, then you take
      seriously what He says about how to best live your life.)


    5. Re-read 1 John 3:8. What is “the devil’s work” that Jesus
      came to destroy? (Rebellion against God. Satan’s work to
      harm you and everyone you know. When we accept the gift of
      grace, we choose a side. You will still find sin popping
      up in your life, but you have made the decision that you
      want to walk with God. Consider again the “safe to save”
      slogan, not from the point of view of you infecting heaven
      with your sin, but rather from the point of view of
      whether you want to live where there is no sin.)


    6. Read Romans 4:6-8. Why is Paul citing both Abraham and
      David, when they lived long before grace was accomplished
      by Jesus living, dying and being raised to eternal life?
      (Paul argues that this was always the understanding of
      what God was going to do for His people.)


      1. How do you feel knowing that when you are forgiven,
        God will “never count against” you the sins you have
        committed?


  3. Who is Eligible for the Gift?


    1. Read Romans 4:9-10. Is grace available to all? (Yes. It
      does not turn on being Jewish or not. It does not turn on
      being circumcised or not.)


    2. Read Colossians 2:11-12. Paul equates baptism with
      circumcision. Does this mean that we can be justified by
      faith whether or not we are baptized? (There is one
      substantial difference between circumcision and baptism.
      Circumcision was a mark given to all sons of Abraham
      regardless of their spiritual inclinations. Colossians
      2:11 refers to the “circumcision” of baptism as a “putting
      off of the sinful nature.” That sounds like a voluntary
      choice.)


    3. Read Romans 4:11-12. What does this say about the mental
      component of grace? (It calls Abraham “the father of all
      who believe.” This tells us that the trigger for grace is
      belief in what Jesus has done for us.)


    4. Read Romans 4:13-15. Paul tells us that Abraham was not
      promised that he would be “heir of the world” because
      Abraham kept the law. What is Paul saying as a follow-up
      in verse 15 when he asserts that “law brings wrath” and
      where there is no law, there is no transgression? (He says
      the law can never be the means to righteousness. It always
      points out our failures. However, if there is no law,
      there is no responsibility for sin. How can Jesus’
      sacrifice on our behalf be meaningful if the law does not
      exist?)


    5. Read Romans 4:16-17. Who is eligible to accept
      righteousness by faith? (“All.”)


      1. What does this do to the claim that some people are
        predestined to be lost and some to be saved? (Abraham
        “is the father of us all” and grace is “guaranteed to
        all Abraham’s offspring.” You have God’s guarantee
        that righteousness by faith is offered to you!)


  4. Calling Things


    1. Let’s look again at Romans 4:17. What are the two things
      that God does for us? (He “gives life to the dead”
      (meaning He gives life to us who deserve eternal death),
      and He “calls things that are not as though they were.”)


      1. What does God describe differently than it is? (The
        obvious meaning is that God calls you and me
        righteous even if we are not “safe to save.”)


      2. I once heard a preacher who used this text to mean
        that if you called on God for something that you did
        not presently have, God would give it to you. Is that
        a fair understanding of this text?


      3. If you are a student of the Bible, you know that it
        is very generous in describing Abraham, David and
        Samson. It gives me comfort that God has such a
        positive view of them. Do you think that God has this
        kind of positive view of you? (Yes, He calls you
        righteous even when you are not.)


    2. Friend, what is your attitude? It cannot be that your
      works save you. It cannot be that you want grace only to
      have eternal life. It must be that you believe that Jesus
      has the right approach to living and you choose Him as
      your Master. Why not ask the Holy Spirit, if you have not
      made that choice, to change your attitude to choose Jesus
      today?


  5. Next week: Adam and Jesus.