Tag Archive for: salvation

Romans 5:12-14 – How Adam Bought Death

Romans 5:12–14 sits right in the middle of Paul showing us all the riches God gives us by His grace when we’re justified by faith.

Romans 5:1 starts with, “Being justified by faith, we have…” and then Paul lists all these blessings. We’re justified by faith when we believe Christ died for our sins and rose again, then God declares us righteous based on that faith alone which sets us apart from the world, separated or sanctified unto Him, and that gives us great spiritual blessings.

“Speed Slider”

Chart Adam and Christ ComparisonTap or click on the image to open a larger version

Romans 5:12-14 – Transcript

Romans holds a unique place in Scripture because it gathers the major themes of the entire Bible into one clear, Spirit‑guided explanation, while also shedding light on truths that were only partially understood before.

In its sixteen chapters, Paul walks through humanity’s fall in Adam, God’s answer in Christ, the purpose of the law, the meaning of faith, the nature of salvation, the place of Israel, the identity of the Church, and the hope of future glory.

Doctrines that appear in pieces throughout Genesis, the prophets, the Gospels, and the Jewish epistles are brought together and explained with precision.

Romans doesn’t replace the rest of the Bible—it reveals how all of it fits together and the integration of the ages, the dispensations of God’s plan.

That’s why believers through history have treated it as the clearest summary of God’s redemptive plan and the key that unlocks many truths that would otherwise be difficult, if not impossible, to grasp. Countless millions have found freedom and understanding through the book of Romans.

It’s the key book, the most important book of the bible for the church, The Body of Christ today.

Romans 5:12–14 sits right in the middle of Paul showing us all the riches God gives us by His grace when we’re justified by faith.

Romans 5:1 starts with, “Being justified by faith, we have…” and then Paul lists all these blessings. We’re justified by faith when we believe Christ died for our sins and rose again, then God declares us righteous based on that faith alone which sets us apart from the world, separated or sanctified unto Him, and that gives us great spiritual blessings.

Romans 5:12 reads,

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 

We see that, again, as we enter this passage, we’re entering into another series of integrated arguments where Paul explains a concept more fully by using the words “wherefore”, “nevertheless”, “for if”, “therefore” and moreover”,  tying in these deeper explanations of the main theme.

We also notice in this passage that Romans 5:13 through to Romans 5:17

is one big parenthesis, or a detour if you like, from the main point in order to explain more deeply the subject being talked about.

We could read from Romans 5:12 then go directly to Romans 5:18 to see the point, the whole subject, but then if we did that we’d be confronted with more therefores and moreovers that expand on the thought even more, and we’d also lose the treasures of those detours that help us understand the subject more completely.

Romans 5:12 starts with a “wherefore” which means it’s a continuation of the previous verse, Romans 5:11, which, in turn, starts with “and not only so, which means it’s a continuation of verse 10, which begins with “for if” connecting it to verse 9. The book is a whole series of these connections that tie together not only the verses but entire chapters together.

The chapter and verse divisions of the bible are a great help to bible study but we must be aware that they don’t separate a theme which often exists through many verses and chapters and Romans is a perfect example of this.

We’ve got to recognise the integration of the whole book and, in fact, the whole bible. If we don’t we end up with a massive collection of individual verses which, although they can be useful, and may be a statement of truth within themselves, they won’t let us understand the whole integrated message and this’s where a heap of confusion comes into the church.

As we’ve often discussed before, this method of explaining a deeper meaning within a subject is Paul’s style, which, when we know how to handle it, clarifies many issues within a main point.

Up until now Paul’s been talking only about Jesus Christ and how He died for us while we were sinners in verse 9, how we’re saved from wrath through Him, and reconciled by His death in verse 10 and how we’ve received the atonement in verse 11.

Then suddenly in verse 12 he brings up Adam.

Why?

Paul’s explaining to us why this one Man, Jesus Christ, who is the fullness of God, and is fully God and fully man, could bring righteousness, atonement, and life to the whole world without the law, without Israel and without covenants as we’ve seen in Romans 4, and this is where Adam is vital to our understanding.

As Adam brought sin and death into the world, Christ brings life and righteousness.

This way of explaining salvation is something we don’t find before Paul’s epistles. Today it seems normal to say “Adam brought sin, Christ brings salvation,” but that understanding comes from Paul’s revelation from Jesus Christ Himself. Without Romans 5 and Paul’s letters, we wouldn’t know this connection.

Before Paul, the Bible showed Adam brought sin, and God chose Israel to deal with sin through the law, sacrifices, and their Messiah.

But Paul’s already shown that we don’t need Israel or the law to be justified.

We’re justified by God’s grace through faith. And just like one man (Adam) brought sin, one Man (Christ) brings all these blessings.

Paul also shows our problem is bigger than breaking God’s law.

Yes, sin is breaking the law, not obeying God’s commands and not blessing what God blesses. But sin goes much deeper. Sin affects our nature, not just our actions. That’s why 2 Timothy 1:9-10, says God saved us “not according to our works” but by His purpose and grace given in Christ before the world began, now revealed through Christ who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

It’s not “How do we get people to do right?” It’s “How can people live forever?” which’s a much bigger issue.

Christ doesn’t just fix Israel’s covenant problems. He fixes the problem that goes all the way back to Adam, the first man and without Paul’s revelation of the mystery, we wouldn’t understand Adam’s connection to Christ.

Romans 5:12 says “by one man”, meaning Adam was a real man. This, of course,  teaches against ideas of evolution with no single first man. It also shows the creation of male and female (as Jesus said in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6). And it shows man is not like angels.

Sin entered the world by man, not angels. The devil sinned first, but sin didn’t enter the world until Adam sinned, because God gave dominion of the earth to man though Adam. Angels don’t reproduce, but man does, so Adam’s sin, the nature of sin, passed to all descendants of Adam right down to you and I today, along with our descendants.

God made one man and one woman, and they had children, and that’s how we all got here. We weren’t there in the beginning, but Adam and Eve were.

So when Romans 5:12 says “by one man sin entered the world,” that tells us something important. Sin came in through a man, and the solution also had to come through a Man.

Paul talks more about Adam and creation than anybody else in the New Testament. For example, in Colossians 1:16-17, he says this,

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 

All things—visible and invisible, principalities and powers—were created by Christ.

Genesis 1 tells of the material creation, but Paul shows there were spiritual things created too, things not listed in the Genesis six days account.

In Ephesians 3:9, Paul says,

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

 

Genesis says God created, and Jesus is God, but Paul makes it clear that Christ Himself is the Creator.

This matters because the same Christ who created everything is the One who brings life and immortality (2 Timothy 1:10). Before the world began, God already purposed salvation through this Man.

God didn’t create humanity and then later figure out how to become human. He made man in His image because He already planned that the image of God—Jesus—would one day become a Man. That’s why humans can bear God’s image, but rocks, trees, and animals cannot.

Paul also talks about creation in a way that shows why evolution doesn’t work. Evolution can’t explain angels, souls, or spiritual reality. God is Spirit, and the spiritual world came before the material. Evolution denies spiritual reality. If we believe everything came by natural selection, then we can’t believe in a soul or a spiritual judgment before God.

Paul reveals these spiritual truths so we can think about them correctly.

In Genesis 3, Eve ate the fruit first. So why does Paul say sin came by Adam?

This’s where people get confused. Some even twist the story to say Eve was wiser, or that the story is “pro‑female,” or that women brought humanity forward, and that isn’t new. It was common amongst pagan religions. Ephesus had a huge temple to Artemis built on that idea.

Timothy lived in Ephesus, and Paul warned him in 1 Timothy 2 about false teaching influenced by that culture. When Paul says he doesn’t allow a woman to teach or usurp authority, he’s talking about wrong doctrine in the assembly based on these pagan ideas.

Paul tells men to be quiet too when they teach wrongly. His point isn’t that man was created first so woman must be silent. His point is in verse 14 (1 Timothy 2:14) where we see that “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived…”

The Bible teaches we all came from one man, Adam, not one woman. That doesn’t glorify man, because it’s the man who brought sin and death into the world.

In 1 Timothy 2:14, where Paul says that Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, he’s pointing out that she was tricked, deceived, by the serpent as Genesis 3 shows us, but that Adam sinned knowingly.

That’s why sin is counted to Adam, not Eve.

Maybe Eve didn’t hear God’s command directly, because in Genesis 2 God spoke to Adam, not Eve.

Eve was deceived but that’s not the same as breaking a known command, and since the command was given to Adam, his sin is the one that counted. Eve could eat, but Adam had the rule.

Maybe Eve shouldn’t have acted on her own and gone to Adam and put the matter before him. Instead of that, she allowed herself to be deceived by Satan and she also fell into transgression.

The Bible simply teaches that Adam sinned.

That’s why Romans 5:12 says, “By one man sin entered the world, and death by sin.” Not by Eve. Not by deception. By Adam. God told Adam directly not to eat. Scripture never shows God giving that command to Eve.

Job even mentions Adam.

In Job 31:33, Job says he didn’t hide his sin “as Adam.”

Adam sinned, then hid, making fig leaves and hiding from God. That’s human nature— to sin and then deny it. Paul already proved in Romans chapters 2–3 that all the world is guilty. In Romans 5 he explains why, because we all come from Adam, and we all inherited the sin nature that was in him.

Because all humanity comes from one man, there’s no Jew or Gentile in Adam. Adam wasn’t an Israelite and there were no covenants, no temple, no law. When Paul goes back to Adam, he sets aside the whole Jewish system to show the root problem which was that sin entered humanity through one man, and the Savior had to be one Man too—Christ—who brings righteousness to all – like Adam brought sin to all.

Paul also makes clear that sin did not enter before Adam. All theories about pre‑Adam worlds, pre‑Adam people, or sin before Adam have no Scripture behind them. Sin entered by Adam, and death came with it.

Romans 5:12 teaches that sin affects all of us, completely—mind, body, heart, thoughts, everything we do. The life we inherited from our fathers is corrupted. Sin destroys what God made for life and blessing. Some people say our bodies die but our souls stay pure, or that we can reach righteousness by our own mind. But Scripture says sin touches every part of us. That’s why we need a quickening Spirit to save us, which is the Spirit which brings life out of death.

Sin is the reason for death, and it’s also the reason for pain, suffering, judgment, injustice, poverty, and all the evil in the world. People ask, “Why did God make the world this way?” He didn’t. Sin corrupted it.

Paul says death came by sin, and death has “passed upon all men.” Death is universal. Everybody dies.

People today try to deny sin and try to chase life through science or some sort of enhanced spirituality without even knowing what life or death really is. But Hebrews 9:27 says it plainly,

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

 

If death is universal, then sin is universal, and that means the problem is bigger than Israel and bigger than the law or our sorry attempts to “be good”.

The law can’t fix death. Sin came before the law.

Telling a broken thing to “do right” doesn’t fix it. If the inside is corrupted, commands won’t help. So the solution must be beyond Israel and beyond the law.

That solution is Jesus Christ. Adam’s sin caused death; Christ brings life. Christ came to save all mankind, to bring heaven and earth together in Him.

Romans 5:12 says sin entered by one man, and death by sin, and death passed upon all because all sinned. We’re genealogical descendants of that one man.

In Genesis 1:27, God made Adam in His own image. But in Genesis 5:3, Adam’s son was born in Adam’s image—a fallen image.

So we all inherit corrupted life from Adam and that’s why we all die.

People argue about Genesis, saying chapter 1 and 2 contradict each other, but they don’t. Genesis 1 gives the creation days; Genesis 2 gives the story of the garden. The same writer wrote both. The real question is: how did Adam die?

God said in Genesis 2:17,

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

 

Adam and Eve ate in Genesis 3, but they didn’t drop dead that moment. They lived long enough to be cast out, have children, and grow old. So what was the death that happened that day?

In Genesis 3:3 Eve told the serpent God had said not to touch the tree, even though God never said that.

The serpent denied death and promised “your eyes shall be opened… ye shall be as gods.”

She ate and didn’t fall over dead, so she may have thought nothing happened. But Scripture explains there’s physical death and spiritual death.

In Ezekiel 18:4 God says,

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

 

When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their fellowship with God. They were no longer justified. Their communion with God was broken.

Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 2:14

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

That spiritual understanding was cut off in Genesis 3. That’s why they were driven out of the garden—so they wouldn’t eat the Tree of Life while spiritually dead. Angels who sinned had no hope, but God let Adam and Eve live in the flesh so they could be redeemed. God even replaced their fig leaves with animal skins, showing the first sacrifice.

So when Adam brought sin into the world, the death that came was both physical and spiritual. Physical death came later, but spiritual death came that exact same day. They lost access to the Tree of Life and to God Himself. That’s the death Romans 5 is talking about, and that’s why we need Christ, the One who brings life where Adam brought death.

In Romans 5:9–11, Paul says that in Christ we now have atonement, we’re reconciled, we have forgiveness, we’re saved from wrath and we have eternal life because our spirit’s made alive.

But in Adam, we only have death.

So, when Paul says in Romans 5:12,

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

He’s laying the foundation for the next chapters which have to do with the difference between the old man, the one in Adam and the new man, the one in Christ. The old man is fallen and dead in sin while the new man is justified by faith.

Paul says death passed upon all men.

Do we die because we personally sinned? The wages of sin is death, yes, but even babies die and they haven’t committed sins, yet they die because they inherited death from Adam.

We’re not sinners because we sin. We sin because we’re sinners by nature and we’re born that way.

Some old teachings said people are born innocent until they sin. But Scripture shows we were broken the day we were born, because we were born in Adam. The life we inherited is not eternal life. Every person born eventually dies, showing that our life’s corrupted.

Does the fact that “all have sinned” mean we were somehow inside Adam, choosing sin with him? No. That would be unjust. God says He does not hold children guilty for their father’s sins as we see in a number of places especially Ezekiel 18:20 and Deuteronomy 24:16.

Adam is our father, but we weren’t there in the garden. We’re guilty for our own sins, not Adam’s. Paul already covered that in Romans 1–3.

So why bring up Adam?

Because Paul’s showing that we’re not sinners only because of our actions. We’re sinners because we were born spiritually dead. We sin because we’re sinners.

Our first sin came from a broken nature. We were born disconnected from God, and sin naturally follows.

This is what people call original sin. Adam, the first man, made sinners by his sin.

Romans 5:19 says, “By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.” Adam didn’t force us to sin, but when he fell and had children, those children were born in his fallen image which we see in Genesis 5:3.

A newborn baby hasn’t done anything right or wrong yet, but they will die because they’re descended from the man who brought death into the world through sin, Adam.

We do not inherit Adam’s guilt.

We inherit Adam’s corrupt, broken, mortal nature. A fallen creature cannot produce an unfallen, eternal one. That’s why every child, no matter how sweet, will one day die.

Ever since Adam, sinners are born, sinners sin, and sinners die. That’s our nature. And when a person finally faces that, they often blame God. They ask “If there is a God, why did He make us this way?”

But God didn’t make the world this way. Sin did. And God showed His love by sending Christ to die for us, while we were yet sinners, as Romans 5:8 says, all to save us from the power and the consequences of that sin.

Christ came to fix what Adam broke. Adam brought death; Christ brings life. In Christ we can be spiritually quickened, or made alive, forgiven, reconciled, and given wisdom Adam never had after he fell.

Salvation isn’t just a religious idea—it’s God rescuing us from the ruined condition we’re born into.

Like giving a broken child education, food, and help, Christ lifts us out of Adam’s curse and gives us blessings from heaven.

In Christ we inherit what He has—eternal life, glory, resurrection.

In Adam we inherit death. Humanity’s under Adam’s curse, and then we add our own sins on top of it.

Scripture teaches this everywhere.

Psalm 14 says none are righteous. Psalm 39:5 says that even at a man’s best state he is vanity or empty. Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

This starts at birth. Parenting and nurturing tries to help, but children are still born sinners. Even with every advantage, they still choose wrong.

1 Corinthians 2:14 says that the natural man cannot know the things of God while Romans 3:10 says none are righteous.

Romans 7:24 shows Paul crying out, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” And the answer in Romans 7:25 is Jesus Christ our Lord.

So when Romans 5:12 says “death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,” it means God doesn’t hold us guilty for Adam’s sin, but we still suffer the death and corruption that came from him.

We’re responsible for our own sins, but we’re born spiritually dead because of Adam.

Then Paul continues in Romans 5:13 and here’s where the parenthesis, or the detour starts,

(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

 

He’s showing the timeline. Sin entered in Genesis 3 through Adam. The law came much later at Mt Sinai through Moses.

Sin and death were already here long before Moses. That’s why the law cannot fix the problem. The root is Adam, and the solution is Christ.

Romans chapter 2 told us that if there’s no law to break, then there’s no transgression of that law. In Romans 3:20 he tells us the law brings the knowledge of sin.

Religious thinking says, “You’re a sinner because you broke the commandments.” But Paul’s showing that the law only reveals that we’re a sinner. It’s not what made us a sinner. We’re a sinner because of Adam.

From Adam to Moses there was no written law. Genesis moves fast through this time—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—and then in Exodus the law’s given and Israel becomes a nation. But Paul goes all the way back before Israel and before the law to show where the real problem started. Sin didn’t begin with Moses. Sin began with Adam, the first man. And from Adam to Moses, sin was still in the world even though there was no law.

Paul destroys the thinking that sin only exists when there’s a command to break by saying sin was present without the law.

Just read Genesis—Cain killing Abel, the wickedness before the flood, the whole world judged in Noah’s day. God judged sin long before the law of Moses. So the problem’s not Israel’s law. The problem is humanity itself, going back to Adam.

When Paul says here in Romans 5:13 that “Sin is not imputed where there is no law.” That doesn’t mean God ignored sin. The flood proves He didn’t. It means man didn’t fully recognize his sin. The law shows sin clearly, but it isn’t the only way to know sin.

In Romans 2, Paul says Gentiles without the law still perish without the law because they have a conscience. God wrote the work of the law in their hearts. Adam hid from God because he knew he sinned. People know right and wrong inside.

So the issue isn’t the law. It’s a spiritual problem.

In Romans 5:14, still in this parenthesis. Paul says,

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Adam sinned by breaking a direct command: “Don’t eat from the tree.” No one else had that command. Yet they still died. Why? Because they were sinners by nature, spiritually dead children, descendants of Adam.

Adam’s sin was unique. He was sinless when he sinned. You and I are sinners who sin—that’s expected of fallen people, but Adam didn’t have a sinful nature to start with. He chose to disobey God. We never sinned the way Adam sinned, yet we still die because we inherited his corrupted life.

The life we receive from Adam is a life that ends in death, both physical and spiritual.

God gave man the ability to produce life, but after Adam sinned, the life he passed on was broken meaning every person born eventually dies.

But the life that comes from Christ is eternal.

1 Corinthians 15:45 says this,

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Christ) was made a quickening spirit.

Christ is a quickening or life giving spirit.

He makes dead spirits alive. In Adam we’re all spiritually dead, and only Christ can give resurrection life, eternal life.

Adam was made alive, but he brought sin and death into the world.

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” according to Ezekiel 18:4 and 18:20 Christ, the last Adam, is a quickening Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:1-2 says,

FOR we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

This speaks of our present mortal body as our earthly house, this tabernacle or tent. A tent’s not a permanent dwelling. It’s a portable one for pilgrims and travellers.

Christians look forward to death—not because we hate life, but because we know that when this earthly body dies, we have “a house, a body, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

We groan in these weak bodies. Life in the flesh is burdensome, corrupted, falling apart.

But Paul says we’re not wishing to be “unclothed” or not wishing for no life at all. Instead we’re longing to be clothed with better life, eternal life, like trading tattered clothes for a perfect new suit. That shows the difference between Adam and Christ.

In Adam something’s missing. Communion with God, access to eternal life. Adam lost that, and every child born after him’s missing it too. In Christ we regain what Adam lost and immortality is brought to light through the gospel.

So, in Romans 5:14, Paul says death reigned even over those who “had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression.”

Adam sinned by breaking a direct command. No one else had that command. Yet all still died because all inherited Adam’s fallen condition. Then Paul says Adam “is the figure of him that was to come.” Adam is a type—a picture—of Christ.

The Bible uses figures and shadows, but it also defines them so we don’t invent our own.

Jeremiah 18:6 for example says this,

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD . Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

God says Israel is the clay and He is the potter. That figure is about Israel, not the church.

In Isaiah 5:7 we read,

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: …

The vineyard is “the house of Israel.”

In Hebrews 9:24, the earthly temple is a “figure of the true” in heaven.

In Hebrews 10:1, the law is a “shadow of good things to come,” and the sacrifices are shadows of Christ.

Jesus Himself used this pattern in Matthew 12:40: “As Jonah was… so shall the Son of Man be”.

Stephen used it too in Acts 7, showing how Israel rejected Joseph just like they rejected Christ.

So when Paul says Adam is a figure of Christ, he means Adam’s one act affected all humanity, and Christ’s one act also affects all humanity.

Adam came before Israel, before the law, before sin entered. Yet he’s still a picture of Christ—the One who would undo what Adam did and bring life where Adam brought death.

Adam being a figure of Christ goes far beyond the shadows in the law. Colossians 2:17 says that meats, drinks, holy days, and Sabbaths are only shadows, but the body is Christ.

Adam’s figure is older and greater than all those patterns. Hebrews talks about shadows in the law, but Adam’s picture reaches back before Israel, before Moses and before the law itself.

In Romans 5:18, Paul sums up his point,

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

By one man, Adam, all became sinners. By one Man, Jesus Christ, all who believe become righteous and live. Paul shows the parallel: by Adam came sin and death; by Christ comes righteousness and life.

Adam and Christ share many similarities as figures.

Both were men.

Both had God as their Father.

Both were made without sin.

Both had bodies of flesh and blood.

Both were named by God and bore God’s image.

Both could have lived forever.

Both were offered dominion over the world.

Both were given a command. Both spoke with God in a garden. Both were under a law.

Both faced a choice that affected all humanity.

Both were cursed.

Both bore thorns.

Both died because of sin.

Both died by a tree.

Both brought imputation on all.

Both brought something that would reign over the world.

And both obtained something no one else could.

Paul uses Adam, not Israel or Moses, to explain our position in Christ.

If we understand the Adam problem, we understand why Christ had to come—and how His one act fixes everything Adam broke.

That’s what Paul is revealing in Romans 5.

Before we finish, I urge you to have a listen to the article we’ve just broadcast called “Was Jesus God”.

For us to properly understand the gift that Romans 5 speaks of, along with every other writing in scripture, we must know who Jesus Christ really is. The Bible says He’s God, God manifest in man’s flesh.

If that’s not true the Bible is useless and there’s no Christianity, no salvation from sin and no hope other than this world and this life.

However, many people, even many claiming to be Christians, don’t believe that Jesus was God.

This article will hopefully help to answer the question, “Was Jesus God”?

Romans 5:9-11 – We Have “Much More”

In this episode we’re in Romans 5:9-11.

This passage sits in the middle of this chapter in Romans where Paul’s pouring out all the spiritual blessings we have in Christ after being justified by faith which we saw in Romans 5:1.

He’s talking to saved people, people who believed the gospel explained in Romans chapters 3–4, where we learn that justification comes by faith, not by works. We see in this passage our salvation from God’s wrath which will come upon this unbelieving world.

“Speed Slider”

KJV 1611 Transaltions-Highlighted

King James 1611 Bible Transaltions – Click or Tap to Enlarge Image

Romans 5:5-8 – Transcript

In Romans 5 Paul shows that justification is only the beginning. He keeps saying “much more”, as in verses 9 and 10, and “not only so” in verse 11 and he repeats it again and again such as in verses 15, 17 and 20.

He’s letting us know that in Christ we don’t just get a little, we get much more than we ever thought.

All this comes from our position in Christ, not from any covenant, not from our obedience, and not from anything we earned. These blessings belong to us because of the grace given through Christ according to the mystery revealed to Paul.

In the first verses of Romans 5 Paul lists what we already have. In Romans 5:1–2 we have peace with God. We may not feel peaceful in life, but with God we have peace, not because of what we feel, but because we’re justified by faith.

Then he says we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. Not just access to God, we stand in grace. God didn’t just open the door; He put us right inside.

Then he says we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not because we did well, but because we’re justified by faith.

In verses 3–8 he adds more: we glory in tribulations, which sounds strange because tribulations and troubles don’t feel very glorious, but none the less it’s a blessing we already have from walking by faith.

Then he talks about the love of God shed abroad in our hearts in verse 5. Paul explains that love in verses 6–8: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.

If we want to know God’s love, we look at the cross. Rejecting the cross is rejecting God’s love; receiving Christ is receiving God’s love.

 

We also have the Holy Ghost in verse 5.

The Spirit shows us God’s love, seals us as Ephesians 1:13 states, and applies Christ’s work to us. He will not leave us.

 

Then in verse 9 (Romans 5:9) Paul starts the “much more” section. He writes,

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

 

This is the first time since Romans chapter 1 that Paul mentions salvation, and he shows that one of our greatest blessings is that we’re saved from God’s wrath, wrath that’s the worst thing man can image.

He continues on in Romans 5:10-11 saying,

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

 

We’re saved by His life. Christ’s life is eternal life, so we not only have life and peace now, but eternal life and peace.

Then in verse 11 he says we can joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom now we’ve received the atonement, and that “now” matters.

We have it already.

 

All these blessings—peace, access, standing in grace, hope of glory, glorying in tribulation, the love of God, the Holy Ghost, salvation from wrath, eternal life, joy in the Lord, and the atonement—all come in the package called sanctification.

Sanctification doesn’t mean us trying to please God to stay saved, like many people preach and teach, It means God set us apart in Christ. Our new standing in Christ is why we have all these things. Without being in Christ, we’d have none of them.

 

So when Paul says in Romans 5:9, “much more then, being now justified,” he’s talking to believers. Everything that follows belongs to those who’re justified by faith.

 

Paul’s not talking about the whole human race here, including unbelievers when he says “being now justified”.

He means it’s something we have right now, a present possession from our position in Christ, those who have believed and trust the gospel.

Even having those blessings from God now is a blessing in itself.

 

Before this dispensation of grace that we live in today, God mostly gave promises of blessings, future blessings such as to Abraham and to Israel. Even Jesus promised the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in Paradise. Future, even if it was very near future.

Those were promises, not present possessions.

We also have future promises in Christ, but when Paul says now, he means blessings that we already have this moment even while we’re still in sinful flesh.

 

In Romans 5:9–11 Paul keeps using this timing. In verse 9 he says, “being now justified”. In verse 10 it’s “being reconciled”. In verse 11 it’s “we have now received the atonement”.

Each one is something we already have.

We’re “now justified by His blood”.

Earlier in Romans 5:1 he said we’re justified by faith. Now he explains what that faith is, faith in the blood of Christ as we already saw in Romans 3:25.

Christ shed His blood long before we believed, but our faith rests in that blood. Romans 4:25 says He was delivered for our offences. Colossians 1:14 says we have redemption through His blood. The blood of Christ is essential for justification.

 

This also shows that justification always requires a work.

James 2:24 says faith without works is dead but the difference is James was talking about a man’s own works and in a different dispensation, but Paul’s talking about Christ’s work now, right now. His shed blood is the work that justifies us.

 

Then Paul says, “much more… we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

As we said, this’s the first time since Romans 1:16 that Paul uses the word “saved.” Before this, Paul proved we were sinners who needed salvation. Then he showed justification by faith in Christ’s blood. Now he shows the result: which is “being justified, we shall be saved from wrath”.

 

Abraham was justified by faith, but Scripture never says he was saved from God’s wrath the way Paul teaches here.

Salvation from wrath is something God did not reveal until Paul. In past ages, salvation was future and only if they obeyed, endured, and stayed faithful. But now, because of Christ finished the work, we have salvation, and we shall be saved from wrath.

 

Why does Paul say “shall be saved”?

Because wrath is something future. Our sins are forgiven now. We’re justified now, but wrath is something God’ll pour out later.

Wrath is always the consequence of sin, but God often waits before pouring it out. Romans 1:18 says the wrath of God is revealed, not poured out. It’s known. It’s proven to be deserved, but it’s not happening yet.

No matter how bad we might think this world is today, or at any point in its history for that matter, it doesn’t hold a candle to the terror of God’s coming wrath.

 

By the time we reach Romans 5, Paul’s already shown our guilt, then our justification, then our joy in Christ. Now he explains that when God finally pours out wrath, it will not fall on you and me, those who are now justified by faith in Chris’s blood. That is part of our salvation and shows something simple but important: in this dispensation of grace, God is not pouring out wrath. He’s offering grace.

Romans 5:1 says we have peace with God. Verse 9 says we shall be saved from wrath. By this we know God’s not pouring out judgment today.

 

The Bible shows times past when God was pouring out wrath, but He’s not right now.

That’s why Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1:10,

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

 

Jesus hasn’t come yet, so that wrath is still future. We’re not saved out of this present evil world yet—we’re still living in it—but we are saved, in Christ, from that wrath still to come.

So when Paul talks about salvation from wrath, he’s teaching two things:

  1. God is dispensing grace, not judgment, right now.
  2. Wrath is still coming in the future.

 

Some think that because Paul teaches grace, God’s dropped the whole wrath idea, as if He’s finished being angry forever. But that’s not true. Romans 1:18 says the wrath of God is revealed from heaven.

Romans 2:5 says people with hard hearts are “treasuring up wrath” for the day of wrath. Future! Wrath hasn’t been poured out yet, but it’s building up.

 

People ask, “If God’s loving, why doesn’t He stop evil? They either forget or don’t consider that God’s got a purpose for this earth and for mankind. He isn’t a robot. There’s a time for His love to be shown, and a time for His wrath to be shown. Right now He’s showing His love and the cross is the proof of that. He’s still saving people not pouring out wrath yet.

 

This is the heart of studying the bible rightly dividing the dispensations or the ages.

God does different things at different times. Right now its grace. But wrath is still coming against all ungodliness (Romans 2:5).

 

Paul warns the Colossians and the Ephesians the same way.

Colossians 3:6 says,

For which things’ sake (that’s the things he explained in the previous verse) the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

Ephesians 5:6 says the same.

That doesn’t mean saved people will face wrath.

Romans 5:9 says we “shall be saved from wrath.” Paul’s simply saying: if you weren’t saved by grace, these sins would bring wrath on you. So don’t act like sin’s OK.

 

Wrath is also taught in prophecy.

In Matthew 3:7, John the Baptist warns about “the wrath to come.” Has that wrath come yet? No!

John 3:36 says the unbeliever has the wrath of God abiding on him. Revelation 14:10 shows the full, terrifying wrath of God poured out without mixture. God’s wrath is real, and it is fearsome.

 

God’s first goal isn’t to get man to love Him.

He wants all men saved.

1 Timothy 2:4 says,

Who (that’s God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

When we come into the knowledge of the truth then we love Him because we see His love in Him dying for us while we were His enemy and holding back wrath, offering salvation to those who don’t deserve it. And we see, through Romans here, just what He’s given us when we trust in that completed work on the cross.

 

Wrath also appears under Israel’s covenants.

Hebrews 3 reminds Israel how God swore in His wrath that the unbelieving generation would not enter His rest. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness. Hebrews warns them the same could happen again—unbelief brings wrath.

Hebrews explains a lot about the atonement and the reconciling work Christ did. But Hebrews also warns New Covenant Israel that if they sin wilfully, there’s no more sacrifice for sins. That’s Hebrews 10:26.

All this shows one thing:

The dispensation of grace does not cancel the wrath of God.

It only means wrath is delayed while God offers salvation through Christ’s atonement.

Paul says we have the atonement now, but Hebrews says Israel, if they turn away, faces a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation. That’s Hebrews 10:27. That’s wrath.

Under Moses’ law they died without mercy, and Hebrews says the punishment is sorer, or worse, for those who tread underfoot the Son of God after receiving the truth.

 

Hebrews 12:18-22 shows Israel not coming to Mount Sinai with thunder and fire, but coming to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. That’s wonderful but it’s only if they endure to the end.

If they don’t, they lose it. There’s no more atonement.

They’re receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, but that kingdom’s not here yet.

Hebrews 12:28-29 says this,

Wherefore we (Israel) receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

 

But Romans 5 says something far better for us. Much more, being justified by faith, we are saved from wrath.

That’s a blessing national Israel does not have under the New Covenant.

James 4:6 says God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. But today God gives grace through faith, not because we’re humble. Believers can still be proud, but we’re not under wrath.

 

Peter’s epistles also show judgment falling on Israel’s remnant.

1 Peter 4:17 says judgment must begin at the house of God.

That’s not the Body of Christ despite the modern mis association that has the local church building called the “house of God”.

Peter says judgment “is come,” but Paul says we’re saved from wrath. Different programs.

 

2 Peter 3:5–7 reminds Israel of the flood—God’s judgment—and says the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire in the day of judgment. Wrath will come.

Scripture is clear: even after Jesus came and went back to heaven, wrath is still future.

Paul preaches us, the Body of Christ today, that salvation from wrath is by grace through faith, not by works.

 

So, Romans 5:9 says,

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

 

Everything we have is through Christ. Without Him we have nothing.

How do we get into Christ? By trusting His finished work. Then God places us in Him.

 

Romans 5:1 said justification gives us peace with God. Peace means no wrath.

Romans 5:10-11 explains it.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

 

When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. If we weren’t reconciled we’d still be enemies just as all today who’re not reconciled are God’s enemies.

If God reconciled us when we were sinners and ungodly enemies as Romans 5:8; and Romans 4:5 says He did, then, as verse 10 says, much more, now that we’re reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

 

Wrath is what God pours out on His enemies. Sin makes a person God’s enemy. But Christ died for us while we were enemies, and now we’re reconciled.

So the same reason we have peace and the hope of glory, is the same reason we’re saved from wrath and saved by His life.

 

Romans 5:11 says we have now received the atonement.

The cross is the picture of God’s love. Romans 5:8 showed that love; Romans 5:11 says we possess it now. Paul’s showing the riches of God’s grace toward us—peace, reconciliation, atonement, salvation from wrath, and life in Christ.

 

God is righteous and holy, full of peace, love, and joy. When we live contrary to that, we stand as enemies of all that’s good. Yet, incredibly, God still wants to save His enemies.

That’s why He holds back judgment. Humans don’t love their enemies like that—we want to destroy them. But God never acts rashly. When His wrath finally comes, it’ll be righteous.

 

Many people think and say, “I’m a good person.” But Romans 2–3 shows we’re all sinners. We all deserve wrath.

Titus 3:3–5 says we were foolish and disobedient, but the kindness and love of God appeared. We didn’t fix ourselves. We didn’t turn over a new leaf. That’s impossible.

God showed His love at the cross, so we could be justified by faith.

 

Now, in Romans 5:11, Paul then brings in a new word: reconciled. Reconciliation means restoring a broken relationship. Sin caused a break between us and God.

God didn’t sin, but because of our sin there was separation. Yet God Himself dealt with the problem at the cross. Christ did everything needed. Our part is simply to trust what He did.

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 says if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. All things become new and God has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. How? Paul explains: God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses. That’s the cross.

Nobody standing there on that day understood it. The soldiers didn’t know. The disciples ran away. But God was working His purpose—making atonement.

 

When Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,” He wasn’t saying their actions were right. He was saying He would not count their sins against them because He went to the cross willingly.

That’s why the idea that God rejected Israel for killing the Messiah is wrong. He purposed to die. He died to reconcile the world. Look at Matthew 26:53-54 at Jesus’s arrest.

Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

 

Jesus could so easily have walked away from the whole terrible experience.

Many preachers today load people with guilt over the cross—talking about the nails, the thorns, the blood, as if we personally killed Him. But the Bible says He died for our sins, not because you and I physically nailed Him there against His will but because it was His will.

The greatest sin is not the crucifixion itself—it’s the sin in every human heart. Christ died for all of it.

 

We preach the glory of the cross, the success of God’s incredible plan, not guilt. If we’re not preaching the cross as the place where we’re crucified with Him and receive the results of His death by grace, we’re not preaching it right.

 

2 Corinthians 5:19–21 says God has given us the word of reconciliation. We’re ambassadors for Christ, begging people, “Be ye reconciled to God.” Christ was made sin for us, though He knew no sin, so we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He died an innocent death—the Son of God, sinless, perfect, God manifest in the flesh.

 

The atonement is finished. The breach is healed on God’s side. But it’s not applied to us until we personally are reconciled to God by faith in the gospel. The Holy Spirit applies that salvation the moment we believe.

 

Romans 5:10 says we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Paul’s not trying to make us feel guilty as if we personally killed God’s Sonas we’ve said. He’s showing that the very thing we’d think would cause the biggest fight between God and man—the death of His Son—is actually what heals the break between us and God.

If God reconciled us when we were His enemies, then much more, now that we’re at peace with Him, we shall be saved by His life.

 

Christ didn’t stay dead.

If He had, there’d be no proof He was the Son of God. His death paid for sins. That’s the atonement, but His resurrection gives us all the blessings of new life.

If we’re in Christ, we get everything that belongs to Him: His death, His resurrection, His life, His blessings.

Paul later explains that we’re either in Adam or in Christ. If we’re in Christ, we get it all and we’ll see that explained in the next episode.

The death of Christ was the hard work. He humbled Himself, took on flesh, suffered, obeyed, and died as we see in Philippians 2.

Rising from the dead is impossible for us, but not for God.

In John 17 Jesus prayed, “Glorify me,” looking toward the resurrection. His death was suffering; His resurrection is glory. That’s why we preach the glory of the cross, because Jesus is not still dead.

 

Paul says, “Being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Reconciliation means peace with God. Salvation from wrath is a great blessing, but having Christ’s life, eternal life, is grace upon grace. Not only does God spare us from what we deserve, He gives us what we never deserved—Christ’s own life.

 

Paul talks about this in Philippians 3:10–11. Facing death, he says he wants to know Christ, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.

The hard part for us is this life and death we face now. The glory comes later. Paul wanted to “attain unto the resurrection,” meaning he wanted to experience the glory Christ now has.

 

How do we know we’ll get that glory?

Because we’re justified by faith, at peace with God, reconciled by Christ’s death.

If God reconciled us when we were His enemy, why wouldn’t He give us His life now that we belong to Him?

 

2 Timothy 2:8 says,

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my (Paul’s) gospel:

 

The resurrection was prophesied, but Paul explains why Christ rose—to give you and me eternal riches in glory. Christ is in glory now.

 

Colossians 3:2–4 says this,

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

 

Because He lives, you and I can have guaranteed glory.

 

The wonderful Ephesians 2:5–7 says when we were dead in sins, God quickened us or gave us life from the dead, with Christ, raised us up, and seated us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

We’re still on earth, but our position is already with Him. In the ages to come, God will show the exceeding riches of His grace toward us through Christ.

 

Romans 5:10 says we’re saved by His life and since His life is eternal, our life is eternal.

Romans 5:21 says grace now reigns “unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” while Romans 6:23 says the gift of God is eternal life through Christ. That’s the life we have because we’re justified and reconciled.

 

In Romans 8 Paul asks, “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

If God gave His Son to die for us when we were His enemy, then much more, now that we’re reconciled, He will “freely give us all things”. That’s Romans 8:32.

Nobody can lay a charge against us, because God‘s the one who justifies. Nobody can condemn us, because Christ died and rose again and now intercedes for us. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. The gospel gives us everything.

 

Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord alway.” Earthly joys—food, rest, comfort—are all temporary. But joy in the Lord never runs out. The more we set our mind on what Christ has done, the less miserable we are in this life, even in tribulation.

 

Just a few chapters earlier, Romans 3 showed us nothing but guilt—every mouth stopped, all the world guilty. But now Paul speaks of joy, not guilt. Romans 8:15 says God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the Spirit of adoption. We’re not under the bondage of the law anymore. We’re a son, freely given all things. That’s why we can joy in God.

 

Paul says in Romans 5:11 we’ve now received the atonement, Christ’s work on the cross, the full payment for sins. Christ died once, long before Paul wrote Romans. But we receive the atonement the moment we believe the gospel.

The Holy Spirit seals us, applies the cross to us, and gives us forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, and every blessing in Christ. It’s not something we wait for in the future. It’s a present possession.

 

So Romans 5 teaches that:

  • We’re reconciled by Christ’s death.
  • We’re saved by His life.
  • We have eternal life now.
  • We joy in God now.
  • We have the atonement now.
  • And our future glory is guaranteed because He lives.

 

Israel’s Day of Atonement in Leviticus 23:26-32 was a holy day with deep meaning. God told Moses that on the tenth day of the seventh month Israel must “afflict your souls” and bring an offering. All year long the priests made daily sacrifices, but on this one day the high priest entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of the goat and made atonement for the whole nation.

Only Israel’s priests could do this. Gentiles could receive blessing through Israel, but they could not make atonement. All of this pointed to Christ, the true High Priest and final atonement.

 

The Day of Atonement pictured Christ’s cross. The blood was shed, but the full national forgiveness for the nation of Israel won’t be applied until the kingdom comes. The blood’s ready, but the kingdom’s not here yet.

That’s why Jews on Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, still “afflict their souls.”

They mourn their sins, because according to the law, if they don’t humble themselves, they’re “cut off” in Leviticus 23:29. It’s not a day of joy until after the sacrifice is made.

 

Some churches treat the Lord’s Supper like this, sombre, guilty and heavy, like we must feel pain before God forgives us. But that’s not what Paul teaches.

Under the law, affliction came before atonement, but in Romans 5:11 Paul says we now have the atonement, so we joy in God. The affliction is over. The sacrifice is finished. There is no more “I must confess and feel guilty so God will forgive me.” That denies the power of Christ’s blood.

 

Paul says nothing in Romans 5 about water, rituals, or ceremonies. All these blessings—peace, justification, reconciliation, salvation from wrath—come by faith, not by touching water or repeating confessions.

 

Israel still waits for their national atonement. Peter preached in Acts 3:19 that Israel’s sins “shall be blotted out” when Christ returns and brings the “times of refreshing.” When He comes back, He’ll bring the atonement to the whole nation. But only those who “afflict their souls” in repentance will enter that kingdom.

If Israel refuses to humble themselves, they’ll not receive that promised atonement.

 

But that’s not our hope, those in the Body of Christ. We’re not looking for an earthly kingdom. Christ already bore our affliction. Our atonement is now, not future.

Peter speaks of salvation “ready to be revealed in the last time” in 1 Peter 1:5, but Paul says in Romans 5 that we’re already saved from wrath, already saved by His life, and already have received the atonement.

 

Our forgiveness is not waiting on a holy day. It’s not waiting on a kingdom. It is not waiting on our sorrow. It’s finished at the cross and applied the moment we believe.

 

Peter talks about salvation as future, not present.

In 1 Peter 1:5 he says it will be “revealed in the last time.”

In verse 7 he says their faith is tried with fire so it might be found to praise and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

In verse 9 he says they receive quote, “the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

In verse 13 he tells them to quote “hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

So Peter keeps pointing to Christ’s return, His second coming, for them to get salvation and grace in full.

 

Paul’s different.

He says we have salvation now. We glory in the cross (Galatians 6:14).

In 1 Corinthians 1:18 the King James says the preaching of the cross is to “us which are saved” the power of God.

Some newer Bibles say “being saved,” like it’s a process. That fits Peter, Hebrews, and James, but not Paul’s message of a present possession. Paul alone talks about us already being saved, already having peace with God, and already having the atonement.

 

So when trouble comes, we don’t have to ask, “Is God punishing me? Do I need to beg forgiveness again?” No, we already have the atonement. Romans 6 will deal with sin and our daily walk here on this earth, but Romans 5 first settles our standing with God and our grace, peace, joy, hope.

 

Now, there’s a translation issue in Romans 5:11 where it says “we have now received the atonement.”

Some say “atonement” is wrong and should be “reconciliation,” because the Greek word is usually translated that way.

However “Atonement” is not an error. It fits the context perfectly.

In English, “atonement” includes the idea of reconciliation, and the Bible itself uses words in more than one sense depending on context. We don’t need to know Greek to see that.

Using different words actually helps us learn. When Paul says justified by faith and then justified by His blood, we learn something.

When Romans 5:10 says reconciliation and then verse 11 says atonement, we learn that the two are connected. Atonement is the sacrificial payment for sins that results in reconciliation. If atonement is made, reconciliation is provided.

The King James translators stated in their preface that they purposely used different English words for the same Greek word to help the reader understand more.

That’s one reason we can trust the King James because it ties the Old Testament and New Testament together.

We’ve included a screenshot of one of these statements from the 1611 KJV Bible below.

 

Romans 5:11 says we have now received the atonement but Israel in the Old Testament received atonement through sacrifices. Paul’s showing the cross is the finished sacrifice, and we receive its benefits now by faith.

Atonement also fits the context of joy.

In the Old Testament, Israel afflicted their souls before the atonement, then rejoiced afterward. Paul says we “joy in God… now receiving the atonement.” The affliction’s over, the sacrifice is done and we stand in joy.

 

Atonement also helps to understand God’s different dispensations.

National Israel has the promise of atonement under the New Covenant, but it’s not applied to them yet. Romans 11:25–27 says Israel will be saved in the future when the Deliverer comes and “takes away their sins.” That’s atonement applied at Christ’s return, His second coming. Christ already made the atonement, but He hasn’t returned yet to apply it to Israel nationally.

But for us, under the revelation of the mystery in the dispensation of Grace, in the Body of Christ today which includes individual Jews and Gentiles, the atonement is finished and applied now.

We already have forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, and joy through Christ.

Romans 5:5-8 – God’s Love Revealed

In this episode we’re in Romans 5:5-8 which shows us the love of God and what many people believe is the greatest book and the greatest chapter in the bible and that’s true especially for us today who’re in the Body of Christ living in this dispensation of grace.

“Speed Slider”

Romans 5:5-8 – Transcript

Well we’re still in what many people believe is the greatest book and the greatest chapter in the bible and that’s true especially for us today who’re in the Body of Christ living in this dispensation of grace.

And true to the apostle Paul’s style we have a long letter that covers many arguments that are completely integrated with all the other arguments he makes both before and after to current one we’re reading. So to really get the gist of what God’s teaching us through the Holy Spirit, through Paul we really need to take the whole chapter as one subject with many differing, but integrated points.

We saw last episode from Romans 5:3-5 that when a believer walks by faith, knowing the gifts, the riches of grace, that we have in Christ, that tribulation affects us differently.

Tribulation produces patience and patience produces experience and experience produces hope.

But if we don’t understand what Christ has done for us, tribulation only brings frustration, pain and suffering either mentally or physically, or both.

We can trust in the gospel and be saved yet still live a life of frustration and pain if we don’t know what we have in Christ and that knowledge comes from one source only, God’s Word, the Bible.

When we fully understand these verses in Romans, and many of Paul’s other writings concerning tribulation, we come to realise that for a person to be able to not only have peace and hope in tribulations but to glory in them is probably the single most wonderful and amazing gift we have in Christ.

Imagine the heartbreak of losing a loved one, imagine the anxiety of a terminal illness diagnosis or the pain of broken body parts. Imagine being able to suffer in them while at the same time having a hope and a peace that surpasses understanding; and only Jesus Christ can bring that to a human spirit.

Worldly wealth and riches, fun and amusement or fame cannot produce that state. The world’s full of heartbroken, fearful and hurting people who have material wealth.

 

Romans 5 lists the blessings God gives the believer by grace once we’re justified by faith.

In Romans 5:5 where we finished last time we read,

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

 

This is the first time Paul mentions the love of God in Romans, and by the time we reach Romans 8 we’ll learn that nothing can separate us from that love.

Many Christians think certain things can cut them off from God’s love, but Paul says nothing can.

God’s love, according to Romans 5:5, is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

 

One of those great blessings we receive when we’re justified is the Holy Ghost.

Romans 5:5 is also the first mention of the Holy Ghost in Romans. Ephesians 1:13 explains when we received Him,

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

 

We heard the gospel, we believed, and then we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

He’s the “earnest” of our inheritance as 2 Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 1:14 says.

The earnest is a pledge or a guarantee that the entire inheritance will follow.

The Holy Spirit puts us into the body of Christ says 1 Corinthians 12:13. He makes us God’s temple says 1 Corinthians 3:16. All of this happened the moment we believed.

 

So how does the Holy Ghost shed abroad the love of God in our hearts? Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 2:10–13.

The Spirit reveals the things God has prepared for us. He knows the deep things of God. He teaches us “the things that are freely given to us of God” which are the very things Romans 5 is describing. The Spirit revealed these truths to Paul, Paul wrote them down, and now we learn them from that writing that we know as Scripture, which the Holy Ghost inspired.

 

The Holy Ghost does not teach us through mystical feelings or through traditions of man, or rituals. He teaches through the written Word that He gave. That’s how we know the love of God, the hope of glory, and the certainty of our salvation.

 

Romans 8:9 says if we’re saved, the Spirit of God dwells in us.

Romans 15:16 says the Holy Ghost is the one who sets us apart. That’s our sanctification, setting apart.

Christ died for our sins, and the Spirit applies that work on the cross to us. The Godhead, The Father, the Son, and the Spirit work together so we can stand in God’s love and know it’s sure.

 

Romans 15:16 says Paul was made a minister to the Gentiles so their offering “might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.” So who puts Gentiles in a position acceptable to God? The Holy Ghost and He is God.

 

Ephesians 2:18 says both Jew and Gentile now have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Christ died and made the atonement, but the Spirit applies it, putting us into the one body. This’s why the fuller knowledge of Christ dying for all is not applied to anyone until the Holy Ghost puts it on us and we receive the Him when we believe the gospel. That’s Ephesians 1:13.

People often think that the Spirit comes before belief, but Scripture says belief comes first, then the Spirit regenerates us and places us in Christ.

 

Ephesians 3:3–5 shows the mystery that was revealed to Paul was revealed by the Spirit. Jesus appeared to Paul, yes, but the revelation itself came by the Holy Ghost.

 

In Acts, the Spirit is the one moving everything—sending Paul, directing Peter, giving miracles, and shifting God’s work from Israel to the body of Christ. The early church doctrine didn’t come from men thinking hard; it came from the Holy Ghost revealing truth.

 

We often forget the Holy Spirit, but He’s not a force, He’s a person of the Godhead.

Jesus said the Spirit would speak of Him.

 

So, again Romans 5:5 says,

…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Paul’s been showing how a believer, walking by faith, can go from tribulation → patience → experience → hope. But this only happens if we understand what Christ has done for us.

If we don’t know the gospel truth, tribulation doesn’t produce patience—it produces frustration.

But when we walk by faith, tribulation works patience, patience works experience, and experience strengthens your hope. Why? Because it’s that faith which is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1) and that comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God (Romans 10:17). That’s why it’s impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:15).

 

So how does the Holy Ghost “shed the love of God abroad in our hearts” and what does that actually mean?

Strongs concordance shows to shed abroad means to pour out or to gush out while Thayer’s adds “to bestow or distribute largely”.

So how this happens is by God, through the Holy Spirit, revealing to us the things God’s prepared for us. He knows the deep things of God, and He teaches us the things freely given to us which is exactly what Romans 5 is describes. When we see and understand the riches of God’s grace freely given to us, hope comes and that hope doesn’t disappoint and through all this, through all that we are now in Christ and at the very bottom of it all is that the whole picture displays God’s love to us.

If we were to hope for something but then later find that we were never going to get it, our hope would be put to shame or destroyed. But the hope of our salvation will never be put to shame.

How can we be so sure?

Because the love of God, His love, has been poured out in our hearts.

The Holy Spirit, which was given to us the moment we believed, as we’ve said, floods our hearts with these expressions of God’s eternal love that He clearly shows us in these verses we’re in now, and by these we’re assured that He will see us safely home to heaven and glory.

After we receive the Spirit and we begin to understand just what we have in Christ, we begin to see and know that God loves us and we begin to understand the magnitude of that love.

This isn’t a vague, mystical sort of emotional feeling like “Somebody up there” loves me. Feelings mean absolutely nothing.

Faith’s not built on feelings, culture, or personal opinions. It’s built on the unchanging, authoritative Word of God. When Scripture speaks, we don’t edit it, soften it, or explain it away, we believe it.

Only what God said has any meaning and when we believe His word and learn about these gifts we’ve been given we can’t help but get a deep conviction that the real and ever present God really loves me as an individual.

 

Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 2:10–13. The Spirit revealed these truths to Paul, Paul wrote them down, and now we learn them from Scripture, which of course, the Holy Ghost inspired. That’s how the Spirit teaches us today by the written Word that He gave and that we believe and accept by Faith, knowing what God said and trusting it. People don’t lack faith because they can’t understand, but because they won’t accept what God said.

 

So, the love of God, then, is something the Holy Ghost reveals through Scripture. Romans 5 says this love is the reason our hope quote “maketh not ashamed.” Our hope is sure because God’s love is sure.

We saw last episode that 2 Timothy 1:12 says,

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 

 

The love of God is His grace. His love shown in Christ dying for sinners. Romans 3 showed God’s love in Christ’s blood. Romans 4 showed it’s received by faith, not works. Romans 5 shows the riches that love gives us now. Romans 8 will show that nothing can separate us from it.

 

So when Romans 5:5 says the Holy Ghost sheds the love of God in our hearts, it means the Spirit teaches us, through Scripture, the truth of God’s love and the certainty of our hope through the riches freely given to us in Christ.

 

Romans 15:16 says it’s the Holy Ghost who sanctifies us or sets us apart for God’s purpose. Christ died for our sins, and the Holy Ghost applies that work to us. The Godhead is one, but the Spirit has a real job in our salvation. He makes us acceptable to God.

 

Ephesians 2:18 says,

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 

 

The “we” here in the context is both saved Jew and Gentile who, are one new man, in one body, The Body of Christ, and now having access to the Father by one Spirit.

That access, according to Thayer’s concordance, means relationship with God whereby we’re acceptable to him and have assurance that He’s favourably disposed towards us.

Christ made the atonement, that was critical for this to happen, but the Spirit places us into that one body.

That’s why Christ’s death for all men is not applied to anyone until they believe the gospel. When we believe, then the Holy Ghost seals us, permanently, and regenerates us, and puts us into Christ.

Scripture clearly shows belief comes first, then the Spirit’s work.

 

Ephesians 3:3–6 says the mystery was revealed to Paul “by the Spirit.”

The Holy Ghost revealed the new dispensation, the body of Christ, and the gospel of grace.

We often forget the Holy Ghost or sort of push Him into the background, but He is God.

 

So, Romans 5:6 begins to explain the love of God. Verse 5 said the Holy Ghost sheds God’s love abroad in our hearts. Verses 6–8 define that love. Let’s read,

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

 

That’s the love of God—the cross.

Paul reminds us who we were. Romans 3 showed we were sinners with no strength to save ourselves, with no righteousness, no ability, no strength to remove our own sins and  to fix ourselves.

But Christ died for us when we were ungodly, sinners.

That’s the love of God. Our hope of glory doesn’t depend on our strength. Our salvation doesn’t depend on how many good works we undertake or how many candles we light or the quantity or quality of the prayers we offer. God’s love was shown at the cross, not in anything our ability is capable of.

 

This is the beginning of Paul’s argument in Romans chapters 5–8, which, as we’ve said, are in the context of the entire book of Romans so far. That sort of argument within the argument, if you like, is  that nothing can separate us from the love of God, because it never depended on us in the first place. It depended on Christ’s finished work and the Holy Ghost applying it to us when we believed.

When we had nothing to offer, Christ died for us.

 

Paul says Christ died “in due time.”

That means He died at the exact time God appointed. God didn’t send Christ right after Adam fell because humanity needed to learn the knowledge of sin. God had to set up Israel, give the law, show righteousness, and prove that even with God’s help, man cannot make himself righteous. The Old Testament shows this over and over and Romans 3:10 reinforces it by saying, “There is none righteous, no, not one.”

This “in due time” phrase shows us the awesome and magnificent wisdom of God and his progressive revelation, the unfolding of His plan absolutely and perfectly executed to the minutest detail over thousands of years.

It was prophesied by the Holy Spirit, speaking through the prophets for centuries.

Christ’s birth, His life, His death were all written about down to the tiniest detail long before He came. No other life in history was foretold like that. His birth, death, burial and resurrection was not some random act. It was at the exact time God said it would be as Galatians 4:4 records,

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

 

This also very obviously means that in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus had not died yet. We can’t read those books as if the cross had already happened.

There was no preaching of forgiveness through the cross yet, because the cross hadn’t happened.

Jesus preached the law to Israel which we can plainly see throughout the 4 Gospels.

When the rich young ruler asked about eternal life in Matthew 19:16-30, Jesus pointed him to the law, not the cross, because the gospel of grace was still hidden at this stage.

 

Titus 1:3 says God “manifested His word through preaching” in due times. 1 Timothy 2:5–6 says,

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 

 

Christ died at the right time, and the revelation of what that death accomplished was also given at the right time.

Christ died before Paul ever received the revelation of the mystery. At Pentecost, the Holy Ghost revealed prophecy about Israel’s kingdom, not the meaning of the cross.

It was later, through Paul,  that the Holy Ghost first revealed what Christ accomplished by His death. That means there was a short period after the cross when even the apostles didn’t yet know the gospel of grace.

 

1 Corinthians 2:7–8 reads,

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

 

Christ couldn’t reveal the mystery before the cross, or the cross wouldn’t have happened which would have been the greatest tragedy for mankind, automatically condemning every person who ever lived to eternal death with no hope of redemption.

Only after His death did the Holy Ghost reveal to Paul what God was doing in Christ.

 

This is the same truth Paul teaches in in the wonderful passage of 2 Corinthians 5:18–21.

Romans and Corinthians are not different messages—they preach the same gospel of Christ’s finished work.

 

So Romans 5:6 reminds us: Christ died for us when we had no strength, when we were yet sinners.

His death was planned, prophesied, and revealed in due time. And the love of God shown at the cross doesn’t depend on our strength, our works, or our performance. It depends entirely on Christ.

Paul’s explaining what was really happening at the cross. When people were nailing Jesus to that instrument of torture and when the disciples ran away confused, God was in Christ, not imputing the world’s sins to them. Nobody standing there at the time knew this.

Jesus didn’t preach it during His earthly ministry. John didn’t know it. Peter didn’t know it. Only after the resurrection did the Holy Ghost reveal it to Paul. That’s why Paul calls it the mystery.

 

So, because we now know what God did by the cross, we’re ambassadors for Christ. We preach reconciliation between man and God because we understand what happened there. And how do we know it? Someone taught us and we believed it. The Holy Ghost sealed us. And, as we’ve read, the love of God was shed abroad in our hearts by that same Holy Ghost. That’s how faith comes.

 

Without this knowledge, nobody could ever look at a cross, which was an instrument of death, and call it love. Without the revelation of what it achieved it represents shame, defeat, and failure.

It wasn’t even built for Jesus; it was Barabbas’ cross. Jesus hung there between criminals, naked and beaten. Nothing about that scene looks glorious. But once the Holy Ghost reveals the mystery, we see what God was doing all through it, reconciling the world to Himself.

 

This is why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21,

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

 

That happened at the cross. And this’s why Romans is such an important book. It explains the meaning of Christ’s death.

We say “Christ died for us” all the time, but that language comes from Paul’s epistles, not from Jesus’ earthly ministry.

 

Romans 5:6 says,

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

 

That word for there is everything.

He didn’t just die because Pilate allowed it or because Israel rejected Him. He died for us, on purpose and with intent, as a substitute.

This is the heart of Christianity. Many people who claim to be Christians reject this, but Scripture is clear: Christ died for sinners.

 

The phrase “died for” appears seven times in the New Testament—all in Paul’s writings. “Gave Himself” appears five times—all in Paul’s writings. Without Paul’s epistles, we just wouldn’t know that Christ died for anyone. We’d only know He died.

 

Why did He die? Not just as an example, not just as a victim, not just as a martyr. He died for the ungodly, for people who mocked Him, rejected Him, and had no strength to save themselves.

That’s the love of God.

And that’s why this dispensation is so strange to religion. Religion says man must work to please God. The gospel says God died for the ungodly, for sinners.

That’s grace. That’s the love of God. And that’s the message we now preach.

And who are the ungodly who Christ died for? All of us.

Romans has already proven that there’s none righteous. So the only people who can be saved are the ungodly, the sinners, the ones “without strength.” If someone says, “I’m not a holy person,” that means they qualify for salvation. Salvation is only for the ungodly, the unholy, the imperfect.

 

And if the church, the Body of Christ, is made up of saved people, then what do we expect to find in church? Sinners! Weak people. Ungodly people.

The world mocks this and says, “Religion is a crutch.” Well, yes—because without Christ we’d fall flat on our faces. The world boasts in its own strength, but the truth is they can’t save themselves from sin and judgement but they just don’t see it. We didn’t either until we heard the gospel, the good news about salvation and simply believed it.

Real wisdom is admitting our weakness and trusting God’s mercy.

That’s grace.

 

So Paul goes back to the gospel in Romans 5:6,

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

 

That is how we know the love of God makes our hope certain. If we had no strength to save ourself, why would we think we need strength to keep the hope of glory? Our hope rests on Christ, not us.

Then Paul compares man’s love with God’s love.

Romans 5:7 says,

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 

 

People call dying for someone “the ultimate sacrifice.” Jesus said in John 15:13,

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

 

That’s the highest love man can show.

But even then, it’s rare.

People might say they’d die for a friend, but when the moment comes, the flesh says, “I want to live.”

Scarcely will someone die for an innocent man. Maybe—just maybe—someone would for a “good man,” someone worthy, someone noble, someone who’s done a heap of good.

People die in wars, for family, for country, for leaders they think are worthy. But even that’s rare.

 

And then comes the absolutely magnificent Romans 5:8,

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

 

God didn’t die for the best people or the most noble or for the innocent. He died for the ungodly, the ones who mocked Him, rejected Him, and betrayed Him.

That’s the love of God. That’s grace. That’s the cross. Realising that through learning about it sheds that love of God abroad in our hearts.

People ask, “How do I know God loves me when tragedies happen?” Romans 5:8 is the answer. This is the commendation, the showing of, the proving, the establishing, the exhibiting of God’s love.

This verse is more than likely the greatest verse in the Bible within the greatest chapter in the Bible, within the greatest book of the Bible.

It tells us why Christ died. It was for us.

 

Now we should notice something very important in Romans 5:8 that many people miss.

The verse is not saying “God loves us because we’re special.” The verses are not praising us. They’re praising God’s love, not the sinner. The only place we appear in Romans 5:8 is the word sinner.

Salvation’s not about praising the sinner. It is about praising the Savior.

 

Thinking “God died for me because I’m so valuable” is self-deception. If another person takes a bullet that was meant for me, I don’t say, “Give me the medal.” The medal goes to him!

When someone gives us a gift, we don’t say, “They gave me this because I’m amazing.” We say, “Thank you—what a generous thing you did.” The giver gets the praise, not the receiver.

Christ died for me, not because I’m so worthy, but because His love is worthy.

 

Romans 5:8 teaches that God’s love is immeasurably great and it’s commended or shown to us through the act of Him offering Himself to die for sinners who did not deserve it and who’s sin removed them permanently from Him. In fact we were God’s enemies as we’ll soon see in Romans 5:10.

The verse says God commended His love toward us. That “us” is not our personal individual self. It means all sinners, the whole condemned world. Us are all sinners. Christ made an atonement for everyone by His death on the cross. The point of the verse is not how wonderful you and I are, but how wonderful God’s love is. His death commends His love, not our value.

 

This shows a love far beyond frail human love. It’s a love that proves itself by a sacrifice so great as to be beyond our full understanding.

It wasn’t because we’re worthy, but because He’s gracious.

That’s the love of God. That’s the gospel. And the only right response is to praise God for His grace.

 

If we’re not in Christ, that love is not applied to us.

We must believe the gospel, the good news of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection as in 1 Corinthians 15:4, receiving the Holy Ghost when we do, before the benefits of the cross become ours.

God’s love was commended toward all, but only believers receive its blessings.

 

God’s love toward us is seen in the fact that Christ, Who was God, became a man. God Himself put on flesh so His love could reach sinners. The Father said of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son,” and that Son died for the world. God loves you for Christ’s sake as explained in Ephesians 4:32.

 

When God commended His love by Christ dying for sinners, it’s the greatest love ever shown. But notice: the verse does not say “God loves sinners.”

Here’s where deeply embedded church traditions and misread bible verses can get in the road of what God actually said.

The bible says He commended His love toward sinners. God’s trying to save sinners, not approve of them. To say “God loves the sinner” as if God’s pleased with sinners is to twist His righteousness.

Scripture is clear that God hates sin and hates sinners in their sin. Romans 1:18 says His wrath is revealed against all ungodliness.

Psalm 5:5 says God “hates all workers of iniquity.” Psalm 11:5 says He hates “the wicked and him that loves violence.” This is very clear. God’s holiness demands justice.

 

So how can God commend love toward sinners that He hates?

Because of the cross! Christ’s death allows God to offer grace instead of wrath. God wants to save sinners, not destroy them. But if they reject His provision, wrath remains. The wrath of God, His judgement against sin and sinners, is a terrible thing as the book of revelation shows us and He gives mankind every opportunity to avoid it by having the focus of that judgement, sin, fully paid for so that we are the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Christ Jesus.

 

Malachi 1:3 is a disturbing verse to many. It says,

And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 

 

God is love, but His love’s not sentimental like human love. It’s holy. His love is commended at the cross because He died for the ungodly, not the worthy. That’s why this love is greater than any human love. Men might, in very rare occurrences, die for a good man, but God died for sinners.

 

This doesn’t mean Christians should go out and hate sinners. God calls us to be ministers of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5:18.

We love righteousness, so we hate what destroys that righteousness. But God’s not pouring out wrath now, today. He’s offering grace through Christ.

 

Only the ungodly can be saved.

Only sinners can receive grace. We accept words like “wretch,” “ungodly,” and “sinner”, but we struggle with the truth that, outside Christ, we were the objects of God’s hate.

Yet that’s exactly why the cross is the greatest display of love. God loved enough to save those who deserved His wrath.

That’s the love commended at Calvary.

I was a sinner, but not anymore. I’m saved by grace. I used to be the object of God’s hate, but now, because of Christ, I’m the receiver of His love and grace, and anyone, if fact everyone, can be, because God’s love was commended at the cross when Christ died for His enemies, for sinners.

 

The idea of “love the sinner, hate the sin” often ends up excusing the sinner without Christ.

God’s love is toward all, but only those who believe receive it. Those outside Christ are not sinners who God loves.

God doesn’t love sinners in their sin. When we believe the gospel, He makes us a saint, something we could never make ourself. A Saint means sanctified or set apart to God from the world, and describes the position of all who belong to Christ. He no longer imputes our trespasses. He reconciles us to Himself.

Paul himself is the pattern of this as 1 Timothy 1:16 shows.

God opposed him. He was a vicious persecutor of the early church yet God showed him grace.

Titus 3:3-4 says,

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. That was Paul too, persecuting believers. 

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 

 

Jesus appeared to Paul. Paul could’ve rejected Him, but he believed, and God saved him. Paul became the pattern of how God gives grace to His enemies.

Jesus could’ve judged Paul on the spot. Instead He came to save.

Titus 3:5 says salvation is,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

 

That’s the love of God—His mercy poured out through Christ, not because we’re so great, but because He’s so great.

 

This truth should kill any pride in us.

We’re not saved because we’re special. We were the sinners God hated. We’re only saved because His love is so great.

So when we minister to others, we don’t act like we’re better. We say, “I was as bad if not much worse than you but I’m saved by grace through faith and you can be too.”

This also destroys the false teaching that we must “turn from our sins” before we can be saved.

Salvation is only by grace through faith, not by us trying to do the impossible and clean ourselves up. If we could remove our own sins Christ wouldn’t have needed to die. If we have to turn from our sins ourselves to either receive or keep salvation, sorry, but we’re all done for because it’s impossible.

And we always need to remember that salvation is the saving from God’s wrath which comes with His judgement. Only the full payment of the wages for sin, which is death, eternal death, can save us from us needing to receive those awful wages. Christ paid those wages for us and when we believe we have those wages accounted to us as paid in full!

 

So, Romans 5:8 says, “Christ died for us.” Only Christ could.

He was a man so He could die, but He was also God so His death had eternal power, power that could not hold him in death.

He’s the one Mediator between God and man.

The cross, that instrument of death, is the greatest picture of God’s love. If we only see it as a religious symbol, we totally miss the point. It was terrible, but now, through Romans and Paul, we know why Christ died. The message of the cross commends God’s love: He died for us while we were sinners.

So when we see the cross, we think of God’s love toward a world that rejects Him.

People ask, “Where is God’s love in tragedy?” The answer is the cross of Christ. How do I know God loves me? The cross of Christ. And outside that we were a sinner. So we trust what He did.

Romans 5:3-5 – Glorying in Tribulations

Romans 5 is one of the greatest chapters in the whole Bible because it doesn’t just tell how Christ saves us, like Romans 3–4 already did, by grace through faith.

Romans 5 shows what comes after we’re saved.

Romans 5:1 says we’re now “justified by faith,” and then Paul starts listing the blessings, the riches, the treasures God gives us in Christ.

The chapter tells us who we are in Christ and what we have right now because of Him. This is part of the mystery of Christ, not Israel’s covenants or earthly kingdom. These things belong to us now.

“Speed Slider”

Romans 5:3-5 – Transcript

As we said last episode, Romans 5 is one of the greatest chapters in the whole Bible because it doesn’t just tell how Christ saves us, like Romans 3–4 already did, by grace through faith.

Romans 5 shows what comes after we’re saved.

Romans 5:1 says we’re now “justified by faith,” and then Paul starts listing the blessings, the riches, the treasures God gives us in Christ.

The chapter tells us who we are in Christ and what we have right now because of Him. This is part of the mystery of Christ, not Israel’s covenants or earthly kingdom. These things belong to us now.

Last episode we talked about the peace we have with God in Romans 5:1-2, and the access we have to God, and the grace in which we stand. Romans chapters 5–8 shows how these riches set us apart from the world. That setting apart is called sanctification. It doesn’t mean we’re better than anyone else. We’re all sinners, saved only by grace through faith. But God gives us a new position, new access, new hope, so we start thinking and living differently.

In Romans 5:3 Paul adds another treasure with the words “and not only so.”

It’s like he keeps saying, “and there’s more.” We already have justification, peace with God, access by faith, standing in grace, and rejoicing in hope. Now he adds something surprising and we read,

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 

We glory in tribulations also. That sounds strange because tribulations don’t feel like treasures. So what does that mean?

Tribulation in the Bible means pressure, trouble, distress, opposition, even persecution. Sometimes life feels smooth, but other times everything seems to be against us. We feel stress, fear, anxiety. We often even have enemies fighting against what we believe. All of that is tribulation. It’s like taking a beating—sometimes physical, sometimes mental, sometimes spiritual.

But Romans 5–8 shows how Christ delivers us. He delivers us fully in the resurrection to come—the hope of glory.

But even now, while we’re in this earthly body today, He gives us the peace of God inside, so even when everything outside is beating us up, we can still be at peace in our soul because we’re in Christ.

Paul explains this in other verses as well.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 he says,

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 

God is “the God of all comfort,” who comforts us in all our tribulation so we can comfort others.

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 says this,

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

That’s Romans 5 in action. Tribulation doesn’t destroy the believer because we have hope. Despair has no hope, but faith in Christ gives hope that tribulation cannot touch.

In 2 Corinthians 7:4–6 Paul says,

Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. 

For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. 

Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 

He’s joyful in all tribulation yet he still has comfort and joy because of the hope he has in Christ.

So, Romans 5 teaches that because we’re justified by faith, and because God’s given us peace, access, grace, and hope, we can even glory in tribulations. Troubles don’t take away the hope of glory we have in Christ Jesus.

In 1 Thessalonians 3  where the Thessalonians were facing persecution and physical affliction from their own people, Paul says he sent Timothy to comfort them so they would not be moved by these afflictions. He says “for we are appointed thereunto ”reminding them that he already told them they’d “suffer tribulation,” and it happened just like he said. So tribulation, affliction and trouble all go together. This is real life.

Paul lists “glorying in tribulations” as a treasure we have in Christ. He never says tribulation goes away. He never says, “Now that we’re saved, we’ll never have fears within or fightings without.” In fact he says the very opposite.  We will face trouble, but we can glory in it.

That’s very different from Israel’s promises in the Old Testament.

Israel was promised earthly peace, victory over enemies, and safety in their land. Paul doesn’t promise that to the church, the Body of Christ. He says we will face trouble, but Christ gives us something inside that lets us glory in it.

So as Christians we don’t pretend tribulation doesn’t exist. Some try to act like being saved means smiling all the time and pretending nothing bad happens. But Paul never teaches that. Trouble comes to all of us just as it also comes to the unsaved. And also, we should never think that tribulation won’t come again just because we had a good season. That’s not the promise. Tribulation will come.

And here we’re not talking about the prophetic “great tribulation” Jesus spoke of for Israel before the kingdom comes. That’s Jacob’s trouble. Here we’re talking about the everyday tribulation believers face—persecution, opposition to truth, fears, pressures, enemies of the cross. In this life we’re living today we can glory in tribulations.

Romans 8:18 says this,

For I (that’s Paul) reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Paul told the Thessalonians, tribulation would happen and he told the Philippians the same thing while he sat in prison.

Our flesh wants to avoid trouble. We think, “I won’t do that again; it caused problems.” But sometimes the very thing causing trouble is the will of God—standing for truth, preaching Christ, forgiving someone, living out who we are in Christ. Then we’ve got to choose: our comfort or God’s truth. Paul says in Philippians 1:29 says,

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Suffering looks different in different places. We may not suffer like some believers do, but we all face frustrations and pressures. And there’s no promise that because we live in a certain place we’ll escape persecution. If the whole world turns against us, it doesn’t mean God’s truth’s failed.

It’s simply the course of this present evil world which we see in Galatians 1:4.

Christ hasn’t brought His kingdom to earth yet. The Head of the Body is in heaven, and we’re His ambassadors on earth, preaching reconciliation to a world that rejects Him.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says,

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 

The god of this world is the devil.

Many if not most people don’t believe in him, yet they follow his thinking, his deceptions, rejecting God and doing whatever seems right in their own eyes.

Jesus said the same about Israel when they rejected Him. So we live in an evil world, ruled by the god of this world, and suffering’s part of it. There is no promise in this dispensation that we’ll avoid it.

Now, at this point you might be saying, “I thought Romans 5 was going to be a glorious chapter.” It is. But first we have to clear up the wrong ideas people have about tribulations. God never promised Christians that we’d be saved from trouble. The treasure in Romans 5 is not that trouble goes away, but that we can glory in tribulations. That’s an unnatural response. What sets a Christian apart is not a life with less trouble, but a different way of responding to it because of what we know in Christ.

 

Some people think a Christian with no problems must be spiritual but that’s just not true. The treasure is that the believer, justified by faith, can glory in tribulations because of the hope God gives. Paul’s not saying, “Just endure it.” Many people can endure suffering. He’s saying something higher: glory in it.

That means rejoicing in the middle of trouble, not pretending the trouble’s good, we’re not calling bad things good, but having a real hope of something better that lets us rejoice even when everything around us is falling apart.

Romans 5:3 says, “We glory in tribulations knowing…”

So the ability to glory in tribulation comes from knowing something. That’s why some saved people don’t know how to glory in tribulations—they don’t know the truth that produces that hope. Glory means rejoicing. It’s not fake optimism. It’s not a wilful act to put on for the world to see. It’s a real expectation of good from God, even when the situation’s bad.

So the question is: what do we need to know that gives us this hope?

Men naturally glory in their own strength. When trouble comes, some people double down and say, “I’ll beat this thing.” That’s where wrong preaching comes in—people say, “You have a Goliath in your life; go knock it down.” But that was Israel’s promise, not ours.

David trusted God’s covenant promises to Israel but God never promised the church that we would defeat every earthly problem.

In this dispensation of grace, our strength works differently. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians, which is a book full of suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11:30 after he lists the terrible challenges and persecutions he personally suffered, he says, “If I must glory, I will glory in my infirmities.”

People normally glory in their strengths—being smart, strong and tough or skilled. Paul glories in his weaknesses. That sounds crazy to the world, but this is the mind of a sanctified or set apart believer.

In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh.”

He prayed three times for God to remove it, no doubt thinking, “Lord, if this was gone, I could do more for You.” Many of us have prayed that prayer. But Christ answered, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”

Jesus was not saying “No” in a harsh way. He was teaching Paul that he was looking for strength in the wrong place. Christ was saying, “My strength is in My grace, not in your flesh. You are insufficient but My grace is enough.”

So any Christian who thinks God promised to heal their flesh or make them physically strong is putting their hope in the wrong place. God gives a spiritual strength that’s greater than anything we can see with our eyes or touch with our hands. And that strength is what allows us to glory in tribulations.

Jesus told Paul,

My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

That means Christ’s strength shows its full power when we’re weak. When Paul learned this, he said he would quote “glory in my infirmities,” because now he understood where real strength comes from.

Christ was teaching Paul to stop looking to his own flesh for power and to trust the strength that comes from God’s grace.

Then he goes even further and says he takes pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses for Christ’s sake.

He’s not enjoying the pain and the persecution itself. He’s rejoicing because these weaknesses give him a chance to show the love of Christ and the power of God’s grace.

He explains that every kind of trouble he faces becomes a way to preach Christ. One of the greatest testimonies a Christian can have in this dispensation is not when life looks great, but when life looks weak, painful, and even when we’re close to death. In those moments, the believer can say, “The life I live in the flesh is not mine—it’s Christ’s life.” And when this flesh is done for, we have glory, resurrection, and eternal life. Our hope is not in this life. It’s in Christ.

Sometimes a Christian’s life that looks “too good” can sometimes hide Christ.

People look at the Christian instead of Christ and they falsely think trusting Christ means getting a better life now and when the good life doesn’t come to them they say, “What’s the use of the Christian life, what’s the use of Christ?”

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul says that if our hope is only in this life, we are “of all men most miserable.”

Yet many Christians live as if this life is all there is and the only place Christ can help them and when that doesn’t happen doubt confusion and anxiety take over.

Paul says when he’s weak in the flesh, he’s strong in Christ. That’s the testimony of the Christian life and the way ministry works today.

So in Romans 5:3 we read and we read it in context with Romans 5:2,

By whom (that’s the Lord Jesus Christ) also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

Verse 3,

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 

“We glory in tribulations, knowing…”.

That’s so important because glorying in tribulations relies on us knowing something.

Paul had to be taught about Christ’s sufficient grace and we must be taught too. We don’t just automatically glory in tribulations just because we’re saved. We glory because we know something that those who can’t glory in their tribulations don’t know.

This whole dispensation of grace that we live in today is based on what we know from Scripture. That’s why God gave us the completed Bible—to walk by faith based on what we know.

We know faith in Christ’s death and resurrection. We know justification by faith without works. We know peace with God. We know grace and we know hope—eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Romans 15:4 says this about the scriptures,

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

See, hope comes from learning God’s truth, taking it in with patience, and finding comfort in what God’s promised us.

Without Christ, people are hopeless. But with Christ, even in weakness, we have strength, hope, and glory.

People say, “What’s the proof for God? If He doesn’t help me now, He’s worthless.” The big mistake here is thinking now is all there is.

If this life is all we have, then I’m sorry but we have no hope.

That’s why Paul says in Ephesians 2:12 that without Christ we’re without hope.

People can deceive themselves that they’re not getting older, and that their body isn’t breaking down and they can pretend life isn’t getting worse.

But that’s all it is, pretending. Without Christ we live in corruption, decay, and we’re heading toward the grave with nothing.

This is why it’s a treasure to glory in tribulation. We can be honest: “Yes, this hurts. Yes, I’m getting older. Yes, things are bad.” But our hope’s not in this life. Our hope is in glory.

Now, if we say we have hope, we need evidence.

Colossians 1:9–11 shows that our hope is based only on God’s word. It’s based on the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. It’s increasing in the knowledge of God that strengthens us with all might.

Then we know from Hebrews 11:1 that,

faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And from Romans 10:17 that,

faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Faith doesn’t come from wishing. It comes from hearing the word of God. Our evidence is that God spoke and that’s absolutely sure and certain evidence.

Paul prays in the incredible passage of Colossians 1 that believers would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.

Colossians 1:10,

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

As we learn, and walk in what we learn, we grow stronger—not in our flesh, but in God’s power—unto “all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”

Many Christians today act like knowledge is a bad thing, but Proverbs 16:16 tells us this,

How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! 

We know from Ephesians 1:3 that we already have all spiritual blessings in Christ.

Knowing what these spiritual blessings are helps us glory in tribulations. We’re not glad for the trouble itself, we’re glad for the good thing God brings out of it—Christ’s life, Christ’s strength, Christ’s hope.

We also know our hope is in the Lord, not in ourselves, not in money, nor health, or safety. We begin to look at our day to day, ever changing circumstances differently. These are always in a state of change sometimes good sometimes bad and sometimes very bad, but as we increase in the knowledge of God we see hope beyond those circumstances and we begin to see them in the perspective of eternity and glory.

Philippians 1:20–21 Paul says,

According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

Paul had confidence that Christ would be magnified in his body—whether by life or by death. That means no matter what happens, Christ can be glorified.

The opposite is trying to magnify ourself. People try to make their life better and better so they look great. But that only works while we’re healthy, strong, and alive. When those things fail, our hope dies with them.

But, if our hope is Christ, then whether we have little or a lot, whether we live or die, Christ is magnified.

We also know our hope is future, not now.

Romans 8:18 says,

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

1 Corinthians 15:19 says,

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Many of us live like our only hope is here and now, but that’s not the gospel.

Yes, life has it misery and challenges. And yes, serving Christ often makes life harder. We could have more free time if we didn’t spend so much time studying to increase in the knowledge of God.

The world may think preaching and teaching’s a waste of time and if our hope is only in this life, then yes that’s true.

We could work more, make more money, and spend less time learning about God, but there’s something greater than those things – the eternal truth of Christ, the hope of glory, and the life that never ends.

When we say, we don’t have time, what we really mean is that we think something else is more important. Choosing the things of God often feels miserable to the flesh, because the world tells us there’re better ways to spend our time.

But everything changes with Christ’s resurrection.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:20,

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 

 

If Christ rose from the dead, then the gospel’s true. Salvation by grace through faith is true. We’re a new creature in Christ. We’re justified. We have access to God. We have peace with God.

We’re not trying to make peace with Him—we already have it through Jesus Christ.

That makes life far less miserable, because now we have something more valuable than anything in this world.

Our hope is future.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is the incredible passage on what we call the rapture, what Paul teaches about the resurrection.

He says believers should not sorrow “as others which have no hope.” The lost have no hope after death. But believers who “sleep in Jesus” will return with Him.

Verse 16 says the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And then Paul says, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

This is real comfort in tribulation. At funerals, Christians can rejoice—not because death feels good or because there’s no hurt or sorrow, but because the believer’s in a better place.

Christian funerals have, or should have, this hope. If we truly believe Christ rose from the dead, then we can glory even in the death of a saint.

 

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:5,

For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 

Our consolation, our comfort abounds by Christ. Christ came from heaven, suffered on earth, and then rose again. Now we, who’re saved by grace, are ambassadors of heaven living in a suffering world.

We share in His sufferings so we can also share in His comfort. Christ rose by His own power and we’ll rise by His power. That’s our hope.

This is why 2 Corinthians 4:5 says,

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

 

We don’t preach ourselves—our success, our strength and achievements. God’s not in the business of giving credit to the strong. Christ’s power’s not shown in earthly victories. It’s shown in His death and resurrection, and in weak people trusting Him.

His power’s made perfect in weakness. That’s why Paul glories in infirmities. When we’re weak, Christ is strong.

We glory in tribulations because we know by faith through God’s Word, the power of Christ, the truth of His resurrection, and the hope of glory that’s coming.

2 Corinthians 4:7 says,

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

God put the treasure of the gospel in weak flesh so the power would clearly be of God, not of us. When people ask how we have strength, joy, and hope, even in times of great trouble, we can say, “It’s not me. It’s God’s grace.” That answer itself is preaching the gospel. It’s saying I’m justified by faith, He gave me these things freely, and I trust Him.

2 Corinthians 4:10-11 says,

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Just as Jesus’ body hung weak and lifeless on the cross and yet He rose again, our flesh can be weak and failing, yet we still have life in Christ. This’s because we have the hope of eternal glory.

In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 we read,

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

Paul refers to our suffering as “light affliction,” not because it feels light, but because it’s small compared to the eternal weight of glory.

If we believe in that hope of glory, even heavy suffering becomes light in comparison.

It all comes back to faith and that’s as strong as our knowledge about the gospel.

Paul lived this out. In Philippians 3:8 he says everything he once counted as gain is now “dung” compared to knowing Christ, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings. He wanted Christ’s power to rest on him, not only in future glory, but in his thinking and his daily life.

In Philippians 4 Paul says he learned to be content in every situation. He knew how to abound and how to be abased, how to be full and how to be hungry, how to suffer need. He rejoiced in the hope of God’s glory in every circumstance. That’s why he could say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” The “all things” includes tribulation and peace. Christ is the strength.

All Paul’s later teachings—Philippians, Corinthians, Colossians, Ephesians—flow out of Romans 5: “we glory in tribulations also.”

So why don’t all Christians glory in tribulations?

First, weak faith.

If we don’t know the why or the how, we won’t glory.

We may believe the gospel, but if we don’t know these truths, we won’t know what to rejoice in.

Second, failure to acknowledge what we have.

Philemon 1:6 says,

That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 

 

Many Christians believe but don’t live like what they believe is true. We get nearsighted, focused only on this life, and forget eternity.

 

Third, misplaced hope.

If our hope is in our flesh, in our success, or in anything of this life, we won’t glory in tribulation. We’ll panic when life shakes us up. But if our hope is in Christ and glory, tribulation can’t touch our joy even though it’s very real and it hurts.

Romans 5:2 says we “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” If we can’t rejoice in hope during peaceful times, we won’t glory in tribulation.

But if our faith rests in the hope of glory, then when tribulation comes, we can glory in that too—because our joy is not a result of life’s circumstances.

When we receive God’s truth and actually believe it, it changes how we think and respond.

So tribulation works patience, not because we’re strong, but because the hope and love of God produces it in us.

Patience in the Bible means waiting through time with the right mind. It’s not just hanging on or gritting our teeth. It’s waiting while holding on to the good hope we already have in Christ.

When we acknowledge that something in our life hurts, or is hard, but we still have that good thing God promised, that’s patience.

The “good” doesn’t come from positive thinking. It comes from the hope we have in Christ Jesus.

Paul says this in 1 Timothy 1:16,

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first (that’s Paul) Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 

God shows His longsuffering in this dispensation of grace.

If God is longsuffering toward sinners, and we stand in His grace, then we also have power to suffer long. We have promises, hope, and good things in Christ that carry us through.

The Thessalonians are an example.

In 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul thanks them for their “work of faith, labour of love, and patience of hope.” They were persecuted, but they kept the right mind because of what God promised them. That’s “tribulation working patience.”

If we don’t have the hope of glory, we just won’t have patience. We may endure, but not because of Christ. True patience comes from God’s hope working in us, not from our willpower.

So Romans 5:3-4 says,

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 

And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 

Patience worketh, or brings about, results in experience.

Paul’s not teaching that we prove ourself a strong Christian by fighting through trouble. He’s teaching that God proves Himself true as we trust Him in tribulation. We believed the truth before the suffering came, but when the suffering comes and we actually use what we know, we see God’s faithfulness. That becomes experience.

Maybe we lose a loved one. Do we sorrow like those with no hope? Or do we rest in what God said? When we trust the Scripture and it holds us up, and we say, “That worked.” That’s experience—not our strength, but God’s strength proven in our situation.

We don’t look down on Christians who haven’t had this experience yet. Life brings it in time. But Christians who know doctrine have more opportunity to gain experience, which is why we need to start with understanding truth.

 

Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2 to commit truth to faithful men who can teach others. Faithfulness is not just head knowledge. It’s knowledge put into practice, so God can produce experience through it. Ministry itself is one of the ways we gain experience. We learn what works and what doesn’t and we see God’s Word prove itself true.

Experience is the assurance that grows as we see God’s faithfulness in real life. Our faith in the gospel is proven in tribulation.

In 2 Corinthians 6 Paul says ministers prove themselves “in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses.” That’s Romans 5 in action. How do we prove it? With pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, the Holy Ghost, love unfeigned, the word of truth, the power of God, and the armour of righteousness. These are the tools. And where are they proven? In tribulation.

You don’t have to go looking for tribulation. It will show up. And if everything in life is always smooth and successful, we can’t really prove our ministry anyway. In fact, big success often tempts people to compromise but Paul says we’ve got to stick to the word of truth.

When we go through trouble with God’s hope in our heart, we learn to wait with the right mind. That’s patience. And when patience keeps working, we gain experience, not in proving our strength, but proving that God’s hope works. Then that experience strengthens our hope even more. This is the hope of Romans 5:2, “the hope of the glory of God.” It’s the good we can confidently expect, in pain or in peace.

Romans 5:5 says this,

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

This hope is not a wish. It is not “I hope so.” It is a sure hope based on what God has said.

In 2 Timothy 1:12 we read,

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 

He knows by faith, because God spoke.

People lack faith not because they can’t think, but because they won’t accept what God said. We can read a recipe, but until we follow it, we don’t know what it tastes like. Faith works the same way.

The “love of God” in Romans 5:5 is His grace.

His love shown in Christ dying for sinners. That love is “shed abroad in our hearts” by the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost gave Paul the mystery, gave us the gospel, seals us as Ephesians 1:13 says, and teaches us the deep things of God as 1 Corinthians 2 says.

This is the first time “the love of God” appears in Romans.

The next time is in Romans 8:37 which says “nothing shall separate us from the love of God.”

Romans 3 showed God’s love in Christ’s death. Romans 4 showed it’s by faith, not works. Romans 5 shows the riches that love gives us. Romans 8 shows nothing can take it away.

 

This is also the first mention of the Holy Ghost in Romans. And that matters, because we glory in tribulations by knowing things that only the Spirit of God can teach us.

1 Corinthians 2:10 says the Spirit searches “the deep things of God.” While verse 12 says we received the Spirit “that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”

That’s Romans 5—things freely given by grace.

So how do you glory in tribulations?

By knowing what God said.

By believing what the Holy Ghost revealed.

By trusting the hope of glory that cannot fail.

The Holy Ghost wrote the Scriptures, and He lives in us the moment we believed. That’s how this works. That’s how we can respond to tribulations in a way that’s not natural, but spiritual—because we know the truth God gave us.

Romans 5:1-2 – Our Position in Grace

Romans is the greatest book in the Bible for us in the Body of Christ today because it explains salvation. We can read Matthew or John, but without Romans we wouldn’t know about righteousness without works, without Israel and without Israel’s covenants.

And, if Romans 5 is the greatest book in the bible for us today, surely Romans 5 is the greatest chapter.

“Speed Slider”

Romans 5:1-2 – Transcript

Romans is the foundation of the Gospel of Christ for this dispensation of Grace that we live in today.

God gave Paul the message that shows His wisdom in salvation.

To know what “salvation by grace through faith” really is, we read Romans, especially chapters 1–8. We already studied salvation and in chapter 4 we saw “righteousness without works,” righteousness imputed as a result of faith.

Romans is the greatest book in the Bible for us in the Body of Christ today because it explains salvation. We can read Matthew or John, but without Romans we wouldn’t know about righteousness without works, without Israel and without Israel’s covenants.

Romans 3, 4, and 5 teach clearly that righteousness comes by faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, totally without works.

Paul used Abraham and King David as examples of their faith being imputed as righteousness.

It was in Genesis 15:6 where we read,

And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

It’s that righteousness that was imputed to Abraham before the law, before circumcision and even before Israel that Paul uses as our pattern for the righteousness we receive today through faith.

Now there’s a question that arises in relation to that which is, “Did Abraham and Sarah show a lack of faith in God’s promise by trying to “make it happen” through Hagar and if so why was faith counted to them for righteousness?

It’s a great question because it’s at the crossroads of God’s promise, human impatience, and the way Scripture portrays faith that’s real but imperfect.

Did Abraham and Sarah “lack faith”?

The short answer is yes, but not in a way that cancels their genuine faith. Scripture presents them as believers whose trust was real, yet whose practice sometimes faltered.

They believed the promise, but they struggled with the timing and the method.

Genesis 15 shows Abraham believing God, and God counting it to him for righteousness. That’s solid, saving faith.

But in Genesis 16, when Sarah suggests Hagar, the issue isn’t unbelief in the promise itself—they still expected a child—it’s unbelief in how God would bring it about.

You could say that they trusted the destination, but doubted the path.

Their action reflects a very human attempt to “help God out”. We often experience this in our own lives.

In their cultural world, using a servant as a surrogate was normal. So their reasoning wasn’t bizarre, it was human, practical, and faith based.

But it was also fleshly.

Paul says this in Galatians 4:23 while using Hagar as a symbol of human effort versus God’s promise,

But he who was of the bondwoman (that’s Ishmael born of Hagar) was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman (that’s Isaac born of Sarah) was by promise. 

Scripture doesn’t hide their hiccup.

The fallout was conflict, jealousy, mistreatment, and many long-term consequences that’re still going on today, and it shows that this wasn’t God’s intended path.

Yet God still cared for Hagar and Ishmael, and He still fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah in His own time.

Their lapse doesn’t erase their legacy of faith.

Hebrews 11 celebrates them as models of faith, not failures.

Biblical faith isn’t flawless but it’s persistent.

They stumbled, but they kept walking with God.

So along with righteousness by faith we also learn that;

  • Faith can be genuine even when it wavers.
  • God’s promises don’t depend on our perfect performance.
  • Human attempts to “force” God’s timing usually complicate things.
  • God remains faithful even when we’re inconsistent.

So, now, If Romans is the greatest book, then Romans chapter 5 might be one of the greatest chapters. It’s blessed countless millions of people and clarified the truth and the beauty of our salvation.

It carries a lot of weight, and it’s a joy to study because here Paul starts laying out plainly who we are in Christ and what God has given us. He already talked about the gospel and the need for faith in Christ, but now he pours out the riches of God’s grace.

The first word in Romans 5 is “therefore,” which shows you can’t pull this chapter out by itself. Its built on chapters 1–4, and even on all the Scriptures before.

In Romans 1 Paul starts from creation. In Romans 2 he deals with Israel. In Romans 3 he concludes, “therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified.” All are sinners. None are righteous.

If someone says, “I’m not a sinner,” we go to Romans 1.

If they say, “I’m better than others,” we go to Romans 2. If they say, “I can keep the law,” we go to Romans 3.

Then in Romans 3:28 Paul says,

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 

This is only possible because of Christ’s death and shed blood. Romans 4 keeps proving over and over again that its faith alone, faith without works, without circumcision, without covenants and without the law.

Romans 4:16 says, “therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace.” If it’s faith plus anything, it’s not grace.

Christ died for our offences and rose again for our justification.

So when Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith…,” we must understand all those earlier conclusions.

Romans 5 now tells us what we have because we’re justified.

Salvation is already settled in chapters 3 and 4. Now Romans 5 begins the section on sanctification which is our standing, our position in Christ, who God has made us, and the blessings that come with it.

Sanctification means being set apart for God’s purpose. Romans 5–8 explains how, being justified by faith, God’s set us apart in Christ.

If someone’s not saved, none of this applies.

They must go back to Romans 3 and 4 and trust Christ alone. But once saved, Romans 5 shows the riches of God’s grace given freely to us.

Sanctification and justification are big words, but they really mean our standing before God.

That’s why Romans 5:1 says, “being justified… we have peace with God.” That shows our standing with God.

And in Romans 5 we see something very important: the first time Paul ever mentions the Holy Ghost. Romans 5:5 says the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts “by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” That’s the first time Paul writes that.

Romans 5 talks a lot about Jesus Christ. In fact, the book of Romans mentions the name “Jesus Christ” more than any other book in the whole Bible. People think we learn the most about Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but those books talk about Him in His earthly life The Son of God, the Son of Man, God in the flesh. But Paul talks about Jesus Christ as our risen Lord and Savior, and he mentions Him more than any other writer.

People say, “I follow Jesus, not Paul,” but Paul’s the one who tells us who Jesus Christ is to us today. Without Him we’re nothing, and without Him we get nothing. That’s why Paul talks about Him so much.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John show Jesus on earth as the long prophesied Jewish Messiah, but Paul was given the details of salvation from Christ in glory, how all things can be reconciled through Him, and how we’re justified by faith.

People say Ephesians is where Paul teaches the mystery, and that’s true—Ephesians uses the word “mystery” a lot and explains the body of Christ. But Romans 5 actually lays the foundation. Ephesians just expands what Romans 5 already teaches. Romans 5 is about “us in Christ” and “Christ in us,” which is the heart of the mystery.

Romans 5:1 says, “being justified by faith, we have…” That “we have” is what makes the chapter so great.

Romans 5 is about us—our standing, our blessings, our place in Christ. Romans 4 talked mostly about Abraham and the Scriptures of the past, showing faith without works, faith without circumcision, faith without the law. But at the end of Romans 4, in Romans 4:23–24, Paul turns and says it was written “for us also” and now Romans 5 keeps talking about us in this dispensation.

Romans 5:2 says this,

By whom (that’s the Lord Jesus Christ). By Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

We “have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.”

We talk about “the dispensation of the grace of God” from Ephesians 3:2, but Romans 5 is really where Paul lays it out.

The word “grace” appears more times in Romans 5 than in any other chapter in the Bible. From Romans 4:16 to Romans 6:23, grace shows up ten times—more than anywhere else. If you want to hear Paul talk about grace, this is the place.

Romans 5 also uses the word “gift” more than any other chapter in Scripture. The phrase “free gift” appears only three times in the whole Bible—all in Romans 5.

This chapter shows God’s gracious gift to sinners. Christ on the cross was needed for justification, but Romans 5:8 shows God’s love in that death: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So Romans 5 is about grace, God’s gift, our standing, and what we have in Christ.

Paul said in Romans 1:5 that he received “grace and apostleship.” Now in Romans 5 he shows what that grace means for us today.

Paul starts Romans in Romans 1:1 by saying he’s an apostle of grace, that he “received grace and apostleship.” But he can’t preach grace until he first proves man’s sin. We can’t understand God’s grace until we see our own sin and unworthiness. So for almost three chapters he shows all are sinners.

Then in Romans 3:24 he finally gives the gospel: “being justified freely by his grace.” We said before that this verse is the heart of the gospel according to the mystery.

Romans 3:25 talks about Christ’s blood, which Israel also needed for their covenant, but Paul shows that same blood is now applied to us for free justification by grace. That same “free gift” is what Romans 5 teaches.

So Paul brings up grace in Romans 3:24, then goes back in Romans 4 to prove salvation is by faith alone using Israel’s Scriptures. But when he reaches Romans 5, he leaves the Old Testament arguments behind and begins to tell us what we have by God’s grace.

Romans 4:16 said, “it is of faith, that it might be by grace,” and at the end of the chapter Paul says this truth is “for us also.” Now Romans 5 begins listing what we have.

Romans 5:1 says it like this,

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

This justification is without works, without Israel, without covenants, without the law—just like Romans 4 taught. This verse helped Martin Luther leave Catholicism because it contradicted the teaching that you’ve got to add works or sacraments to faith.

Even today some say you must be water‑baptised to be a Christian, but Romans 5:1 stands against that.

Water baptism is a work of the law, and Paul says plainly we’re justified by faith alone.

Titus 3:5 says the same:

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, (not baptism) and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

Ephesians 2:8–9 also says salvation is “the gift of God.” That’s Romans 5 doctrine—grace and gift.

Romans 5 begins listing the riches we have because we’re justified. People read Ephesians 1 and ask, “What are the riches of his grace?” Romans 5 explains them. Jesus Christ is mentioned thirteen times in this chapter because everything we have is through Him.

Ephesians 2:7 says,

That in the ages to come he (God) might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

God will show “the exceeding riches of his grace… through Christ Jesus.” Romans 5 shows why it must be through Christ and not through us. Later in the chapter Paul says we’re “saved from wrath,” which is one of those future riches.

Paul says in Ephesians 3:8 that grace was given to him to preach “the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Why unsearchable?

Romans 5:20 says grace “did much more abound.” These riches were not in the prophets, not in Israel’s covenants, and they overflow beyond sin. Ephesians 3:16 prays that believers would be strengthened by these riches in the inner man. But we can’t understand Ephesians unless we first understand Romans. Romans 5 lays the foundation.

So Romans 5:1 says, “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Peace is the opposite of wrath. Because Christ died, shed His blood, and rose again, and because we believe that, we now have peace instead of judgment and the wrath that accompanies it. That’s the first of the great riches of God’s grace in this chapter.

Romans 4:15 says the law works wrath. If there’s no law, there’s no transgression.

Paul already proved we can’t be justified by the law, so God now gives “the righteousness of God without the law.”

Because we’re justified without the law, one of the riches of God’s grace is that we now have peace with God. No wrath can fall on us, because wrath comes from breaking the law, and we’re not under the law.

Some people try to divide the law into parts, but Paul’s whole point in Romans 4 is righteousness without the law.

That’s why Romans 5:1 says plainly, “we have peace with God.” This is very different from Israel’s situation. In the Old Testament God poured out wrath on Israel many times. Even under the New Covenant, before the kingdom comes, Israel can still anger God and face judgment according to their covenant.

Hebrews 3 warns Israel’s believing remnant not to harden their hearts like their fathers in the wilderness.

God swore in His wrath they would not enter His rest. Hebrews 3–4 teaches that if those believers don’t endure, they’ll not enter the kingdom rest. Their peace comes in the kingdom, and they must trust Jesus and the Holy Ghost to get them there—just like Caleb and Joshua did in the Old Testament.

But Romans 5:1 is different. Paul’s not talking to covenant Israel. He’s talking to people saved without the law, without covenants, without an earthly kingdom promise. And he says we already have peace with God.

Hebrews 10:26–29 warns Israel that if they sin willfully after receiving the truth, judgment will come.

They can lose blessings under their covenant. First Peter 4:17 says judgment begins at the house of God. Israel still faces wrath for purification, to separate the wheat from the chaff.

But in Romans 5:1 we, that’s you and me, are justified by faith alone. We’re not under the law, not under covenants, not under kingdom conditions. We have peace with God right now.

Can we fully understand how incredible that really is?

Paul says this in 1 Thessalonians 5:9,

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Romans 1:18 begins by showing God’s wrath on all sinners, but once we reach Romans 5:1 we see that wrath is gone for the believer,

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

The war with God is over because of Christ.

This peace is not peace with other people. Christians still argue. The world still fights. God never promised that being justified by faith would make everyone like us. He promised peace with Him, which is far more important. His wrath is eternal; people’s anger is not.

This peace is also not peace within ourself.

Romans 7–8 shows that believers still struggle on the inside. Romans 5 is talking about our standing before God.

Being justified by faith means the problem of sin, the guilt, the judgment, the death it brings before God, is removed. Sin is still present in our flesh, but the problem it caused between us and God is gone. God is fully satisfied with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins.

That’s why Romans 5:1 shows us one of the great riches of God’s grace: peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul says we’re justified by faith, and 2 Corinthians 5:21 teaches the same truth and we read,

For he (God) hath made him (Jesus Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

That doesn’t mean we live perfect in works. It means His righteousness is imputed or accounted to us by faith as we saw in Romans 4, and He took our sins as we saw in Romans 3.

So 2 Corinthians 5:21 is a gospel verse because it points back to Romans 3–4.

When preachers say “the sin problem is gone,” that’s only true for those justified by faith. If someone’s not justified by faith, sin’s still a problem because God will judge them and that should trouble them.

There’s a conflict between God and man. But God’s satisfied with Christ’s atoning work. For those justified by faith, the conflict is gone.

When Romans 5:1 says, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” It’s because everything we have—salvation, sanctification, blessings all come only through Him. Without Him we have nothing.

The phrase “our Lord Jesus Christ” is important.

Unbelievers do not call Jesus “our Lord.”

In Matthew some say “Lord, Lord,” but Jesus says He never knew them. But in Romans Paul’s talking to believers justified by faith. Christ is Lord of all, whether people accept it or not, but for the saved He truly is our Lord. And it’s through Him we have peace with God.

Colossians 1:20 says,

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Christ “made peace” through His blood.

Romans 3 already taught about His blood shed for us. This is reconciliation—God and man brought together. Romans 5 will go on to explain this reconciled relationship. Paul even says God has given us the ministry of reconciliation in this dispensation.

Peace with God is salvation.

If we don’t have peace with God, we’re not saved. Salvation means being saved from the wrath that a righteous God pours out on sinners—not because God is mean, but because part of God’s character is perfect justice, justice that’s incalculably above our justice. A justice that brings judgment. So when we say, “I have peace with God,” we’re saying, “I’m saved.”

Religious people struggle with this.

Martin Luther, as a Catholic, kept doing works and sacraments to “maintain” his standing.

But when he saw Romans 5:1, he realised he already had peace with God by faith, not by works and it didn’t matter what he felt or thought about it. That truth changed history.

Many lost, unsaved people may seem peaceful, but their peace comes from ignorance or apathy. They don’t know or don’t care about God’s judgment.

But ignoring the problem doesn’t fix it. A person can look calm while a calamity is heading toward them. That’s not real peace.

The real problem is sin, not God. God made creation good. Sin ruined it. Ignoring sin doesn’t remove it. Sin has consequences. True forgiveness requires atonement. That’s why Christ died. Only His blood can atone for sin.

So Romans 5:1 is about the great riches of God’s grace:

Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In any court, if a judge forgives a sentence, he must have a reason or he becomes an unjust judge. God’s the same way. For there to be real truth, righteousness, justice, and peace, there must be a right reason.

Christ is that reason.

He’s the only one who can give us that peace with God.

Peace with God is more than just being saved from wrath. It is also our position before God.

Being justified means God declares us righteous.

Romans 5:8 says,

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

That shows His love.

This peace is part of our sanctification, our standing, our position before God.

Sanctification’s not our behaviour or us working to make us better people, it’s the place God puts us for His purpose. Our position never changes. Our condition —our feelings, our struggles—may change. We may not always feel peaceful, but we still have peace with God because of Christ.

Someone may ask, “Have you made your peace with God?” But according to the gospel, we don’t make peace with God Christ did it for us. We simply believe what He did, and then through that faith we have peace with God. Asking someone, “Do you have peace with God?” is really asking, “Are you saved?”

Romans 5:2 says,

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

The “whom” is Jesus Christ. Every blessing in Romans 5 comes through Him. He didn’t just save us from wrath; He gave us a position, a standing of peace before God.

Romans 5 is a whole list of things we have because we’re justified by faith. These are the riches of God’s grace.

Up to this point in Romans, the only thing we “did” was sin. Salvation wasn’t us doing anything to earn it. And sanctification—our position—is also not us doing anything. Because of Jesus Christ we have it freely.

1 Corinthians 1:30 says this,

But of him (God) are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 

Some Christians say justification is without works, but sanctification is by works, something we do over our lifetime to improve ourselves. But Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 1:30 say we’re already sanctified when we’re in Christ not by our continued works or our service. Service is what we do. Sanctification is the position God gives us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says,

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

Salvation is not us trying to make ourself new. Christ makes us new and places us in His body.

If people confuse sanctification with works, they end up denying the riches of God’s grace. If we’ve got to work for these blessings, then what does justification even mean?

Paul warns the Colossians about this. They knew the gospel, but others tried to rob them by saying Christ’s work wasn’t enough. Paul says in Colossians 2:16-17,

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 

Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Paul deals with this again in Romans 6–8. Almost all his later epistles build on what he lays down in Romans.

Romans is the foundation because it shows what we have in Christ. Romans 5:2 says, “By whom also we have access by faith.”

This is the second thing Paul lists. We already have peace with God as per verse 1, and now we have access.

How do we get access to God? Not by works, not by anointing, not by church attendance, not by praying enough. The same Christ who justified us by faith is the same Christ who gives us access by faith into the grace “wherein we stand.”

Paul’s saying the grace that saved us is the same grace we now stand in. It’s not that grace saved us once and now we need to run to God’s “throne of grace” to get more.

Romans 5:2 says we’re already standing in grace. You approach God from inside grace, not from outside begging to get it.

That access means access to God Himself.

Ephesians 3:12 says,

In whom (that’s Jesus Christ) we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 

This is part of the mystery—this fellowship and access freely given by grace. Many Christians understand salvation but miss this part: the access, the standing, the position.

Ephesians 2:12 explains it too, Let’s read,

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

Some people twist this and say Paul’s teaching that now we Gentiles get Israel’s covenants. But Romans 4 already proved we are justified without Israel, without circumcision, without covenants.

Paul’s simply reminding us that in time past the only way to access God was through Israel.

Then, in Ephesians 2:13,

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 

The blood of Christ not covenants.

God always wanted to give grace, even in Exodus 33 under the law, but Gentiles had no access. They had to come through Israel. But now, through Christ alone, without Israel, without the law, without covenants, we have access to God’s grace.

Some say the church is under Israel’s New Covenant. They call it the umbrella of the New Covenant, but the real “umbrella” is Christ Himself. The question is not “Do we get grace?” but “How do we access it?”

Israel accessed grace through prophecy and covenants. We access grace through the mystery—Christ alone.

Ephesians 2:14–18 shows Christ broke down the wall between Jew and Gentile, making “one new man.” That new man is the body of Christ which consists of all, Jew and Gentile, Free and bond, male and female. There’s no difference in the Body.

Peace is preached to those far off and those near. Peace is salvation. Israel had covenants of peace if they obeyed. Today, through the mystery revealed through Paul, we have peace now through Christ without any of that.

Through Him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father as we see in Ephesians 2:18. Why do we need access? Because God is the giver of life, love and righteousness. Without Him life is empty.

Israel accessed grace through covenants.

James 1:27 shows their covenant religion—helping widows, staying unspotted. James 4:6 says God gives grace to the humble. Luke 18 shows the sinner’s prayer under the law. That was how grace worked then, before Paul’s gospel.

But today, under the mystery, we don’t get grace by humbling ourself. We get grace through Christ alone, by faith, standing in the grace He already gave us.

We have access to God through faith in Christ’s shed blood. Romans 4 says righteousness is imputed to those who believe Jesus “was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification.”

That’s grace through faith.

Israel, before this dispensation of Grace, accessed God’s grace through covenants, but we access God through Jesus Christ, the same Christ who gives us peace with God.

Many people picture Jesus as only loving and gentle, almost effeminate, but Scripture says when He returns, He comes “in flaming fire taking vengeance” according to 2 Thessalonians 1:8.

Catholics try to solve this by praying to Mary as a softer mediator, but the Bible says Christ alone is the mediator. Today He’s offering grace, not wrath, so today we can approach Him without fear.

Romans 5:2 says we stand in grace. We don’t run to God hoping for more grace—we already stand inside it.

This is the same truth Paul expands on in Ephesians 3: the dispensation of the grace of God, the mystery of Christ and our position in Him.

Our position never changes even though our state – our feelings, our circumstances—change all the time.

Philippians 4:11–13 shows this. Paul says he learned to be content in any state: rich or poor, healthy or hurting. “I can do all things through Christ” means he can endure any circumstance because he has peace with God and access to grace.

Romans 5:3–4 teaches the same: we glory in tribulations through Christ.

God’s not punishing us day by day. Bad weather or sickness is not God being angry. Our position is peace with God through Christ. Our condition may feel rough sometimes, but our standing is secure because it’s the result of Christ’s work, perfect and complete.

Our state is our changing earthly condition. Romans 5:2 says we stand in grace and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 

Colossians 1:24–27 matches Romans 5. Paul rejoices in sufferings because of Christ. He says the dispensation of God was given to him to reveal the mystery: Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Romans 5:2 says we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

How can Gentiles have this hope? Because justification is by faith without works, without Israel, without covenants. Christ dwells in us, and we in Him.

In Colossians 1:28 Paul says he preaches and warns so believers will be “perfect in Christ Jesus”. He doesn’t mean sinless. He means believers should understand their complete position in Christ. When we know who we are in Him, grace can work in us and through us. If we don’t know this, we can be saved but never grow.

That’s why Paul warns—because people will try to rob us of what Christ freely gave. Romans 5 teaches these riches so believers can stand firm, complete in Christ, knowing their peace, access, and hope come from Him alone.

Paul says the mystery is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Romans 5:2 says we “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

That’s mystery truth. In Romans 4, Abraham “against hope believed in hope.” He trusted God even when everything looked impossible. We do the same. We didn’t get saved by good works or by looking worthy. We believed Jesus Christ. We believe in the hope He gives—peace now and glory to come.

 

What is this “glory of God” we hope in?

God’s glory includes His peace, joy, love—everything we truly need. God gives these things by His grace.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul says we behold “the glory of the Lord” and are changed “into the same image… by the Spirit.” The Holy Ghost works in us to conform us to Christ so Romans 8 tells us. That’s glory.

2 Corinthians 4 says the “glorious gospel of Christ” shines light into our hearts.

Why is it glorious?

Because salvation is only the beginning. In Christ we have a perfect standing, riches of grace, and a future glory. God gives us “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

If we want to know God’s love, peace, and joy, we must know Jesus Christ—especially as revealed in the mystery.

Ephesians 1 speaks often of “the glory of his grace.” Ephesians 1:6 says we’re “accepted in the beloved.” That’s glory.

In 2 Timothy 2:10 Paul says salvation in Christ comes “with eternal glory.” Colossians 3 says when Christ appears, we shall appear with Him in glory. Instead of wrath, we get glory because we have peace with God.

 

Many Christians fear Christ’s return, but someone truly saved by grace has no fear.

Christ will judge the world, for sure, but we’re at peace with God through Him.

When He appears in glory, we’ll be glorified with Him.

Romans 8:18 says the sufferings of this life are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us.

Ephesians 3:21 says the church exists “to the glory of God” through Christ forever. Titus 2:13 calls Christ’s return “our blessed hope and glorious appearing.”

So why can we rejoice in the hope of glory? Why can we say we have peace with God even though we still fail and still have a life to live which can be challenging and hurtful? Because our hope is not in ourselves. It’s in His grace.

The glory that will come is by His grace and the glory we have now is by His grace.

Everything rests on what Christ has done, not what we do.

That’s why we can stand firm, rejoice, and trust His grace. And that’s where Romans 5:3 will take us next episode glorying even in tribulations because of what Christ has already given us.

The Secret Gospel

The secret gospel really starts in Luke chapter nine, in the middle of Jesus earthly ministry where He’s surrounded by the disciples.

“Speed Slider”

The Secret Gospel Timeline

The Secret Gospel Timeline – Press Image To Expand

Terms Paul Used for His Gospel

Paul uses these terms to describe the Gospel he preached;

  • Gospel of God – Romans 1:1, 2 Corinthians 11:7, 1 Thessalonians 2:8, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, & Romans 15:6
  • Gospel of his Son – Romans 1:9
  • Gospel of Christ – Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 9:12, 1 Corinthians 9:18, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Corinthians 9:13, 2 Corinthians 10:14, Galatians 1:7, Romans 15:19, Philippians 1:27, 1 Thessalonians 3:2 & Romans 15:29
  • My gospel – Romans 2:16 & Romans 16:25
  • Gospel of peace – Romans 10:15
  • Christ’s gospel – 2 Corinthians 2:12
  • Gospel of your salvation – Ephesians 1:13
  • Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ – 2 Thessalonians 2:14
  • Gospel of the blessed God – 1 Timothy 1:11
  • Gospel according to the power of God – 2 Timothy 1:8
  • Gospel of the uncircumcision – Galatians 2:7
  • Gospel of the circumcision – Galatians 2:7.

The Secret Gospel – Transcript

Our study of the book of Romans has lead to where almost every sentence opens up more and more of the reality of what the body of Christ is, how and why there is a body of Christ and our personal part in it.

I must admit that until my study of Romans Christianity for me was confusing and full of loose ends that always seemed to flap about with no anchor point.

As I studied the passages, that have no comparison in any literary work of mankind, what began to unfold was an understanding of the gospel as I’ve never experienced in my 40 some years as a Christian.

Paul’s writing is very deep and very complex in that he crams so much into his sentences with parentheses and side bars everywhere, and yet, once I realised how to read his explanations and sidebars without losing the original point of the sentence, I began to see the utter simplicity of salvation.

This bought a new awe of God’s wisdom, a new respect for the Word as a whole and led me to be more sure and certain of salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ than ever before.

Finally I found a sense of wonder that Romans is both the foundation and the finish of the Body of Christ, and, along with the entire rest of the bible, was intended for me personally, just as it was intended for you personally.

One of the great freedoms I found was timing. Understanding the Lords timing and the different ways He’s dealt with mankind since the foundation of the world, and the ways He’ll deal with mankind in the future.

Understanding timing, or context, blows away all the seaming contradictions of the Word.

The teaching and preaching that says we’re saved by grace and then goes on to list all that we must and must not do always made me have a sense of mistrust in the bible even though I was convinced it was God’s Word. How could God say one thing here and then an almost opposite thing there.

I put it down to man’s interpretation but Romans made me realise that the bible’s not open to man’s interpretation. It says what is says and means what it says.

 

I found that an overwhelming amount of teaching and preaching in modern day churches, especially on social media channels and Christian television, comes from a stockpile of bible verses that’s almost like a preacher’s toolbox.

Selected verses are pulled out of the box and often used out of context as a basis for sermons that’re often some sort of feel good, life enhancing speech. Very seldom are these toolbox verses used within the context they’re part of.

An example would be the word “therefore”. It’s used 105 times in Pauls epistles from Romans to Philemon and 27 times in Romans alone and every time it’s used it’s telling us that we can’t understand what follows the “therefore” if we don’t know what the “therefore” relates to in the previous passages. So often the context makes what follows the “therefore” a completely different message than what’s being preached.

 

Another good example of context is Philippians 4:13 where Paul says,

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

 

If we isolate that verse we can easily see where a motivational preacher can use it to urge his audience to be positive because we can do all things through Christ because He gives us the strength to do all things. A new car? No problem! A new house? Good as done! Overweight? Just pray and you’ll be slim.

But when we see the verse in context we see it differently.

The previous two verses must be read to understand exactly what Paul’s saying. Philippians 4:11-13,

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

This happens in so many places throughout the bible, and in any other book or writing for that matter, where context absolutely matters and is critical to understand what’s being said.

 

Almost all scripture, and almost every verse, is a puzzle piece, a part of the whole picture of God’s dealings with mankind.

The biggest objection to this comes from those who don’t believe that the Bible is the infallible, inspired Word of God.

The challenge for every one of those folk is to first settle for themselves what the Bible actually is.

Once the evidence is looked at honestly anyone can prove that the Bible is a supernatural, living Word.

Of course one step before that is to first be convinced that God actually exists and that He really is the omnipotent almighty Creator of the universe.

Again the evidence for that is overwhelming and everywhere and only those who willingly blind themselves to that evidence can reject it.

Remember “proof” is the result of convincing evidence.

 

So, the discovery of God’s timing, the ages, the dispensations by which God deals with man in different ways is vital in understanding the Word of God.

And, within God’s timing, perhaps the most important piece of timing is the section we could call Paul’s secret gospel, especially for the Body of Christ today.

One of the most valuable tools we can have in this respect is a timeline chart and we have a very basic timeline chart available below this recording.

 

Paul’s secret gospel really starts in Luke chapter nine, in the middle of Jesus earthly ministry where He’s surrounded by the disciples.

Let’s read Luke 9:1-6,

Then he (Jesus) called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 

And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 

And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. 

And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. 

And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. 

And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

 

So we see that they preached the gospel.

So what exactly does the word “gospel” mean?

The word in our concordance is basically described as meaning “Good News” or “Glad or Good Tidings”.

The actual word “gospel” only appears in the New Testament section of the Bible although the concept of “good news” absolutely does appear in the Old Testament, especially in Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 52:7 and Isaiah 61:1. Jesus used these verses in His earthly ministry.

 

The word gospel is used in three different but connected meanings:

Firstly, the “Gospel” as the account of Jesus’ life in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books are called “Gospels” because they tell the good news about Jesus. The word is like a title or genre here, such as “The Gospel according to Matthew.”

 

Secondly, The “Gospel” as the good news of the long prophesied Kingdom of God that Jesus, who was God, came to earth in human flesh to usher in.

We know that Jesus, when He came to the earth came to Israel, the chosen nation. He was the Jews long prophesied Messiah,

We see that all through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and early Acts.

In Matthew 15:24 this is specifically stated but the entire context of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John displays this. It’s about Israel.

In Matthew 3:1 at the beginning of Jesus’s earthly ministry we see this,

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

 

Thirdly, The “gospel” as the message of salvation — the good news preached by Paul.

Paul uses the terms gospel of God, gospel of his (God’s) Son, gospel of Christ, my gospel, gospel of peace, Christ’s gospel, gospel of your salvation, gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, gospel of the blessed God, gospel according to the power of God, gospel of the uncircumcision, gospel of the circumcision and many times simply The gospel. There’s a list of references to Pauls terms below this recording.

 

These 3 groups do not contradict each other. One is the story, one is the heralding in of the earthly Kingdom (they kingdom come), the other is the salvation message that was revealed to Paul.

 

1 Timothy 2:4  reveals God’s will,

Who (God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

To undertake this will of God we need to know the gospel.

In Luke 9:1-6 here we have Jesus sending out the twelve and they’re preaching the gospel.

Christians believe that’s what we’re doing, or should be doing today, going out to the towns and preaching the gospel. And if they don’t receive us, if we think they’re not receiving the gospel, we’re going to shake the dust off of our feet.

 

But one of the basics of the timings, the dispensations we’re talking about here is that Jesus revealed a secret to Paul.

Paul explains it in Romans 16:25 like this,

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 

 

What does this mean and how does this “my gospel” as Paul puts it differ from the gospel we just read about in Luke 9?

Is there a difference? Why was it a mystery and only revealed to Paul?

 

Paul preaches, Jesus Christ according to the revelation of this mystery. So Christ revealed a mystery, a secret to Paul. And it includes information about the gospel, the gospel Paul calls my gospel.

It’s about Jesus Christ, but it’s about Jesus Christ according to the revelation of this mystery which Paul says was kept secret since the world began.

Look at 1 Corinthians 2:7,

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 

 

In verse 8 (1 Corinthians 2:8) reads,

Which (this mystery wisdom of God) none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

 

Did these quote “princes of this world” crucify Christ? Yes they did.

Did they know this mystery then? No. Because Paul says if they had known it, they wouldn’t have crucified him and that needed to happen to bring salvation and righteousness into the world.

 

Let’s go to Ephesians 3:3-9,

How that by revelation he (God) made known unto me (Paul) the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 

Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 

Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

 

This mystery was preached by Paul.

So here’s Paul saying he’s teaching a mystery that’s been revealed. And it includes information about the Gentiles. And the gospel and God’s grace. And this was kept secret since before the beginning of the world and it was revealed to him by Jesus.

 

Look then at Colossians 1:25-27 where Paul again talks about this mystery,

Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 

Whereunto I (Paul) also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. 

 

Paul says that this mystery gospel is not just for the Gentiles, but it’s to every man. Obviously, when we talk about men in the Bible, we’re talking about mankind there.

So every man means every man and woman.

 

What happened when Jesus revealed this mystery to Paul.

Let’s go to Acts 9 and see what happened there that was so special.

Acts 9:3-5. and remember that Paul is called Saul here. His name was changed later.

We read,

And as he (Saul – Paul) journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

Now to Act 9:6,

And he (Saul) trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

 

So here’s Paul. He’s on the road to Damascus when Jesus the Lord comes to him. He tells he’s going to tell him what to do in response to Paul asking the Lord what do you want me to do?

The Lord tells Paul to go into Damascus where there’s a man called Ananias. At this stage Paul has lost his eyesight.

 

At the same time Jesus is dealing directly with Ananias and in Acts 9:11-12 we read,

And the Lord said unto him (Ananias), Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 

 

Ananias questions the Lord because of the evil reputation Paul has of persecution to those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah.

Jesus explains to situation to Ananias in Acts 9:15,

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 

For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

 

In Acts chapter 22:12-15 Paul explains the events that occurred in detail to an audience in Jerusalem and he says Ananias told him that “the God of our fathers hath chosen thee” to know God’s will, and to see “that Just One,” and hear the voice of His mouth, and be a witness “unto all men.”

 

Paul repeats it again in Acts 26:14–18, where Jesus

says He appeared to Paul “for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness,” and that He is sending Paul to the Gentiles “to open their eyes… that they may receive forgiveness of sins.”

 

So in Acts 9, Christ Himself gives Paul a ministry and begins revealing His will to him. This is the same thing Paul talks about in Romans 16, 1 Corinthians 2, Ephesians 3, and Colossians 1. Christ reveals the mystery that was kept secret since the world began. It includes a gospel committed to him by Christ.

 

In Galatians 1:11-12 Pauls says to the Galatians,

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 

For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

 

Paul didn’t get this gospel that he’s preaching from anyone other than Christ.

Paul reminds them how he once persecuted the church, was zealous in the Jews’ religion, but God called him by grace “to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen.” He didn’t go to the apostles to learn anything—he went into Arabia and back to Damascus. His gospel came straight from Christ.

 

So here’s where this one thing, the gospel, gets confused and it’s only by understanding the changes in dispensation, the timing that we can erase the confusion.

Paul says, I preach the gospel. It was a mystery kept secret. It was given to me directly by Jesus Christ. And yet in Luke 9 Jesus is sending twelve people, and they’re going out through all the cities and they’re preaching the gospel.

So how can they preach the gospel when it was unknown before it was revealed to Paul?

Paul’s preaching the gospel and says it was a mystery until revealed to him. How could it be if the disciples were preaching it long before Paul was even converted?

Paul’s preaching a gospel that was kept secret, given to him directly by Jesus. The disciples are given a gospel from Jesus to preach that was not a secret.

 

This is where so many controversies and arguments are birthed and it’s such a shame because it’s so simple when we let the Bible speak and stay out of its way.

 

1 Corinthians 9:16 gives a bit more context about Paul and the the gospel that he’s preaching and, and the ministry that he was given of the Lord,

For though I (Paul) preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 

 

Why does Paul have to preach the gospel?

Next verse 1 Corinthians 9:17,

For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 

Paul says, a dispensation of the gospel, is committed to him, and that’s what he’s testifying of.

Christ gave him information, revealed a mystery, wisdom that had been kept secret, and committed it to Paul to minister.

This gospel Paul calls  “the gospel of the grace of God” is unique because it offers salvation to God’s enemies by grace through faith, and Paul himself is the pattern.

In Act 20:24 Paul talks about his ministry to the Ephesian elders and he says,

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

 

Paul calls it the gospel of the grace of God.

What’s unique about his gospel, in part, is that it talks about salvation for God’s enemies by grace through faith. And Paul is a pattern as we see in 1 Timothy 1:15-16,

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Paul is a pattern of an enemy of God being saved by His grace, and we too are enemies of God, and we too need God’s grace to save us.

Colossian 1:21-22,

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 

In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 

This ministry that Paul had was regarding in part the gospel, and that gospel was a gospel of God’s grace that was offered to his enemies.

Let’s look into a little bit more about what that gospel included and how that worked in Galatians 1:8-9

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 

As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 

Something about this gospel is so important that Paul says if any other gospel is preached unto you, let that person be accursed.

However, we have this conflict between the gospel that was revealed to Paul, which any man who preaches otherwise is cursed, and the gospel Jesus Himself gave to the twelve apostles to preach.

Let’s get a bit more detail about the gospel that Paul preached before we look at the gospel during Jesus earthly ministry.

Paul says that we’re sinful enemies of God and will face God’s judgment, and we deserve death.

Romans, which Paul wrote and is the foundational book of doctrine for the Body of Christ, includes information about his gospel and salvation.

In Romans 3:23, which we’ve studied in our verse by verse study of the book of Romans Paul concludes this,

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Paul concludes this after painstakingly building the picture in the previous chapters of Romans.

And in Romans 1:18-32, Paul talks about the judgment that’s coming to sinners and he describes what a sinner looks like and if we’re honest with ourselves we can all recognise ourselves in that awful description.

The end of that passage should send chills up our spine. Romans 1:32,

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 

The passage continues in Romans 2:1-3 with one of those “therefores” we talked about,

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 

But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

 

There’s no one that’s going to escape that judgment. We’re all sinners. God’s going to judge that sin, and the result is going to be death.

But Paul also says God offers a gift—eternal life through Jesus Christ. And that gift comes through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for sinful, ungodly enemies of God. Those who receive this free gift will escape judgement because there’s nothing to judge. Their sin has been paid for by death even the death of God Himself in the flesh.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Paul declares the gospel he received from Christ. Here it is,

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

 

Paul says in Romans 16:25 that this gospel includes things that were not revealed before. In Romans 5:6–10, Paul says Christ died for the ungodly, for sinners, for enemies, who we all were, and that we’re “justified by his blood” and “reconciled to God by the death of his Son.”

Colossians 1:14 and Ephesians 1:7 say His blood brings redemption and forgiveness.

Paul also teaches that believers have eternal life because we are joined to Christ. In Romans 6:6–11 we’re told that our “old man with its body of sin is crucified with him,” and we’re to reckon ourselves “dead unto sin, but alive unto God.”

In Romans 8:11, the same Spirit that raised Jesus will “quicken our mortal bodies.”

In 1 Corinthians 15:20–22, Christ is the “firstfruits,” and all in Christ “shall be made alive.”

So how do we get into Christ?

We become “in Christ” the moment we believe the gospel, when the Holy Spirit places us into Christ’s body, uniting us with His death, burial, and resurrection. That’s it. Paul never commands to “Become in Christ” or “Get into Christ” or “Try to be in Christ”.

Instead, he declares it as a completed fact for every believer:

No ritual.

No process.

No striving.

Just faith in the finished work of Christ.

Paul says salvation is by grace through faith, not by works or the law. In Romans 3:24–28, we are “justified freely by his grace,” and God is the “justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Paul concludes that a man is “justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” In Romans 4:4–5, he says if you work for it, it’s not grace—but to the one “that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Because Christ’s blood justifies, redeems, and gives eternal life, we’re complete in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 says we have all spiritual blessings in Him.

Colossians 2:10 says we’re complete in Him. No law‑keeping can add to what Christ already finished.

 

So Paul’s gospel is this:

We’re all sinners and enemies of God whether Jew or Gentile and we’re all facing judgment and death.

Christ died, was buried, and rose again for our sins.

His blood brings forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation.

Eternal life is given to all who believe.

And this salvation is a free gift of grace, not of works.

This gospel that was revealed to Paul is part of the mystery, kept secret until Christ made it known and it includes something new: “one new man”, the body of Christ.

In Ephesians 2:14–16, Christ broke down the wall between Jew and Gentile and made “of twain one new man,” reconciling both to God in one body by the cross.

In Ephesians 3:6, Paul says Gentiles are now “fellow heirs… of the same body.”

This is part of the hidden wisdom Christ revealed to him.

 

Now, let’s skip back to the four gospels.

There were twelve people that Jesus sent out and they were preaching a gospel and Paul wasn’t even around then. Paul came on the scene in Acts 8 and then Acts 9 is when Jesus reveals the mystery to Paul.

So what did Jesus actually send the twelve disciples to preach?

In Matthew 10:5–6, Jesus commands them and we read,

These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

That’s already different from Paul, who is sent to all men, especially Gentiles.

In Mark 6:12, the twelve preach that men should repent or change their mind about breaking the covenant, because the kingdom was coming. Their message was about Israel’s promised kingdom, not the body of Christ. The term “The Body of Christ” is only found in Paul’s writings.

And if the kingdom was “coming,” then it obviously wasn’t here yet.

Paul, on the other hand, preaches forgiveness now, reconciliation now, and one new man made of Jew and Gentile now.

Another difference is in Luke 18:31–34, where Jesus tells the twelve He will die and rise again, but they quote “understood none of these things.”

Yet Paul’s gospel centres on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The twelve who preached in Luke 9 didn’t even know about it and when they were told of it by Jesus they didn’t understand. Peter even began to rebuke Jesus. That alone shows the two messages, the two gospels cannot be the same.

In Luke 18:31–34, Jesus takes the same twelve men He sent out in Luke 9 and tells them plainly that everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will now happen—He’ll be handed to the Gentiles, mocked, beaten, killed, and rise again the third day. That’s the death, burial, and resurrection, the same truth Paul later preaches in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4. But, again, the twelve “understood none of these things.”

It was “hid from them.”

That’s a big problem if the gospel they preached in Luke 9 was the same as Paul’s. How can you preach a gospel that you don’t even understand?

Just a few verses earlier in Luke 18:18–25, a rich ruler asks Jesus how to get eternal life. Jesus does not tell him what Paul tells us. He doesn’t say, “Believe my death and shed blood, it’s a free gift by grace.”

Instead Jesus points him to the commandments, and then tells him to sell all, give to the poor, and follow Him into the coming kingdom.

That’s the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of the grace of God.

Rich or poor doesn’t matter for us today, but in that kingdom message, refusing to give up riches meant he could not enter.

So what gospel were the twelve preaching in Luke 9 and Luke 18? It clearly wasn’t Paul’s gospel, because they didn’t even understand the cross or resurrection. Their hope of eternal life was tied to doing the law and following Christ into the earthly kingdom.

 

Then Jesus dies in Luke 23 and rises in Luke 24 and none of the disciples believed it at first—not just Thomas, but all eleven of them, minus Judas, and we see this in Luke 24:9–11 and 36–41.

After He appears to them, Jesus spends forty days teaching them, opening their understanding to the law, prophets, and psalms as we read in Luke 24:44–45.

He explains that it was written that Christ must suffer and rise again, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached “beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46–47). He blesses them and ascends into heaven.

Luke also wrote the book of Acts and Acts 1 continues the same story. Jesus shows Himself alive for forty days and gives commandments to the apostles (Acts 1:1–3). Surely now they understand the Scriptures He taught them.

Then in Acts 2, Peter finally preaches—but notice who he preaches to in Acts 2:22: “Ye men of Israel”.

Not Gentiles. Not all men. Israel.

And what does he preach? That they crucified their Messiah. He doesn’t preach the one new man, the body of Christ, or salvation by grace through faith without the law. He preaches the kingdom message to Israel, but now with the added fact that Jesus rose from the dead.

So even after the resurrection and forty days of teaching, the message the twelve preach in Acts 2 is still Israel‑focused, still kingdom‑focused, and still not the gospel Paul later calls “my gospel,” revealed to him as part of the mystery.

Paul says that if the mystery had been known, the rulers would not have crucified Christ.

That means God planned the cross before the world began as the way to deal with sin.

But Peter says in Acts 2 that Israel wickedly crucified Christ.

Why? Because under the gospel of the kingdom, Israel was supposed to recognize Jesus as their Messiah and believe who He said He was. That would be the key to usher in the long prophesied glorious kingdom. Instead, they rejected Him and crucified Him, going against God’s revealed will for them.

Peter preaches in Acts 2:24 that God raised Jesus from the dead and in Acts 2:36 he says, “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

The people are pricked in their hearts and ask, “What shall we do?”

Peter does not preach Paul’s gospel of grace.

Instead he says, “Repent and be baptized… for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). This promise is to Israel and their children.

In Acts 3:13–15, Peter again preaches to Israel. He says they denied the Holy One and killed “the Prince of life”.

He says the lame man was healed by faith in His name, not faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. There’s a big difference. Then Peter says something very important Acts 3:19: their sins will be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come. That’s future—when Christ returns. That’s not the same as Paul’s teaching that we have forgiveness now through Christ’s blood.

Peter also says in Acts 3:21 that what he’s preaching was spoken “by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began”. This is diametrically opposite to what Paul says, that his gospel was a mystery kept secret since the world began (Romans 16:25). Those two things simply cannot be the same.

Peter’s message was prophesied. Paul’s message was hidden.

Peter’s preaching to Israel only, offering the kingdom, calling them to repent so the kingdom can come.

Paul preaches to all men, Jew and Gentile alike, about a new man, the body of Christ, created by the cross (Ephesians 2:14–16).

Paul’s gospel requires Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for the ungodly (1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Romans 5:6–10).

Peter’s gospel in Acts 2–3 does not preach the cross as good news for salvation; he preaches it as Israel’s crime.

So we see clear differences:

– Peter’s gospel was prophesied while Paul’s was a mystery.

– Peter preached to Israel while Paul to all men.

– Peter preached repent and be baptized while Paul preached grace through faith.

– Peter preached future blotting out of sins while Paul preached present forgiveness, forgiveness now.

– Peter preached faith in Jesus name while Paul preached faith in His finished work on the cross.

It’s not the similarities that matter—it’s the differences.

And even one difference means they cannot be the same gospel.

So the gospel in Luke 9 and Acts 2–3 is not the same as the gospel Christ later revealed to Paul.

This is one of the basic truths of the bible and can only be fully understood when we divide the word of God correctly into it’s past, present and future dispensations as 2 Timothy 2:15 says.

Paul’s gospel is the secret gospel Jesus gave to him, and it’s different from the kingdom gospel preached before.

Both are correct in their right context and dispensation. Jesus is the Author of both and we need to understand both.

Romans 4:18-25 – Salvation by Grace Through Faith

We finished up in the last episode in verses sixteen and seventeen, where Paul took great pains to make sure we understand that God’s promises don’t come through the law but by faith.

Paul’s making that point to Israel because they’re the people under the law. He’s teaching them that it’s not by the law that they get their promises given to Abraham. He was given those promises before the law was given to Israel, about four hundred years after Jacob and Abraham.

So his point is that righteousness is imputed to people, by faith, even in the Old Testament scriptures, and God counts their faith for righteousness.

“Speed Slider”

Romans 4:18-25 – Transcript

This episode finishes Romans chapter 4 and we look at verses 18-25 (Romans 4:18-25) and we’ll read that passage,

Who (and the who here is of course Abraham), Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, (and that’s from a child bearing perspective of course) when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

And being fully persuaded that, what he (God) had promised, he (God) was able also to perform.

And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

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 offences, and was raised again for our justification.

We finished up in the last episode in verses sixteen and seventeen, where Paul took great pains to make sure we understand that God’s promises don’t come through the law but by faith.

Paul’s making that point to Israel because they’re the people under the law. He’s teaching them that it’s not by the law that they get their promises given to Abraham. He was given those promises before the law was given to Israel, about four hundred years after Jacob and Abraham.

So his point is that righteousness is imputed to people, by faith, even in the Old Testament scriptures, and God counts their faith for righteousness.

Hebrews 11:11 says,

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Then Romans 10:17 says,

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We hear the Word of God which brings the faith needed for us to believe. So what the people in times past had faith in was not the same as what we have faith in today, obviously, because more words of God and more things of God have been revealed to us today. In times past there was no book of Romans or any book of our new testament today.

But it’s still faith that God counts for righteousness throughout human history.

So Paul’s teaching that salvation will ultimately be by grace through faith to everyone who believes, because no one can save themselves. It has to be by God’s grace through faith.

 

As we travel through the epistle to the Romans we can’t help but realise it’s importance to the church, the Body of Christ today.

How sad it is that this epistle, especially the chapters we’ve studied, is almost completely neglected by modern church leadership which miserably fails to teach it’s precious people the truth so clearly and painstakingly outlined in Paul’s epistles, especially Romans.

Outside of Paul’s epistles, Romans through to Philemon, we simply cannot know the purpose, the foundation of the Body of Christ and our individual part in it.

 

Romans 4:16 says, therefore it is of faith, not your works, not your circumcision, not the law, that it might be by grace.

And so if Isarel received righteousness or the promises or blessing from God by works, by the law, through circumcision, or national heritage then it’s not by grace. It’s based on who they are in the flesh and what they’ve done in the flesh, it’s not by grace.

That’s what the Old Testament taught as well. God’s a gracious God. He had to be merciful to give his blessings. And Paul’s doing everything he can to urge them, the Jews, and us, to understand that.

 

Through the rest of Romans 4 Paul’s talking about how it’s by grace through faith, and how that’s a righteous and good thing and how faith stands alone so the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to that which are of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham.

Paul’s showing in Romans 4 is that it was never enough for Israel just to be “under the law.” They also had to have faith. Without faith, even an Israelite could not receive the promises. Paul goes back to Abraham to show this.

Not all Abraham’s physical children received the promise—only the children of promise, the ones who believed. Not all the circumcision received it—only the ones who believed. Not all Israel received it—only those who believed. Jesus Himself taught this when He said Israel had to believe on Him to receive the kingdom.

 

So Paul turns from talking about Israel to saying Abraham is quote “the father of us all.”

Why? Because as we’ve pointed out many times, Abraham was counted righteous before circumcision, before the law, and before Israel even existed. He had nothing but faith. That’s why, based on Abraham’s pattern, righteousness can be imputed to anyone who believes—Jew or Gentile.

 

Romans 4:11 says circumcision was only a seal of the righteousness Abraham already had by faith when he was uncircumcised.

That made him the father of all who believe, whether circumcised or not. Righteousness is imputed by faith—not works, not circumcision, not Israel, not the law.

 

In Romans 4:17 Paul quotes Genesis 17: “I have made thee a father of many nations.”

God didn’t say “I will make you”—He said “I have made you.”

The promise was already settled.

Galatians 3:8 says this,

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 

 

Abraham didn’t know about the cross or resurrection, but he knew God’s words and believed them. That’s why Galatians 3:9 says those who are of faith are “blessed with faithful Abraham.”

 

Abraham heard God’s promise of a seed and many nations. He believed, and God imputed righteousness to him.

Paul’s point is simple: if Abraham received righteousness by faith before circumcision and before the law, then anyone can.

Even Israel must come by faith, not by saying “we have the law” or “we’re circumcised.” And since Abraham was uncircumcised when he believed, Gentiles can also receive righteousness by faith.

So Abraham is the father of Israel who believe, and the father of Gentiles who believe. And for the body of Christ today, the pattern is the same: we trust God, we respond in faith, and God imputes righteousness. That’s the whole point of Romans 4—righteousness by faith avaiable for all.

 

However the content of faith differs between dispensations and that’s vital to understand.

Abraham believed he would be the father of many nations. Moses believed Israel would be a blessing to the world. Gentiles in time past believed they would be blessed through Israel. But today we believe the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection as we just read in Romans 4:24–25.

Same God, same faith, same imputation—different message.

 

Abraham’s the only one of the patriarchs promised to be the father of many nations, and the only one given a promise before circumcision. That’s why he alone can be “the father of us all.”

Gentiles who believe do not inherit Israel’s earthly promises. They’re not the promised nation. They receive righteousness by faith, but not Israel’s land or kingdom blessings.

And the body of Christ today is not Gentiles seeking blessing through Israel—we’re saved today directly by grace through faith.

 

That is Paul’s whole argument in Romans 4.

 

In Galatians 3:16 Paul says

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 

 

The promises were made to Abraham and his seed, singular, not seeds, plural, and this seed is Christ.

Some people struggle with that because Genesis and Romans 4 clearly show God promised Abraham many descendants—“as the stars” and “as the dust.” Paul himself says Abraham would be the father of many nations. So why does Paul stress one seed instead of many?

Because both are true.

God promised Abraham a multiplied seed—many nations—but that whole multiplied blessing would come through one son.

Abraham had Ishmael and other children, but the promised line came through Isaac, who pictures Christ.

So in Galatians 3 Paul’s not saying Gentiles get Israel’s earthly blessings. He’s saying Gentiles in the body of Christ receive blessing through the one Seed, Jesus Christ.

 

Galatians 3:7 says those “of faith” are the children of Abraham—not by flesh, not by circumcision, not by Israel’s covenants. Galatians 3:9 says those of faith are “blessed with faithful Abraham.” Galatians 3:22 says the promise is given “to them that believe.” while Galatians 3:26 says we are children of God “by faith in Jesus Christ.”

So how do we get imputed righteousness? By faith in Christ’s finished work. Abraham is our father only in that sense—faith, not flesh.

 

Romans 4:17 says Abraham is “the father of us all” before God, who “quickens the dead.” Romans 4:18 says Abraham believed “against hope” that he would become the father of many nations.

What Abraham believed is different from what we believe, but Who he believed is the same as us. How he responded is the same, and what God imputed is the same—righteousness by faith.

 

The “seed” in Romans 4:18 is the multiplied seed. In Galatians 3 Paul shows that the multiplied nations come through one seed—Christ. So the seed is many but through one.

 

Romans 4 explains why faith alone glorifies God more than any work. People attack “faith alone” by saying it ignores good works, but Paul shows faith is powerful because its object is God Himself. Abraham’s faith was not faith in himself, or faith in faith, or faith that “anything can happen.” It was faith in God, who “quickens the dead” as Romans 4:17 states.

 

“Quicken” is a strong word. It doesn’t just mean “the giving of life”—it means giving life to the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:45 says,

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

 

Jesus, the “last Adam,” is a quickening spirit. We’re born spiritually dead, and Christ makes us alive. That’s why the word “quicken” matters.

 

In John 5:21 Jesus tells us,

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 

 

Jesus is the one who’ll raise the righteous and the wicked. He’s the quickening one.

 

1 Corinthians 15:36 says a seed is not quickened unless it dies. Life from the dead is God’s specialty. That’s why Abraham’s faith was strong—he trusted the God who brings life out of death.

 

So Paul’s point in Romans 4 is simple:

  • Abraham believed God.
  • God imputed righteousness to him.
  • This happened before circumcision, before the law, before Israel.
  • Therefore righteousness can be imputed to anyone who believes—Jew or Gentile.
  • And today we believe the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection, and God imputes righteousness to us the same way.

 

In Romans 4, Paul shows what was “dead” in Abraham’s life. Romans 4:19 says Abraham did not consider his own body “now dead,” nor the “deadness of Sarah’s womb.” They were too old to have a child. Yet God promised Abraham a seed. So Abraham had to trust the God who brings life out of death. That’s the whole point.

 

Scripture gives many examples of God quickening dead wombs:

  • Rebekah in Genesis 25
  • Hannah, mother of Samuel in 1 Samuel 2:21
  • Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist Luke 1:5-25
  • And even Mary’s miraculous conception Luke 1:27-38

God brings life where there is no life.

 

Romans 4:17 says,

(As it is written, I have made thee (Abraham) a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

 

When God speaks, His words create reality. Our words don’t.

He told Abraham, “Your wife will have a child,” even though everything looked impossible. God’s words never returns void.

This isn’t like people setting goals and hoping they reach them. We fail all the time. But when God says something will be, it will be—even if it requires supernatural intervention.

Genesis 1:3 shows this,

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 

 

His words have power. Our words do not. This’s where the Word‑of‑Faith movement goes terribly wrong. God’s words create; man’s words do not.

Isaiah 46:9–10 rebukes false gods and shows God’s uniqueness,

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

 

You want to be sure the Bible is really the word of God? God proves it by prophecy—He tells the future and brings it to pass. Men fail at this constantly. False prophets have always existed, from Elijah’s day to now. But God’s word stands.

Isaiah even named Cyrus 100 years before he was born, describing how he would send Israel back from Babylon. Ezra records the fulfillment. The Bible is full of prophecy and fulfillment across 1,500 years and 40 writers. No other book can do that.

 

Isaiah 46:11 says,

…I (God) have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. 

 

Isaiah 55:11 says God’s word will not return void,

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

 

That’s why Abraham could trust God. And that’s why we can trust Him. The same God who quickened Abraham’s dead situation is the God who quickens our dead spirit when we believe the gospel.

That truth helps us today when we wonder why God uses weak, ordinary people in the church to preach the gospel of grace.

God doesn’t want the “best” people—He wants sinners who’ll just believe what He says.

There’re many people who think they’re good but reject God just as there are those who know the extent of their sinfulness but believe God. Those who trust His word become the vessels He uses.

 

So, Abraham believed God “who quickens the dead and calls those things which be not as though they were.” That’s the heart of faith and hope. When God speaks something that’s not yet seen, faith believes Him.

If you think God’s words are nonsense, you don’t believe.

But Abraham heard God say he would have a son through a barren wife, and he believed. Even though he laughed at first he trusted the God who brings life out of death.

 

Hebrews 11:1 says,

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

 

Faith is not blind willpower. Faith must rest on what God said. If we believe a pastor, a priest, or anyone else instead of God’s words, our faith is empty.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God as Romans 10:17 says. God’s words are the substance and the evidence that those words are true is that God Himself said them, and God cannot lie.

Faith glorifies God—because the object of faith is God’s power and truth. Abraham didn’t trust his own strength or ability. He trusted God’s promise.

 

Romans 4:19 says of Abraham,

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 

 

At nearly 100 years old, everything he saw in the natural told him the promise was impossible. But God’s words made him rethink what he saw in the natural. Faith changed his thoughts. That’s what strong faith is—not strong works, but strong confidence in God’s promise, what He’s said.

Romans 4:18 says Abraham “against hope believed in hope.”

His situation was hopeless, but God had spoken. Abraham expected God to do what He said.

That’s hope—expecting what’s not yet seen.

The same thing happened later when God told Abraham to offer Isaac. Hebrews 11:19 tells how Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead if needed. He trusted God’s promise more than what he saw with his natural senses.

 

So what is weak faith and strong faith?

Strong faith is not strong works. A person can do many good works and still have weak faith. Strong faith is believing God’s words even when everything we see says otherwise. Weak faith is trusting what we see in this world and through our natural senses more than what God said.

Romans 4 teaches that Abraham’s faith glorified God because he believed God’s promise, not his own ability. And that’s the same kind of faith God counts for righteousness today.

 

Paul’s point in Romans 4 is simple: God promised Abraham a seed, and Abraham knew he could not produce that child by his own works.

This was before the law and before circumcision. Abraham said, “We can’t do it—God will have to.”

That faith—not works—was counted for righteousness.

 

Sarah had the same kind of faith. Hebrews 11:11 reads,

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 

 

She knew her womb was dead, but she believed God anyway. She laughed at first, but she still believed.

Their faith was strong because the object of that faith was strong—God Himself. Faith glorifies God when it trusts what He said He would do.

 

Jesus said in Matthew 26:41 “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Our flesh is weak. The law is weak when it comes to righteousness.

Romans 8:3 says the law “was weak through the flesh.”

Galatians 4:9 calls the law “weak and beggarly.”

Our good works are weak too. None of these things can justify us. Only faith is strong because it rests on God’s power not ours.

 

Some Christians misunderstand the “little faith” and the “mustard‑seed faith” that Jesus spoke of.

In Matthew 6:30, Jesus rebukes Israel for their “little faith” relating to their provision. That passage is not written to the church, the body of Christ today. Paul tells us, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” Different dispensation.

 

In Matthew 16, Jesus again says “O ye of little faith” when the disciples think He’s talking about bread to eat. They believed in Him, but they didn’t understand His words. That’s the key.

Faith is tied to understanding God’s words. If we don’t understand what God said, our faith is little. If we understand and believe what God said, our faith grows.

Faith’s not measured in “bars on a chart” or “levels.”

Hebrews 11:1 says faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The substance is God’s words. The evidence is that God Himself said them.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. If we believe in something God never said, that’s not faith at all.

 

In Matthew 17:20, Jesus says faith like a mustard seed can move mountains. But again, faith only works when it is based on what God said. Did God tell me to move a mountain? I can’t believe something into existence if God never promised it.

Churches today often claim “we can do anything if we believe,” but if God didn’t say it, that’s not faith it’s unbelief dressed up as faith and it’s a cruel deception.

 

Abraham’s faith was strong because he believed God’s promise even when everything he saw said it was impossible.

Romans 4:19 says he “considered not his own body now dead” nor Sarah’s dead womb. God’s words changed how he thought. That’s what strong faith looks like, trusting God’s promise over what our eyes and our other senses see and feel.

 

So Paul’s whole point is that:

  • Flesh is weak.
  • The law is weak.
  • Works are weak.
  • But faith in God’s promise is strong.
  • And that’s why God counts faith for righteousness.

 

So, when Jesus said, “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you can move mountains,” that only works if God actually told you to move a mountain.

If God didn’t say it, you won’t do it. When God told Moses to lift his staff, the Red Sea parted. If some Israelite boy tried the same thing today, nothing would happen. Why? Because God didn’t tell him to do it. It’s God who works, not people. Faith comes from what God said, not from what we dream of and try to imagine.

That’s why “people of faith” in every religion are not the same. What are they believing? Do they know the true God? Are they believing His words? If not, their faith is empty.

Even many churches today believe things God never said. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word. Abraham knew God, heard what God said, and believed Him. That’s why his faith was strong—because he believed that God could do what He promised.

 

Christians often say, “We can do anything if we have faith.”

No.

We can do anything God said we can do. If God didn’t promise it, it’s not faith—it’s wishful thinking.

God did give some people miracle‑working power in the Bible, but He didn’t give that to you and me. What He gave you and me is the power of the gospel, the power which saves sinners as we see in Romans 1:16.

Faith doesn’t grow through feelings, music, or emotion. Faith grows by hearing God’s words and believing them and we must rightly divide those words.

If we believe something God said to Israel or Abraham or Moses or David but never said to us, that’s not faith.

 

Philippians 4:13 says,

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

Paul wasn’t saying he could do anything he imagined. He meant he could endure anything—abundance or suffering—because Christ strengthened his inner man. His faith rested in Christ’s work, not his own strength.

 

Grace through faith is strong when we’re weak. We walk by faith, not by sight as 2 Corinthians 5:7 says. We don’t look at circumstances for truth—we look at God’s Word. When Paul was weak, Christ was strong in him says 2 Corinthians 12:9–10.

 

Romans 4:20 says Abraham “staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.”

To stagger is to doubt what God said. Abraham and Sarah both laughed at first, but they believed. They didn’t stagger in unbelief—they were persuaded God would do what He promised.

 

So, strong faith is not strong works. It’s not boldness, stubbornness, or education. A person can be bold and still believe the wrong thing. A person can be highly educated and have no faith at all.

Faith comes only from hearing God’s Word and being persuaded that God will do what He said.

Tradition, rituals, candles, and ceremonies are not faith. Faith is trusting God’s promise.

 

So when Romans 4 says Abraham was “strong in faith, giving glory to God,” it doesn’t mean he held a worship service. It means he honoured God by believing Him. That is what glorifies God—trusting His Word.

God is glorified when a man believes what He said and trusts that He’ll do it.

That’s glorifying God, not stubbornness, not good works, not building temples God never told us to build.

Israel glorified God under the law because God told them to do those works. But in this dispensation, God never told us to build temples or perform Israel’s rituals. Faith today is simply knowing what God said and believing He will do it.

 

In this dispensation, God promised eternal life when we die if we trust in Christ’s death and resurrection.

He didn’t promise wealth, health, beauty, or an easy life. He promised resurrection. And since that promise is fulfilled after death, no one can test it or disprove it. We either believe God or we don’t.

That’s why faith today is undefeatable—because it rests on God’s promise, not on anything we can see.

 

Abraham had to see God’s promise fulfilled before he died. If he died childless, God would be a liar. But for us, God’s promise is fulfilled after death. So everything rests on faith in God’s word.

 

Romans 4:21 says Abraham was “fully persuaded” that what God promised, He was able to perform. God didn’t promise and then Abraham perform, God promised and God performed. Faith is simply being persuaded that God will do what He said.

If we don’t know what God said, we can’t have faith. But if we hear, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” then you know exactly what God promised.

 

Hebrews 11:1 also says,

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

What’s the evidence? Scripture. What God has said.

Christ died, Christ rose, Christ lives. That’s the proof God keeps His word. But faith itself rests on God’s character. Romans 3:4 says, “Let God be true and every man a liar”. People fail. No matter what the movies may portray, man’s word can’t be relied on but God’s word never fails. This’s why we need to be sure of what exactly His word is.

 

1 Thessalonians 2:13 says this,

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 

 

The Word of God “works effectually in them that believe.”

God works after faith—that’s why it’s grace through faith. Without trust, there’s no relationship. God says, “Believe Me, and I’ll give you everything I’ve promised you in Christ.”

Paul told Timothy this in 1 Timothy 4:13,

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

 

That’s how faith grows—through God’s words, not through man’s books or man’s words and that’s why Bible study matters.

 

Romans 4:21 says God is able to perform what He promised. He’s able. That’s faith. Hearing what He said, knowing that He’s able and believing that He will.

Israel’s New Covenant also depended on God performing, not them. The Old Covenant said, “You perform.” The New Covenant said, “I will perform.” God puts His Spirit in them so He performs through them.

 

So Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:4–5,

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 

 

That knowledge that our sufficiency is of God made Paul an able minister, not Paul himself. God revealed His wisdom, and Paul believed it.

So, Romans 4 teaches:

  • Faith glorifies God.
  • Faith rests on God’s promise.
  • Faith trusts God’s ability.
  • Faith stands when everything else falls.

Because God said it, God performs it.

God’s sufficiency is His grace . It’s Him doing what we cannot do.

That’s what Abraham learned. He didn’t stagger at God’s promise. He was fully persuaded that God was able to perform what He promised. That’s grace. Not the grace of the cross yet, but the grace of God giving him a son when he and Sarah were as good as dead. It was by grace, not works, and through faith in what God said.

 

So Romans 4:22 says, “therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” At the start of the chapter Paul asked, “What did Abraham find?” He found that righteousness was counted to him when he believed God. Now Paul explains why. It’s because Abraham believed the righteous One who promised to do something only God could do. That’s why faith is counted for righteousness.

But our faith must be in what God actually said, or it can’t be counted for righteousness because it’s not faith.

 

Paul told the Corinthians he preached “Christ and Him crucified” so their faith wouldn’t be in vain.

In 2 Timothy 1:12 he says, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able…”—same pattern as Abraham. Faith in God’s promise, and God’s ability to perform it.

 

Then Paul turns from Abraham to us.

Romans 4:23–24 says it wasn’t written for Abraham alone, “but for us also.”

We learn from Abraham.

Only Paul gives the doctrine for the Body of Christ today, but as 2 Timothy 3:16 says,

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

 

And Romans 15:4 says,

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

 

Hope is tied to faith. It’s the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We learn from Scripture that God always does what He says. That’s why we can trust the gospel of grace now, today.

 

Paul even uses Moses’ law for instruction and for our example and we see this in 1 Corinthians 9:10, 1 Corinthians 10:6 and 10:11. He’s not putting us under the law—he’s teaching it so we can learn from it.

We can, and should, learn from Israel’s failures, Abraham’s faith, David’s trust, Daniel’s courage. We just can’t claim their covenants or promises. There’s a difference in dispensations.

 

Romans 4 shows righteousness is by grace through faith for all who believe God. Abraham was saved by grace through faith, but his faith was in God’s promise of a seed—not in Christ’s finished work.

Our gospel explains how God can save all men: through the cross.

 

So Romans 4:24 says righteousness is imputed to us “if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” Abraham believed God would give him a son. We believe God raised His Son from the dead.

 

Romans 4:25 says Christ

…was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 

 

That’s the condition for imputed righteousness and for God not imputing sin as we’ve seen in Romans 4:6–8.

Same God. Same grace. Same principle of faith. Different content of faith. Abraham believed God’s promise of a seed. We believe the gospel of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. And God imputes righteousness to all who believe.

 

Who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead? God did—the whole Godhead.

Galatians 1:1 shows the Father raised Him, Jesus said He would raise Himself in John 2:19 and John 10:17-18, and the Spirit raised Him in Romans 8:11 and 1 Peter 3:18.

Jesus was God in the flesh as Colossians 2:9 tells us,

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

 

His resurrection was the work of God Himself.

 

Paul says in Romans 10:8–9 that salvation comes by believing God raised Jesus from the dead.

Peter preached that to Israel in Acts 2, that Jesus is Lord and is risen. But what’s missing there is why He died and rose.

That’s what Paul adds in Romans 4:25: He was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification.

That’s the gospel according to Paul.

All the apostles preached Christ’s resurrection but Paul explains its meaning. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again for our justification, 1 Corinthians 15:1–4.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 has this,

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

 

Christ was “made sin for us”. Righteousness is the key and the reason. Without righteousness we cannot have peace and relationship with God.

Romans 3:24 says we’re “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Justified  means to declare or to pronounce, one to be righteous.

This is the difference between dispensations.

Abraham believed God would give him a seed, and God counted that faith for righteousness.

We believe God raised Christ from the dead for our salvation, and God counts that for righteousness too.

Abraham trusted God to quicken or to put life into his and Sarah’s dead bodies. We trust God’s performance in Christ’s death and resurrection.

 

That’s the lesson of Romans 4, that righteousness comes by grace through faith, and now—unlike Abraham—we’re placed in Christ, which Paul will unfold in Romans 5.

Romans 4:13-17 – Our Promise Without the Law

In this episode we’re still in Romans chapter 4, looking at how Paul proves his big point from Romans 3:21–28 where he said we’re all sinners, none is righteous, but now the righteousness of God is shown through faith in Jesus Christ. He ends in Romans 3:28 saying a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

That’s his conclusion.

Romans 4 is Paul defending that conclusion from Israel’s own scriptures.

“Speed Slider”

Abraham and Circumcision

Click or tap the  image to open large image

Romans 4:13-17 – Transcript

First, Paul goes back to Abraham in Romans 4:1–8, which we saw in the last 2 episodes.

He asks, what did Abraham learn? In Genesis 15, Abraham believed what God said, and his faith was counted to him for righteousness. That’s righteousness without works. No law, no circumcision, just faith, and God counted that as righteousness and blessed him.

Then later, in Genesis 17 and Genesis 22, God gives Abraham circumcision and adds some works to do. But Paul’s point is very clear that the righteousness came back in Genesis 15, before the works and before circumcision.

So righteousness is without works and without circumcision.

In this episode, Paul looks ahead in Israel’s history to the law given at Mount Sinai.

Israel as a nation is built on Abraham, circumcision, and the law. That’s what made them Israel and gave them their special place, but Paul shows that Abraham was justified by faith before the law also. So righteousness is without works, without circumcision, and without the law.

This is shocking for Israel, because Abraham is their father. Their whole identity comes from promises God gave him: a great nation, circumcision, the law, blessings to the world through them. But Paul’s going back before all that and saying: God justified Abraham by faith with none of those things in place. So Abraham is not just the father of Israel in the flesh, but also the father of all who believe like he believed, Jew or Gentile.

 

In Romans 4:13 Paul says,

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

 

He uses the word “promise.” We spent time looking at those promises in Genesis 12 and 15 where God promised Abraham a seed and a great nation, and that in him all families of the earth would be blessed.

When Abraham believed that promise, God counted his faith for righteousness. But notice: God did not promise Abraham, “I will give you imputed righteousness by faith.”

He simply promised him a seed and a nation, and Abraham believed. The imputed righteousness is God’s response to that faith, not the content of the promise itself.

 

Israel gets their special standing in the world from those promises: the nation, the circumcision, the law, the blessings flowing to the world through them and Paul is in no way turning the church into “spiritual Israel” here. He’s actually showing that justification by faith stands apart from Israel’s national things.

He’s pulling down Israel’s boast that salvation only comes through their covenants, their law, and their works.

 

So Paul’s big point in Romans 4 is this: salvation in this present dispensation of grace is without works, without circumcision, without the law, and even without needing Israel’s covenants.

It’s offered to all on the basis of faith, using Abraham as the example, and with the full revelation of this “mystery” gospel given to Paul and explained at the end of Romans 4.

 

In Genesis 17:4 God told Abraham this,

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 

 

God even changed his name from Abram to Abraham. This promise goes back earlier to Genesis 15:5 which reads,

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 

 

And in Genesis 12:2–3

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

 

God promised to make Abraham a great nation, to bless him, make his name great, and that in him all families of the earth would be blessed. All these promises together show Abraham would be “heir of the world,” as Paul says in Romans 4:13.

 

It’s vital that we don’t mix up the content of the promise with Abraham’s belief of the promise.

The promise itself was about a seed, a great nation, many nations, and blessing to all the earth. But when Abraham believed that promise, that belief, his faith is what God counted for righteousness and that’s in Genesis 15:6.

Paul’s whole point in Romans 4 is that Abraham was counted righteous without works, simply by believing.

 

So when Romans 4:13 says the promise that Abraham should be heir of the world was not through the law, Paul’s explaining how Israel receives their inheritance.

This promise was not given to you and me today, it was given to Abraham and his seed. Paul’s dealing with Israel’s promise, the one they boast in.

How does Israel claim that promise? Is it by the law? Or by faith? Paul’s removing Israel’s pride by showing the promise came long before the law.

 

The promise to be “heir of the world” is about earthly dominion, the rule, the land, the blessing of all families of the earth. That’s Israel’s hope.

But the body of Christ has a different hope.

In Ephesians, Paul says four times that we’re blessed “in heavenly places.” So there’s a heaven and earth distinction. They’re different promises. Israel gets the earth. The new creature, the Body of Christ, gets the heavens.

 

When Paul talks about Abraham being heir of the world, he’s talking about Israel’s future earthly kingdom, not the body of Christ.

Jesus told the twelve apostles this in Matthew 19:28,

And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

 

They would sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel—on the earth.

But in Galatians 3:28 Paul, speaking of the Body of Christ, says this,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 

 

In the body of Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek. So, we see that the apostles sitting upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel and that the Body of Christ, all are one in Christ, are two different things.

 

Paul also points out that the promise was to Abraham and his seed, and that neither Abraham nor Isaac were under the law.

Isaac, the promised seed, was not Israel either. Only Jacob, who had his name changed to Israel, could become Israel through his twelve sons.

The word “seed” can be singular as in Isaac being a picture of Christ or plural as in many nations.

The Bible teaches both. God was doing more than one thing through Abraham—just like He does more than one thing through Christ.

 

Galatians 3:17 says the law came 430 years after the promise and the  cannot cancel the promise. God gave it unconditionally and nothing can stop him fulfilling it.

Circumcision, works, and the law were added later, but the promise stands on faith. That’s why Romans 4:14 says if it’s the law that makes you an heir, then faith is void and the promise is useless, because the law works wrath.

 

Paul’s whole argument is simple: the promise to Abraham came by faith, not by the law. And that same truth—righteousness by faith without works—is the foundation of the gospel Paul preaches which is as valid today as the day Jesus revealed it to Paul.

 

We can see why Paul’s writing is so thick and hard. He’s often called him the first and greatest theologian of the church, and the logician. He doesn’t tell stories he builds arguments. He connects doctrine to doctrine, scripture to scripture. And that’s why people who study Paul’s teaching get the same way.

We try to see God’s purpose, what was in God’s mind, not just the human stories. God revealed His wisdom for the church today through our apostle, Paul.

 

Romans 4:14 says,

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 

 

Who are “they of the law”? That’s Israel.

Paul’s not talking about the body of Christ in this verse. He’s talking about Israel under Moses’ law.

Every Israelite born after Moses was born under the law. If simply being born a Jew made you an heir of the promises to Abraham—the kingdom, the great nation—then faith wouldn’t matter at all. Babies don’t have faith. Fleshly birth doesn’t give faith.

 

Even today Judaism says Christianity is about belief, but Judaism is about life—who you are, not what you believe. But Paul’s arguing against that.

He says being born in Israel never removed the need for faith. Jesus said the same. John the Baptist said the same. And the Old Testament prophets also said the same.

God told Israel many times, “You’re doing the works, but not with the right heart, not in faith.” That’s why judgment came and why the kingdom program was temporarily put on hold and replaced by the dispensation of Grace.

 

These arguments also help Christians who think they’re Israel, that they’ve replaced Israel, because Paul’s removing the idea that law, works, or circumcision ever made anyone righteous.

 

The law in Exodus and Deuteronomy promised Israel glory, land, blessing, protection, good crops etc., if they kept it.

Those blessings sound like the promise to Abraham about a great nation. But God added conditions later. Now, we might think, “But He already promised so how can He add conditions later?”

That’s exactly Paul’s point. The promise came first. The law came later. The law cannot cancel the promise.

 

Israel did not keep the law.

That’s clear in Romans chapters 1–3 and all through the Old Testament. So, if they didn’t keep it, the only way they could ever get the blessing was by grace.

The prophets said this long before Paul.

Hosea 14:2 shows Israel begging God to “receive us graciously.”

Ezra 9:6–8 shows Ezra confessing Israel’s sins, saying their trespasses “are grown up into the heavens,” and that God gave them “a little space” of grace to return to the land. Ezra didn’t blame God—he said, “We sinned.” That’s the type of heart that God saves.

 

Jesus told the Pharisees they were bound in sin, and they argued, “We’re sons of Abraham.” But their own scriptures—Ezra, the Psalms, the prophets—told them they needed grace.

 

So when Paul says in Romans 4 that if those of the law are heirs, then faith is void, and if faith is void and so is grace because grace can only be received by faith.

He’s showing from Israel’s own scriptures that they were never saved by their works.

Some say, “We’re saved by grace today, but Israel was saved by works,” but that’s definitely not Paul’s teaching. Paul’s saying the prophets knew they needed grace. They knew they couldn’t keep the covenant by their works. They just didn’t yet know how God would bring the better covenant.

 

Israel needing promises—not just being born under the law—was not new information.

John the Baptist preached this in Matthew 3:9. When he baptized Israel with the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, nobody knew yet how God could later give forgiveness freely by grace, without water, without the law, without circumcision, and without Israel’s covenant position.

That truth was revealed later through Paul.

 

In Matthew 3:9 John sees Pharisees and Sadducees coming and says,

And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 

 

That was their boast.

They said, “Abraham is our father, so we are the great nation, the blessed people.” But John says God can raise up children to Abraham from stones. In other words: being born in Israel does not guarantee anything. That’s the same point Paul makes in Romans 4.

Jesus taught the same thing in John 8:33–58.

The Pharisees said, “We are Abraham’s seed… we were never in bondage.” Jesus answered, “Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin… If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

He tells them plainly: “I know you are Abraham’s seed, but you seek to kill me.” Meaning you’re not the promised seed, because Abraham did not do that. The Lord proceeded to give a very clear example of the difference between them and Abraham. Jesus had come into the world, speaking to them nothing but the truth. They were offended and stumbled over His teaching, and so they tried to kill Him. Abraham did not do this. He took his place on the side of truth and righteousness.

Then Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am.”

He’s asking them, “Who is greater—Abraham or Me?” If Jesus is greater, then Israel cannot claim the promises while rejecting Him.

 

So Israel already knew they needed a Savior, not more laws. The prophets said this. John the Baptist said it and Jesus said it. The law condemned them; it didn’t save them. None of this was a mystery because it was spoken of throughout Israel’s history.

What was a mystery is what Paul teaches which is salvation without Israel. Salvation offered to all with no difference between Jew or Gentile.

 

Paul’s point in the passage we’re studying in Romans 4:13-17 is this:

If Israel receives the inheritance through the law, then faith is made void because if the law gives the blessing, then you must do the works of the law to get it.

That is exactly what James teaches under Israel’s New Covenant: “Faith without works is dead.” James, Jesus, Peter—all were under the law. Most of the Bible is Israel under the law.

 

But Paul’s talking about imputed righteousness or righteousness counted to you without works, like Abraham in Genesis 15.

See, if the promise comes through the law, then Abraham could not have received it, because the law came hundreds of years later 430 years after as Galatians 3:17 says. So how did Abraham get righteousness? By faith alone.

 

That’s Paul’s whole argument:

– If the inheritance comes by the law, faith is empty, meaningless.

– If the inheritance comes by faith, the law is not the channel.

– And if the law is not the channel, then Israel is not required for God to bless people with imputed righteousness.

 

That’s the mystery: salvation offered to all, Jew and Gentile, without Israel, without the law, without circumcision—just like Abraham received righteousness before any of those things existed.

 

What Paul said in Romans 3:31 (which remember was,

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.), is proved true in Romans 4.

Paul said,

How does faith establish the law? Because the law promised blessings, but nobody could ever receive those blessings by the law itself because nobody could ever keep that law.

So, if the blessing of imputed righteousness came by the law, then nobody would get it at all unless, of course, God gave them the Spirit to cause them to obey and that is exactly what the New Covenant will do in the remnant of Israel after this dispensation of grace has ended.

So yes, Paul is showing that the old covenant is not enough. Israel needed something better.

 

In Romans 4 Paul’s not explaining the New Covenant directly, but he’s proving why Israel needed it. He shows the law is worthless to sinners unless faith comes first. If blessing comes by the law, then the promise to Abraham becomes useless, because Israel broke the law. If the promise depends on law‑keeping, then the promise is made void and that’s the problem Paul’s exposing.

 

Galatians 3:17 explains this too. The law came 430 years after the promise and cannot cancel it.

If God added conditions later and then refused the promise because Israel failed, that would make God a liar especially to Abraham and Isaac. But God cannot lie. So the promise must stand apart from the law.

 

This is the wisdom of God:

– If inheritance comes by the law, Abraham’s promise means nothing.

– If inheritance comes by the promise, then Israel is not heirs by the law, and their deeds are not what brings blessing.

 

So Paul forces Israel to choose: Abraham or the law.

They always thought both went together, but Paul shows Abraham was counted righteous before circumcision, before the law and before Israel even existed. And Israel never kept the law anyway. So if God keeps His promise, it must be by grace through faith, like Abraham.

 

Choosing Abraham removes Israel’s national boast. That’s exactly how Paul teaches the dispensation of grace.

In Romans 4 he strips away Israel’s pride, leaving only what God’s doing today: blessing without Israel, without covenants, without works, without the law—just like Abraham received righteousness without any of those things. That’s the mystery truth hidden before the world began but is now revealed by Jesus Christ through the apostle to the church, Paul.

 

Paul uses the scriptures as witnesses. The scriptures themselves did not teach the mystery, but they testify that Paul’s gospel is true. This is not Paul inventing doctrine. This’s God’s purpose from before the world began.

 

Romans 4:14–15 says this,

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 

 

The law does not bless sinners. It condemns them. So if Israel thinks they will bless the world through the law, they’re in trouble. They must claim Abraham, not Moses.

 

The law is holy, just, and good as we see in Romans 7:12, but Israel was not.

The law was added “because of transgressions” as Galatians 3:19 says, It wasn’t given to stop sin but to show sin, to give the knowledge of sin as Romans 3:20 says.

God added the law so Israel would know they were sinners and they’d know they needed a Savior—Christ, the promised Seed.

Romans 10 says,

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. 

 

So Paul’s point is simple:

Israel needed the promise, not the law.

Israel needed Christ, not their own works.

And now God saves all—Jew and Gentile—by the same faith Abraham had, without the law.

 

God gave Israel the law—even though they were the nation promised to bring the Savior—not so they could boast, but so they could show the world the knowledge of sin.

Israel bragged, “We have the law, we’re the holy nation.” But Paul says the law was added because of transgressions as we just saw in Galatians 3:19.

That means the law didn’t prove they were holy. It proved they were sinners who needed God’s grace.

Romans 4 fits this perfectly. Any religious person today who thinks laws make them holy is making the same mistake. The law only exposes our unholiness and this in turn makes us see our need for salvation by means other than our own good works, by God’s grace through faith.

 

Paul will explain this more in Romans chapters 5–8, how Christians relate to the law. But he says plainly in Galatians 3:10 that the law is a curse. And we’ll read it.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 

 

The law had blessings and curses. The blessings lined up with Abraham’s promises, but the curses did not. The law didn’t add blessings it added curses. People try to claim Israel’s blessings today without Israel’s curses, but that’s impossible. We’re not Israel. We’re not part of the mighty nation God promised Abraham. We Gentiles were sinners who need a Saviour.

 

So when Galatians 3:10 says, “Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them,” we need to understand that all the law had to be kept all of the time and absolutely nobody did and nobody could.

That’s why the law taught mercy. If we read the law honestly, we see how holy it is and how nobody keeps it and we cry out for mercy.

But Israel became self‑righteous, condemning others while ignoring their own sin and Jesus rebuked them for that.

 

Paul says it’s “evident” no man is justified by the law, because “the just shall live by faith.” as we’re told in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38.

The law is not of faith. Doing the law and believing God are not the same thing. That’s why the law makes faith void. Christ had to redeem us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us as Galatians 3:13 states, so the blessing of Abraham, which Paul defines as righteousness by faith, could come on the Gentiles.

 

In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul calls the law a ministry of death and condemnation.

The law is holy, but it cannot save, it cannot give life and it cannot give righteousness.

Galatians 3:21 says this,

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 

 

If a law could give life, righteousness would have been by the law, but no law can give life to sinners. There had to be another way.

 

Romans 4:15 says,

Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 

 

That should be obvious to us all when we read the law and see how people fail and how many sacrifices were needed.

“Where no law is, there is no transgression,” is Paul proving logically that the law brings wrath because the law itself creates transgression. If there’s no law, you can’t break it. But Israel had the law, all 613 points of it, so they had 613 ways to sin.

 

Gentiles sinned too, even without the law, and Paul already proved that in Romans chapters 1–2. But Israel’s “advantage” of having the law also meant they had greater responsibility and greater guilt. The law gave them God’s words, yes—but it also exposed their sin more clearly and Romans 3:2 pointed that out to us.

 

So, again, Paul’s point is simple:

The law doesn’t make you holy.

The law doesn’t give blessing.

The law brings wrath.

Only faith—like Abraham—brings righteousness.

 

Paul says in Galatians 2:18,

For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 

 

In other words, why rebuild the law when the law only makes sinners look even more sinful?

Paul knows he’s a sinner and we should know we’re sinners too. When you put a law on a sinner, it doesn’t make him holy—it exposes him.

That’s why laws exist. Laws work wrath. In society, laws are made because people do wrong and must be punished. A speed‑limit sign doesn’t stop speeding; it just gives authority to punish the ones who break it.

And even if the ones who don’t break it but still want to go faster than the speed limit are transgressors at heart. That’s what God’s law does. It shows the heart.

 

Romans 2 already proved Israel’s transgressions. They boasted in the law but didn’t keep it. So the law cannot make Israel heirs of the promise. That’s Paul’s point in Romans 4. These aren’t just old arguments for first‑century Jews. People today still struggle with faith vs. works, and Romans 4 answers it.

Christians fight over the seeming contradictions of Romans 4 and James 2 because they don’t read the whole context or understand the Old Testament timeline and yet when we study it out honestly with a genuine desire to learn, it becomes as plain as the nose on our faces.

 

Romans 4:16 says,

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace;

 

The promise to Abraham—that he and his seed would be heir of the world—comes through faith. If an Israelite doesn’t believe, he doesn’t get the promise. If he does believe, even as a sinner, he can receive it. That’s why it was good news for men like Peter but bad news for the self‑righteous Pharisees.

 

Grace means God does the work. When God told Abraham his seed would be like the stars, Abraham wasn’t told to do anything. God had to do it. Sarah is a picture of grace—she could not produce a child at all. God had to intervene. That’s grace.

 

Romans 11:6 says if it’s by grace, it can’t be by works. Law and works go together; grace and faith go together.

Paul shows from Scripture that salvation has always been by grace through faith and Romans 4 proves everyone who was ever saved was saved that way. We either say the church becomes part of Israel’s covenants, or we say salvation is always by grace through faith and never by covenants or works.

Paul’s argument forces that choice.

 

Romans 4 doesn’t teach Jew vs. Gentile, but grace through faith vs. law and covenants.

How can God save sinners? Paul reveals it: by grace through faith, so the promise is sure. Eternal security is settled here.

Our salvation is sure because it depends on God’s grace, not our performance or heritage. Covenants and circumcision were only signs—tokens of what God had already promised by faith. God made the covenant because He had already purposed to give the blessing by grace, just as He did with Abraham.

Like Abraham, God imputes righteousness by faith the moment a person believes. The covenant and the sign of circumcision were for man’s sake, not God’s. A mark in the flesh, a stamp, a ritual—none of that is the promise. Romans 4 shows salvation and assurance do not come from works of the law, water baptism, confession, or any outward sign. Assurance comes from God’s promise, and our belief that the promise is sure and true, not from what we do.

 

The old and new covenants given to Israel could only be “sure” because God Himself would perform them by His grace. They were received by faith and fulfilled by God’s Spirit. That’s Paul’s point in Romans 4:16-17,

…to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed;

 

But “all the seed” does not mean every Israelite, Ishmaelite, or Edomite. Paul defines the seed as those of the law who believe, and those outside the law who believe.

not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

 

Romans 4:11–12 already explained this.

Abraham is the father of the uncircumcision who believe (the Gentiles), and the father of the circumcision who believe (Israelites walking in Abraham’s faith).

Circumcision alone means nothing. Law alone means nothing. Faith is what matters.

So in Romans 4:16 Paul repeats it: the promise is sure to all the seed—not only those under the law, but also those who share Abraham’s faith.

 

Verse 17 says Abraham is “the father of us all,” meaning all who believe. Israel who believe, and Gentiles who believe.

That’s the mystery part: Gentiles were never given anything to believe until now, until the dispensation of grace. But now God gives all men something to believe—the gospel of Christ’s death for sins—so that by faith they can be justified like Abraham.

Abraham is the father of all who believe, not the father of all who keep the law. Israel will inherit the earth one day, but we Gentiles receive righteousness by faith, just like Abraham.

 

In the rest of the Romans chapter 4 Paul will show Abraham’s strong faith and how righteousness was imputed to him, then apply it to us who believe Christ died for our sins.

There’s no more Jewish advantage. If salvation came through Israel’s covenants and laws, Romans 4 would be false.

Anyone who thinks they are “spiritual Israel,” or that they must keep Israel’s laws, has a Romans 4 problem. Romans 5 will go on to show our identity is in Christ, not in Adam and not in Israel.

 

All faith‑plus‑works systems have a Romans 4 problem. All “spiritual Israel” teachings have a Romans 4 problem. Sabbath‑keeping as a requirement has a Romans 4 problem. Paul’s not putting the church into Israel’s promises, he’s removing Israel’s boasting and leaving everyone under sin with the same need: faith in Christ’s finished work.

Paul’s question is simple; Which is greater—Abraham by faith, or Israel by law? Jesus asked the same thing. The answer is Abraham by faith. That’s the pattern for all who believe today.

Romans 4:9-12 – Blessing Without Circumcision

We’re covering Romans 4 verses 9 to 12 in this episode.

Paul’s been showing through the letter to the Romans that we’re all sinners, and the only way to be redeemed is by God’s grace through the finished work of Jesus Christ, that mankind’s made righteous only one way and that’s by faith alone in that finished work without the deeds of the law.

He comes to this conclusion in Romans 3, and he’s now proving it from Israel’s scriptures.

“Speed Slider”

Abraham and Circumcision

Click or tap the  image to open large image

Romans 4:2-12 – Transcript

Paul’s been showing through the letter to the Romans that we’re all sinners, and the only way to be redeemed is by God’s grace through the finished work of Jesus Christ, that mankind’s made righteous only one way and that’s by faith alone in that finished work without the deeds of the law.

He comes to this conclusion in Romans 3, and he’s now proving it from Israel’s scriptures.

He uses Abraham and King David as examples of faith without works. Remember that in those days no other scripture was available. The books of our New testament weren’t written at that time.

He’s using Israels’ own scriptures, the Old testament, to prove that what he’s teaching now is justified and it’s not something out of the blue and separate from what God’s been doing throughout man’s history.

God didn’t communicate the details of righteousness by faith without works until Paul and yet we see Abraham and David as examples of it.

Of course we find faith and grace throughout the Bible but in this dispensation today, God dispenses his grace freely to all mankind and that’s his primary operation today and Paul communicates what that means, and how it came about in the book of Romans.

This is why, without the book of Romans, we cannot properly understand salvation, making it the most important book for the church, the Body of Christ, today.

 

So we’ve seen both Abraham and David as examples of imputed righteousness by faith without works, and both of them were leading figures in Israel’s covenant history and vital to Israel’s identity.

Israel as a separated nation, a separated people, created by God, the only nation that ever has been and they were given special covenants and blessings and privileges and much of that goes back to Abraham and David.

That’s why Matthew 1:1 records Jesus as the son of Abraham, the son of David, matching Jesus as the Messiah back to those important figures in Israel’s covenant history.

 

Both Abraham and David were given sure promises, and Paul points that out. Abraham was given promises way back in Genesis 12 and then they were confirmed multiple times in Genesis chapters 13, 15, 17 and 18.

In Genesis twelve and fifteen, God made promises to Abraham without conditions. He just said, I’m going to make your seed like the stars, the number of the stars.

Abraham simply believed what God said even though he had no clue as to how God could ever make that happen.

He simply said to himself, and this is my thoughts, not the bible, I have no idea how God made all the birds and animals, the plants, the air that I breathe, and the stars that I see yet there they all are. He did it. So if God tells me He’ll do this in me I believe it.

Then God counted his faith for righteousness.

 

David likewise, before David committed his infamous sins of murder and adultery, God had already given him a promise of sure mercy that his family, his house, would not cease to be in the royal lineage of Israel. We see that in 2 Samuel 7:15.

And so his seed, his son, would be the Messiah. And so David was given a sure promise of guaranteed mercy.

And then he sinned.

And of course, God forgave him, not by the law which would condemn him to death, but because of this promise, the sure mercies given to him.

Both David and Abraham responded to these promises from God by faith. That’s the only way they could. There was no condition attached to them. There was nothing to do to get those promises except trust that God would do what He said.

 

As a result of that trust, that belief, both received the blessing of imputed righteousness, which is the theme of Romans 4, that a man is justified without works, and by faith without the deeds of the law.

 

We’ve learned that it wasn’t the works of Abraham, that made him righteous, even though Abraham did works.

James talks about the works that Abraham did, the works to leave his country, the works to circumcise his flesh, the works to offer up his son Isaac on Mount Moriah.

He did works that were praiseworthy in Israel’s history. So did David. He was one of the greatest Israelites in history.

So David and Abraham both did works!

Under the covenants God made with them they had a part to perform and they’d be blessed if they did and cursed if they didn’t.

But what Paul’s teaching us is what did not come from keeping those covenants was righteousness!

That righteousness came when it was imputed to them or accounted to them as a result of their faith.

This is what we’ve learned from Paul that according to the scriptures it wasn’t the works of Abraham or David that justified them before God. It was faith without works, when they simply believed God that those things that He promised he was both able to do and would do.

 

We saw up until verse nine, that both Abraham and David didn’t know about Christ’s cross and how that would be the means to their salvation, they simply believed that even though they had no clue how God would or even that He could save them, they believed that what God had said He was able to also perform.

That’s what Paul’s preaching. They were sinners and they couldn’t be justified by works so on what basis could God show them mercy? By faith. Faith that believed God above and beyond their own senses.

God made these men promises and they were promises that they knew were impossible with man but in spite of that they believed what God had said.

That and that alone was the basis of their righteousness, just as it is today.

It’s a belief that has no basis in human achievement, no possibility of fulfillment by a human hand and really, in its completeness, it’s even beyond our ability to fully understand.

Paul reveals that it’s through Jesus Christ and faith in His blood, that people can be redeemed by His grace.

Paul’ll say later in his ministry, in 2 Timothy 2:8 that Jesus Christ who was of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel.

He connects Christ’s resurrection to the promise given to David, and how that was according to his gospel, and, in Galatians 3:28-29 he says,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 

And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 

We’re children of Abraham, if we’re in Christ by faith.

Abraham is the father of the Jewish nation in the flesh through his son Isaac. He’s also the father of a great number of Gentiles through His son Ishmael born by the handmaid Hagar. But he’s also the father of all those who believe by faith as Romans 4:11 tells us.

So Abraham and David, and all of those throughout history who’ll be saved, need Christ’s cross even though they didn’t know that Christ would die and be resurrected.

Even His own disciples in His earthly ministry didn’t know that He needed to die.

All that the cross accomplished, the salvation freely available to all by grace through faith, was first revealed to the Apostle Paul.

 

Paul’ s already spoken about righteousness by faith and it being without works, but here in Romans 4:9 he’ll talk about righteousness being without circumcision.

Now the context of Romans 4:9, as is usual in the Bible, is important and the context is within Paul explaining a great blessing in Romans 4:6-8  and we’ll redefine the context by reading those verses,

Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

 

We saw last episode how impute means to put on someone’s account or to reckon something to them.

So these verses talk about God reckoning or accounting righteousness to a person without them working for it or doing anything to contribute to that righteousness.

This imputed or accounted righteousness is a great blessing because through it our iniquities are forgiven and our sin will not be accounted to us.

First, what’s the difference between sin and iniquities?

Sin is usually a general term for anything that goes against God’s will. It includes wrong thoughts, actions, attitudes, or failures to do what’s right.

All iniquities are sins, but not all sins are iniquities.

Iniquity is generally a deeper level of wrongdoing and refers to twisted, immoral, or corrupt behaviour that’s usually habitual, intentional and often showing a heart sold out to evil.

The Bible also talks about our transgressions which are knowingly breaking God’s law, specifically the Mosaic law and it’s 613 points.

 

So Paul here in verse 8 is agreeing with what David said in Psalm 32:1,

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

 

In Verse 9 and 10 (Romans 4:9-10) Pauls asks this question, and he’s still speaking to this mixed Jewish and Gentile audience and he’s still speaking of this great blessing of imputed righteousness,

Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 

How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 

 

Why would Paul ask such a question and why does he answer it himself saying not in circumcision but in uncircumcision?

Why’s he bringing up this point about circumcision and when Abraham was circumcised and what does it actually mean, the circumcision and the uncircumcision?

The circumcision is referring to the nation of Israel while the uncircumcision is referring to the rest of humanity, the Gentiles, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

 

To understand what the circumcision means we need to understand the covenants God gave to Abraham.

So far in Romans Paul’s labouring on teaching us about righteousness by faith alone without works and he’s used Abraham and David to show how this was true as we’ve just said in this episodes introduction.

 

Genesis 17 is an important chapter for the covenants given to Israel through Abraham.

This is not the promise given without conditions in Genesis 12. This is later when God makes a covenant with Abraham that would require works to be done.

At the beginning of the chapter in Genesis 17:1-2 God appears to Abraham when he’s 90 years old and says,

I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 

 

Then, in Genesis 17:4, God says to Abraham,

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 

 

Notice God says, my covenant is with thee.

See God had already made a promise to Abraham in Genesis chapters 12 and 13 and in Genesis 15:6 we see it confirmed along with the fact that Abraham’s belief in what God promised was accounted to him for righteousness.

 

And now God gives more detail to this covenant. He’ll be a father of many nations, not just the one as in Genesis 12 and 15. That’s why his name is going to be changed from Abram to Abraham. It means many nations, father of many nations. We see that in Genesis 17:5.

Then in Genesis 17:6-9  God says,

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 

 

God promised the land to Abraham’s seed forever.

What God’s doing here is laying out what he’s promised to Abraham already.

Here’s where we notice the word “therefore” in the last verse, verse 9.  Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore.

But what is there to keep so far? Nothing!

God’s promised the land as a blessing but He hasn’t told Abraham to do anything yet except to go to the land.

 

Now we come to Genesis 17:10-11 and God says to Abraham,

This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 

And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 

 

This is new information. What’s this going to do? This act of circumcision will be a flesh token, a sign in the flesh of the covenant that Abraham already has.

If you’re not circumcised, you’re cut off from this covenant.

This is interesting because there’s now something that has to kept and those who don’t keep it don’t get the thing God promised.

Remember, God promised to Abraham specifically and his seed. But not all of Abraham’s seed’s going to get it. That’s what we see here in the circumcision, a separation from those who will get it and those who won’t. And who’s going to get it? The circumcision, those that’ve obeyed their covenant duty to be circumcised. That’s the separation.

 

The prophets spoke in great detail about the nations of the world being blessed through God’s chosen people, Israel, and their kingdom come.

This was God’s plan and the finishing touches to that plan were that the Messiah would come in the flesh, and die as an atonement for the sins of the world. He would prove He was the Messiah through mighty signs and wonders.

Then the New Covenant promised to Israel in Jeremiah 31, Ezekial 36:26-28 and Hebrews 8:7-13 would be enacted with the coming of the Holy Spirit after Christs resurrection and ascension. Under the New Covenant God’s laws would be placed in Israel’s hearts and minds ensuring those laws, which they could not keep in their own strength, would now be kept and they would be empowered to survive what was coming.

Then a period of tribulation would come that would bring God’s wrath and judgment to the unbelieving world and cleanse it of that unbelief.

Through the Holy Spirit’s power and God’s prophetic promises, the remnant of believing Israel would be saved through the tribulation after which Christ would return, completely restore the earth and set up His earthly kingdom where He would rule from Mount Zion for 1000 years. Israel would be the nation of priests God intended it to be, bringing the knowledge of God to the whole world.

This didn’t happen, obviously.

Why?

Because of Israel’s unbelief!

They rejected the Messiah, His message that the Kingdom was at hand and His apostles.

Though given many chances to repent Israel’s final rejection came with the stoning of Stephen in Acts chapter 7.

The great period of the kingdom on earth and Israel’s blessings were placed on hold.

God ushered in a new dispensation through the apostle Paul that would offer righteousness to both Gentile and Jew through faith alone just as Abraham and David were imputed righteousness.

Instead of inheriting the earth, as was intended for Israel, it’s now a heavenly hope. All those who believe and trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ have a heavenly heritage.

The earth is still the heritage of the nation of Israel, who will one day, after this great dispensation of grace is over, walk in the plans and purpose that God had for the nation all along.

 

So when Paul asks, does this blessedness come on circumcision only, what blessing is he talking about?

The one in Romans 4:5-7. Verse 5,

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 

Verse 8, (Romans 4:8) clarifies it by repeating King David from Psalm 32:1-2 .

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

 

So Paul answers his own question in verse 9 (Romans 4:9) about whether this blessing comes to the circumcision only and the answer is, “of course not!”

 

He’s challenging the necessity and the need for Israel in the flesh, the need for Israel’s covenants at all, the covenants given to them to make them a special people.

His challenge is from the standpoint of the mystery gospel of grace that was kept secret before the foundation of the world but now, through Paul, has been manifest or made known.

He’s undermining what makes Israel unique and this’s why the Jews stoned him and never stopped persecuting him.

 

You see what Paul’s trying to show them is that although God’s promises to Abraham will come to the nation through the obedience of circumcision, righteousness does not. Righteousness comes by faith without works, just as it did to Abraham and David.

Righteousness was accounted to Abraham before the covenant of circumcision and before Israel was a nation and before the law was given, which we’ll see next episode. Abraham wasn’t even alive when the law was given by Moses.

 

Paul’s proving this from Jewish scripture to show his audience, which, remember includes Jews, that their own scriptures testify that what he says is right. He’s laying the foundations of the gospel of grace in these early chapters of Romans.

 

But he’s also putting into question the entire covenant system to Israel, which promised that they would be the channel of blessing to the world, going back to Genesis twelve.

So circumcision identified God’s covenant and identified Israel as the covenant people. Circumcision separated Israel from the Gentiles.

Ephesians 2:11-13,

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

 

The circumcision was separated from the uncircumcision in their temple, especially in the New Testament Herod’s temple.

There was a wall where the uncircumcised couldn’t get past.

In the tabernacle there was separation, where only priests could go, and then another one where only the high priest could go.

But then as they built Solomon’s Temple, then later Herod’s Temple, they built walls around the temple for Israel.

Gentiles who wanted to worship the God of Israel could come to the temple, but they couldn’t go past a certain point because remember, the temple is for Israel.

Gentiles couldn’t go in to offer a sacrifice. Only Israel could, and only Israel could take their sacrifice to the priest, and only the priest could go further in.

So there’s a wall of partition between circumcision and uncircumcision. That’s what Paul references in Ephesians 2:14,

For he (Jesus Christ) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 

 

Of course, Jesus didn’t literally tear down the stones in the temple, but Paul’s saying it’s meaningless now.

1 Corinthians 3:16 says this,

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

 

So this access to God is what Paul’s preaching according to the mystery. You don’t need circumcision. You don’t need Israel. Circumcision means identifying Israel. You don’t need their covenants.

Circumcision was a covenant for them, an everlasting covenant.

You don’t need that if you’re justified by faith, without works, without the flesh, without circumcision.

That’s why Paul’s argument is so important.

 

Even as far as acts chapter ten, Peter goes to a Gentile who’s uncircumcised, and he says, you know, it’s not lawful for a Jew who is circumcised to keep company and to go unto an uncircumcised Gentile. Peter’s still abiding by this covenant, knowing that God would bless the world through the nation Israel.

But Paul, in Colossians 3:11 says,

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 

 

So, circumcision identified God’s covenant people. If you weren’t circumcised, you weren’t in God’s covenant. You were strangers to them. But now Paul says, there’s neither circumcision nor position.

It doesn’t matter today. If we’re in Christ we’re not in a covenant.

The New Covenant, the New Testament is Israel’s new covenant and saying we’re in it is making ourself Israel.

But Paul says that now Christ is all and in all, in this new creature, the Body of Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery.

And he’s answering his own question in verses 9 and 10 (Romans 4:9-10) by saying Abraham’s faith was accounted for righteousness before he was circumcised.

Circumcision had no bearing on his being accounted righteous.

 

So we see Romans 4:11-12. Let’s read,

And he (Abraham) received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 

And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 

 

Paul is showing us that timing matters.

He already said earlier in Romans 4 that Abraham was counted righteous before he ever got circumcised. Now he asks again: When did Abraham get this blessing? Before or after circumcision?

Paul wants us to pay attention to when things happened, not just that they happened.

This is part of dividing the Bible correctly.

If we ignore timing, we mix everything together and think God was dealing with everybody the same way in every age. But He wasn’t. Even in Abraham’s own life, the order of events matters.

 

So Paul asks Israel simple questions they should know, but they struggled because they trusted in their flesh, their works, and their covenants. To understand Paul’s point, we look back at Genesis and follow the timeline.

 

In Genesis 23, Sarah dies aged 127, and Abraham is 136. Isaac is 36 when his mother dies.

That’s right after Genesis 22, where Abraham offers Isaac on Mount Moriah. People often picture Isaac as a little boy, but Genesis 22:6 says he carried the wood for the offering. That’s not a toddler job. Of course, someone else carried His own wood up a mountain too, Jesus.

Genesis 22 is full of shadows of Christ.

 

Isaac was strong enough to carry the wood and old enough to understand what was happening. Twice the chapter says in Genesis 22:6, 8 that they went quote “both of them together”. That means agreement, not a little child being dragged along. If Isaac was strong enough to carry the wood, he was strong enough to resist Abraham, but he didn’t.

This pictures Jesus willingly going to the cross.

 

Now back to the timing.

In Genesis 21:5, Abraham is 100 when Isaac is born. But Abraham was already circumcised a year earlier in Genesis 17, when he was 99 which we see in Genesis 17:1, 24.

That’s also when God said Sarah would bear the promised child, and although both Abraham and Sarah laughed, they believed.

 

Before that, in Genesis 16:16, Abraham is 86 when Ishmael is born. That means Ishmael was born while Abraham was still uncircumcised.

 

And even earlier, in Genesis 15:6, God counted Abraham’s faith for righteousness and that’s the moment Paul’s talking about in Romans 4—the blessing of righteousness being imputed by faith.

Paul asks: does this blessing come only on the circumcision? No, because Abraham received it in uncircumcision.

 

Finally, in Genesis 12:4, Abraham was 75 when God first called him and gave him the promises: the land, the seed, the great nation, and that he would be a blessing to the world.

 

So the order of things is clear:

– God called Abraham at 75.

– God counted his faith for righteousness at about 85.

– Ishmael was born at 86 while Abraham was still uncircumcised.

– Abraham’s circumcision came at 99.

– Isaac was born at 100.

 

Paul uses this to show that righteousness came before circumcision, so Abraham is the father of all who believe—circumcised or not—if they walk in the same faith he had before the sign of the covenant, circumcision, was given.

 

Abraham had to wait twenty‑five years for the son God promised him.

God said He would make a mighty nation from Abraham, but although he was already old he still believed.

Time kept passing, but God teaches us patience. We think everything’s got to happen fast but God knows the end from the beginning.

We shouldn’t be lazy, but we also shouldn’t panic. God works on His own timeline.

There were about 24 years between God counting Abraham righteous and giving him the covenant of circumcision.

Paul uses this in Romans 4:10 to ask,

How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 

The answer is clear in the next verse, Romans 4:10,

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 

 

Abraham lived over twenty years as a man counted righteous without works, simply by believing what God said.

This matters because circumcision marked out the covenant people of Israel.

It gave blessings the uncircumcised didn’t have. So Paul goes back to Genesis 12 to show the timing where God promised Abraham a land, a great nation, a great name, and that all families of the earth would be blessed in him and Abraham obeyed at age 75.

In Genesis 12:7 we see,

And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land:

So the promise was to Abraham and also to his seed.

Then, in Genesis 13:14–17, after Abraham and Lot separated, God repeated the promise and added the word “forever.”

He also said Abraham’s seed would be like the dust of the earth, too many to number.

This is not the single Seed (Christ) that Paul talks about in Galatians 3, but the multiplied physical seed God promised Abraham. Both truths exist: the one Seed (Christ) and the many seeds (Israel).

 

In Genesis 15, Abraham wondered how God would give him a seed since he had no child. He suggested Eliezer, his servant. But God said no, the heir will come from your own flesh, Genesis 15:4.

In Genesis 15:5 God then showed him the stars and said his seed would be that many and in Genesis 15:6. Abraham believed, and God counted it to him for righteousness.

But notice something here. The covenant itself was not “righteousness by faith.” The covenant was about land and multiplied seed. The righteousness by faith was simply how Abraham received God’s word, not the content of the covenant.

 

People tend to mix these things and say all the promises to Abraham are fulfilled in us. But Paul doesn’t say that. He only uses Genesis 15:6 to show the pattern of imputed righteousness.

God must still fulfill the actual covenant promises of land, nation, and multiplied seed to Israel. Jesus didn’t cancel them. Peter didn’t cancel them as we see in Acts 1:6-7. Paul didn’t cancel them as we see through Romans 11. God will keep His covenants; just not yet.

 

As we keep reading Genesis 15, God doesn’t just use the stars to number Abraham’ seed. He also tells him when his seed will return to the land.

God says they’ll be in bondage for 400 years, then they’ll come back and that’s in Genesis 15:13–16.

Now Abraham finally has a timeline. But he also realises he’ll be dead long before this happens, So Abraham starts thinking, “If God promised me this land, and my seed won’t return for centuries, then God must raise me from the dead.”

That’s why we see in Hebrews 11 that Abraham believed in resurrection. God said “forever,” even though people die. Jesus later said God is “not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

 

At the end of Genesis 15, God makes a covenant through a sacrifice and gives Abraham the exact borders of the land—from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates.

 

This is real geography, real dirt, not something spiritual in heaven. Paul never teaches that Abraham’s land promise somehow became spiritual.

In Romans 4, Paul only uses Genesis 15 to show that God counted Abraham’s faith for righteousness.

Paul’s saying that in the same way Abraham was counted righteous—by faith without works— God uses today relating to the Body of Christ.

But the covenant itself was not about righteousness. God promised Abraham a kingdom, a nation, and greatness he did not reveal how He would justify sinners. That part was still a mystery until Christ.

So Paul uses the Old Testament to show the pattern of faith, while keeping Israel’s covenants separate from what God gives us today.

 

Paul brings up circumcision because it’s a huge issue for Israel.

The word “covenant” appears 25 times in Genesis, and half of them are in this one chapter. Genesis 17 is where God gives the covenant of circumcision, the sign that marks Israel as His covenant people. If you were an Israelite reading this, you’d say, “This is where our nation begins—land, seed, and now circumcision.”

But Paul reminds them that Abraham was a sinner justified by faith without works, and so was David, and so are we.

 

Then in Genesis 17:1 we read,

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

 

Genesis 17:3-4,

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 

 

God had already spoken to Abraham several times about this covenant, but now He adds more detail: Abraham will be father of many nations, not just one. That’s why his name changes from Abram to Abraham.

 

In Genesis 17:6 God says to Abraham,

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 

 

Then, in Genesis 17:7 God says,

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 

 

God ties “everlasting” to the land as well and says in Genesis 17:8,

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 

 

Some people who try to tie the Body of Christ in with this covenant say that land, as on earth, was temporary; that now our land is heavenly, but God said the land of Canaan was an everlasting possession and He meant what He said.

Then in Genesis 17:9  we see,

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 

 

But before circumcision is given in the next verse, what was there for Abraham to keep? Nothing

God had only promised blessing and land. Abraham was just walking around waiting for God to do what He said. He still hasn’t been told to actually do anything yet except walk the land.

Then in Genesis 17:10-14 God finally gives the thing that Abraham must keep, circumcision.

This is new information. Every male child must be circumcised. God says this will be the token, the sign, the seal of the covenant Abraham already has.

The land, the blessing, the nation—those promises were already given. Now circumcision marks who actually receives them.

 

If a man is not circumcised, God says he is cut off from the covenant. That’s Genesis 17:14.

So not all of Abraham’s physical seed will get the blessing.

Circumcision separates who’ll receive the promises and wont.

This is the beginning of the division that later becomes Jew and Gentile, even though Israel doesn’t exist yet. Circumcision is the foundation of that separation.

 

God says in Genesis 17:12–13 that every male child must be circumcised at eight days old. Even servants bought with money must be circumcised. God says, “My covenant shall be in your flesh.”

This is not a spiritual covenant. God promised a seed from Abraham’s flesh, then put the sign in their flesh making this very physical because later Jesus Himself will come in the flesh. He’d shed His blood in the flesh, and fulfill the spiritual side of God’s plan, but here in Genesis 17 the covenant is about earthly people, earthly land, and a fleshandblood nation.

 

The eighth day is interesting. Only in 1943 did scientists discover that vitamin K and prothrombin—needed for blood clotting—peak on the eighth day of a newborn’s life. Before that, a baby could bleed to death. But God told Abraham the right day thousands of years earlier. Science just caught up.

 

God warns that the uncircumcised man is cut off from his people. Paul later calls Gentiles strangers from the covenants of promise. The covenants he refers to are the land, the seed, and the blessing. Circumcision is the doorway into those promises.

 

Then in Genesis 17:15–21 God speaks of Sarah.

This is the first time He says clearly that the promised son will come from her. Abraham laughs in his heart, remember he’s 100, and Sarah’s 90. God hears his thoughts and answers him.

Abraham even says, “O that Ishmael might live before thee.” But God says no, Isaac’ll be the one. The covenant will be with Isaac, not Ishmael. Ishmael will be blessed and become a great nation with twelve princes, but the everlasting covenant goes through Isaac.

 

After God finishes speaking, Abraham—now 99—circumcises himself and Ishmael, and waits for Isaac to be conceived and born.

 

This is why Paul in Romans 4 talks about when Abraham was circumcised. Abraham already had the covenant promises long before circumcision. Circumcision was only the token that marked who would receive those earthly promises. And even though Ishmael was circumcised, he still did not receive the covenant. Isaac did. Timing and order matter.

 

Islam says the Bible is wrong and that Ishmael’s the one who gets the land, seed, and blessing but the Bible very clearly says the covenant goes through Isaac, not Ishmael.

That’s why history splits between Israel and Islam. But that’s not Paul’s point. In Romans 4:11, when Paul says Abraham “received the sign of circumcision,” he means Abraham already had righteousness by faith long before the circumcision, which was simply the token, the sign, or the seal of what God had already given him by faith.

Circumcision simply identified who would inherit the covenant. It’s why God said the uncircumcised man was “cut off” in Genesis 17:14.

 

This is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:22 that Jews “seek after a sign.” God gave Israel signs, miracles, and prophets so they would know the true God in a world full of idols. Today we know Him through the Scriptures that record those signs and through Christ who fulfilled them.

 

In Galatians 5:3–6 Paul says that circumcision profits nothing in Christ. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters—only faith. In Galatians 6:15, he says what matters is being a new creature in Christ. How do you get in Christ? By faith, the same way Abraham received righteousness.

 

This is what Paul calls “the gospel of the uncircumcision.” You don’t need circumcision or the law to receive blessing from God. That Abraham was blessed while uncircumcised is our pattern. What saves us is not land, or seed, or earthly blessing but righteousness, and that comes by faith without works, just like Abraham.

Romans 4:3-8 – Righteousness Without Works

Romans 4 is where Paul teaches that we’re made right with God, not by doing good works, but by faith alone.

That’s a big deal because most people, religious or not, think you have to do good to be good.

Paul makes the point that works aren’t a part of justification by faith now in this dispensation of grace that we live in today.

“Speed Slider”

Romans 4-3-8 Timeline

Click or tap the  image to open large image

David's Timeline

Click or tap the  image to open large image

Romans 4:3-8 – Transcript

Romans 4 is where Paul teaches that we’re made right with God, not by doing good works, but by faith alone.

That’s a big deal because most people, religious or not, think you have to do good to be good.

Paul makes the point that works aren’t a part of justification by faith now in this dispensation of grace that we live in today.

Many Christians get confused with this, especially when they read the book of James and particularly James 2:17-18 which reads,

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 

Paul’s not arguing against James, who’s preaching that it’s faith plus works, or arguing against the Old Testament which was all about works.

He’s showing something new that was revealed to Him by Jesus Christ: that God can count someone righteous just because they believe and not because they do righteousness.

Paul’s talking to people who know Scripture.

He’s using the Old Testament to prove his point that now, today, in this dispensation, justification, salvation is by faith alone.

Even though the law of Moses was full of rules and works, Paul shows that those works never saved anyone.

He goes back to Abraham and David to prove that God’s way has always been by grace through faith.

In Romans 3:31, Paul says he’s not throwing out the law—he’s using it to teach truth, but in doing so he’s almost overturning Israel’s religious beliefs, which is why, of course, the Jews persecuted him so badly.

In Romans 4:1–2, Paul asks, “What did Abraham find?” or what did he learn or find out? If Abraham was made righteous by works, he could brag—but not before God. Then Paul quotes Genesis 15:6,

And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and he (God) counted it to him for righteousness.

 

That’s before circumcision in Genesis 17 and before the offering of Isaac in Genesis 22 and even before there was a nation of Israel, before the 12 tribes of Israel that came from Jacob (who was later named Israel).

So Paul’s talking about Abraham when he simply believed, and God counted that belief to him as righteousness. No works were involved. We’ve included the little timeline that we used last episode again which helps see where in time this all happened.

 

James talks about Abraham too, but later in his life, when he did obey God. So both Paul and James are right—they’re just talking about different parts of Abraham’s story. They’re also talking about how God is dealing with mankind in different times.

Paul’s point is that in Genesis 15, Abraham was counted righteous just by believing. That’s what Paul calls “righteousness without works.”

 

This idea messes with people’s heads. It doesn’t feel fair. How can a sinner be called righteous without doing anything good?

Even today people laugh at Christians who try to explain how man can be saved no matter how bad he is and how lacking he is in good works.

All they see are hypocrites that say they’re saved yet still do wrong. It simply doesn’t make sense to the unsaved world and even to many, if not most, Christians.

 

But Paul explains in Romans 2 and 3 that all people are sinners. No one is righteous. Yet through Jesus, through His blood and His sacrifice—God can save sinners who believe and that’s the only way to salvation. That’s Romans 3:21–26. God gives them Christ’s righteousness. That’s what justification means: being declared righteous.

 

Only God is truly justified by who He is and what He does.

The rest of us are sinners. But even in everyday life, we understand what it means to be justified. When someone proves they’re honest or trustworthy they’re justified, but if you lie or cheat, you’re not justified. That’s how people judge each other.

 

So religious folks say, “If you do good, you’re righteous.” And that’s true in a human sense. If you do right, you are right. That’s how society works. But Paul’s teaching goes much deeper. His teaching is that our human righteousness no matter how good we think we are, falls totally short of God’s righteousness.

We can only look good in our own sight as we compare ourselves with an abominable sinner such as the rapist or the murderer. Most of us probably scrub up fairly well in that comparison. But, when we use a different standard to judge our own righteousness by, such as a comparison with God’s perfect righteousness, we all know we fall hopelessly short.

 

Now here’s Paul saying we can be righteous before God without doing anything—just by believing and that’s what makes Romans 4 so radical.

 

Religions everywhere teach that you have to do good to be saved. Even Christians say, “If you were really saved, you wouldn’t do that.” They think being a Christian means always doing right.

Non-religious people think the same way. They reject religion because they don’t want to be hypocrites. They say, “I don’t do good, so I’m not religious.”

Many think that to quote “find God” means to stop sinning.” The idea is: if you’re close to God, you don’t do wrong.

 

So people think that to be a Christian means to stop doing wrong and start doing right and yes, doing good is good.

But Paul says righteousness, the the only righteousness that can save us, comes without works. That’s the shocker.

It goes against everything people naturally think. But in Genesis 15:6, God counted Abraham righteous just because he believed. That’s the gospel Paul’s preaching and that’s what he’s saying here in Romans.

 

Now, there were times when Abraham had to do something and times when he didn’t.

For many centuries man didn’t understand how that worked. How can just believing make someone righteous?

 

James says Abraham proved his faith by doing what God told him—like offering Isaac in Genesis 22. But Paul points out something different in Romans 4. He says in Genesis 15, Abraham didn’t do anything—he just believed. No works. Yet God counted his belief as righteousness. That’s Paul’s point: justification—being made right with God—comes by faith, not by works and the window where we can view that happening in the past is Genesis 15:6.

 

Romans 4:4 says,

Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 

 

That means if we work, our pay isn’t a gift—it’s what we’re owed. In our job: we work, we get paid. That’s not grace, that’s debt. Our employer owes us something because of our work.

Grace is when we get something we didn’t earn. It’s a gift. So if we’re working for salvation, then it’s not grace anymore. It’s like saying, “God, I did good, now you owe me heaven.” But that’s not how it works.

Paul’s talking about sinners—people who’ve got nothing to offer God and yet, God justifies them by faith. That’s what happened with Abraham.

In Genesis 15, he believed, and God counted it as righteousness. No works involved, but in Genesis 22, after Abraham obeyed, God said, “Because you did this, I will bless you.” That’s a reward for works. But in Genesis 15 it was by grace alone.

 

So Paul’s saying that if salvation came by works, it wouldn’t be grace. And that’s a problem, because first, Paul already said in Romans 2 and 3 that no one is righteous. We’re all sinners.

Second, if salvation is by works, then it’s not grace. It becomes a trade—you do good, God gives you something back.

But Paul’s talking about people who can’t do anything to earn it and that’s every single person ever born of Adam.

We’re under grace because of what Jesus did. It was His works that justify us.

 

Romans 3:24 says,

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 

 

That’s the gospel Paul preached—the gospel of grace.

Israel believed God was gracious, sure, but Paul’s saying if it’s really grace, then it can’t be by works.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says it plainly,

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

 

If we add works, it’s not grace anymore.

So Paul’s saying, in this time, in this dispensation, we’re justified by grace through faith alone. God’s not asking you to do something to earn it. He’s saying, “I’ve done it—believe in Jesus.”

Romans 3:25-26 says,

Whom God (that’s Jesus) hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

 

That’s it. Believe, and God counts it as righteousness.

But what about my good deeds? Well, do good, sure, and we should, but they won’t make us righteous before God. He’s seen all our bad as well as any good. To be justified, believe what God said. That’s the only way.

 

Romans 4:5 says,

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

 

That’s grace. That’s the gospel and that’s big.

It means God gives righteousness not to the one who works for it, but to the one who believes.

Grace isn’t a bonus for doing good. It’s a gift for those who didn’t earn it.

 

In Israel’s old covenant, God told them to do stuff—offer sacrifices, keep commandments, observe holy days etc. Jesus even told his disciples in Matthew 28:20 to teach all He commanded. So if God tells us to do something, we do it. But now, in this dispensation, God says Christ did it all. We just believe. There’s nothing left for us to do to be justified.

Now, the “worketh not” in that verse doesn’t mean sinning. We’re all sinners, but Paul isn’t saying sin gets you righteousness. He’s saying it’s not by our works. Sin isn’t the condition for justification. Justification by faith overcomes sin. “Worketh not” means we haven’t done anything, and we can’t do anything, and God hasn’t told us to do anything for it.

 

Some people say faith or belief is actually a work.

But Romans 4:5 shows us that belief isn’t a work. It’s not in the same category. Faith is hearing what God says in His Word and trusting that it’s true. That’s it.

So when someone says faith is a work they haven’t seen Romans 4:5. The man who believes is not working.

 

But faith alone isn’t the whole story.

We need to ask, “Faith in what?”

I mean it could be faith that when I turn the door knob the door’ll open. Even a dyed in the wool atheist has faith and a lot of it. He has to in order to believe that everything came from nothing.

Abraham believed what God actually said.

the content of our faith, what we have faith in matters. Romans 4:5 says, “believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” That’s the object of faith, God who saves sinners.

 

So when someone says, “I’m a believer,” we ask, “A believer in what?” We can’t just believe anything.

God counts it as righteousness to those who believe what He said and what He did, His works on Calvary’s cross to pay the price for our redemption.

God saves sinners. Justification means being declared righteous, and righteousness leads to eternal life. So “justifies the ungodly” means God saves sinners, not sin. Sin‘s not justified. The sinner is.

 

God doesn’t say, “I’ll justify every sin.” No, He saves the person from sin’s penalty.

The sinner is ungodly and undeserving, but God saves them anyway. That’s grace.

Salvation in Christ separates the person from sin—through His death, through being crucified with Him. That’s how God deals with the sin problem.

 

Romans 4:5 says and we’ll read it again because of its importance,

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

 

That’s the heart of the gospel. It’s not just saying “I believe.” It’s believing on God who saves sinners. And how does He do that? Romans 3:21–26 tells us that the law shows us our sin, but now God’s righteousness is shown without the law.

We’ve all sinned, but we’re justified freely by His grace through Christ.

 

If we don’t believe God’s right to save sinners based on Christ’s work, then we’ve got no reason to think we’re saved without works.

We have to have faith in Christ’s finished work if we believe salvation is by grace through faith.

That word “ungodly” in Romans 4:5 is powerful. It means God saves people who are sinners. He doesn’t just welcome them in—He justifies them. That’s how everyone gets saved today.

And here’s the shocker: He only saves sinners. It’s not just that He  “also saves sinners” it’s that He only saves sinners.

If we’re not a sinner, we don’t need saving. But the truth is, we’re all sinners. So there’s no room for boasting or self-righteousness.

The gospel is this: God saves sinners by grace through faith in Christ. Romans 3:24 says we’re justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus. That connects right to Romans 4:5. Faith is counted for righteousness. That’s how you get saved today—by believing, not working.

 

 

That’s why Israel had trouble with this message. They were taught to do right and be blessed. That was their covenant. Now God blesses without works.

Some in Israel understood this. Abraham and David did. They knew they were sinners and they trusted God’s mercy. Even though they did good works, they knew salvation came from grace.

 

 

Paul brings up David in verse 6 to show this. Abraham and David weren’t just examples of grace—they were the father and king of Israel. Paul’s showing that even the greatest men in Israel were saved by grace, not works.

David was Israel’s man. If you had to pick someone to represent the best of Israel, it’d be David. He did great works, was a mighty king, and had a strong reputation. So when Paul says in Romans 4:6 that David talks about the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness without works, that’s a big deal.

Paul’s saying even David—Israel’s hero—was justified without works. Just like Abraham, David shows that God gives righteousness by grace, not by earning it.

 

Now that word “impute” sounds old and confusing. You don’t hear it every day. Some Bible versions change it to “counted” or “reckoned.” But you can figure out what it means by reading the verses around it. Romans 4:3 says Abraham’s faith was “counted” for righteousness. Verse 5 says the man who believes on God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is “counted” for righteousness. Verse 6 says God “imputes” righteousness. So impute means to count or reckon something to someone. It’s like putting it on their account.

 

The King James Bible uses different words for the same Greek word on purpose. That way, you learn what the word means by how it’s used. If they used the same word every time, people might miss the meaning or twist it. But using “counted,” “reckoned,” and “imputed” helps clarify the meaning.

 

Back to David—he was the greatest king of Israel.

Saul, David, and Solomon were the first three kings, and David wasn’t the richest or the wisest, but he was the greatest. Solomon had wisdom and wealth, but David had God’s favor and a heart after God.

That’s why Paul using David to teach justification without works is shocking to religious folks. They think David earned his place, but Paul says even David was saved by grace.

 

David’s story starts in 1 Samuel 16. God tells Samuel to go to Jesse’s house to find the next king. Jesse lines up his sons, but none of them are the one. Then he brings in David, the youngest, a shepherd. God says, “That’s him.” Samuel anoints David, and the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him. David hadn’t done anything yet—God chose him.

Soon after, Saul, the king at this time, is troubled by an evil spirit and needs someone to play soothing music for him.

One of his servants says, “I know a son of Jesse who’s skilled, brave, wise, and the Lord is with him.” That’s David. Saul sends for him, and David becomes Saul’s armor-bearer. He goes from shepherd to king’s servant because of his reputation and God’s favor.

 

David could play music, fight battles, and lead people. He was talented and chosen by God. That’s why people praise him. But Paul says even David was justified without works. That’s the point—no matter how great someone is, salvation comes by grace through faith, not by what a person does.

 

Romans 4:5–6 shows that even the best man in Israel was saved the same way as the worst sinner—by believing on God who justifies the ungodly. That’s the gospel. That’s grace.

 

In 1 Samuel 17, David fights Goliath. He’s already Saul’s armor-bearer, already known as a mighty man, already anointed. So when he kills Goliath, it just adds to his reputation. People say he was brave—but remember, the Spirit of the Lord was on him.

 

After Goliath, David gets promoted. In 1 Samuel 18:5, Saul puts him over the men of war. He behaves wisely, and everyone loves him. Then the women sing, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” That’s when Saul gets jealous. David’s fame is growing, and he’s not even king yet so Saul seethes in his jealousy but even when Saul tries to hurt him, David doesn’t fight back.

In 1 Samuel 18:14, it says David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.

Saul throws spears and tries to kill him, but David respects Saul as God’s chosen king. He even kills a man for speaking against Saul. That’s honor.

 

Saul offers David his daughter to marry, trying to trap him. But we read in 1 Samuel 18:18,

And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? 

 

“Who am I?” That’s humility. He’s the best man in the land, but he doesn’t boast. Saul keeps scheming, but David keeps doing right.

 

In 1 Samuel 24, David has the chance to kill Saul but doesn’t. He tells Saul, “I could’ve killed you, but I didn’t.” Saul weeps and says in verse 17, “You are more righteous than I.” That’s a big praise. David didn’t fail—he showed righteousness.

 

David wrote many Psalms, praising God’s law and asking to be judged by his works. Psalm 119 is full of love for God’s law. David was zealous to do good. His songs were sung for centuries. Even Jesus quoted David’s Psalms—maybe even sang them.

 

David’s resume is full of good works, wisdom, music, leadership, and scripture. He finally becomes king and in 2 Samuel 7:1 after Saul dies, God gives David rest from all his enemies. David had cleared out the land, doing what Saul couldn’t.

David is a picture of Jesus. Just like David conquered enemies and set up the kingdom, Jesus will return and do the same (1 Corinthians 15). Solomon shows Christ’s glory, but David shows Christ’s return and victory.

So when Paul talks about David in Romans 4:6, saying God imputes righteousness without works—even to David—that’s huge. David wasn’t known for sin. He was known for righteousness. Yet Paul says even David was saved by grace, not by works.

 

In 2 Samuel 7:12, David’s resting from battle and says, “I want to build God a house.” He’s living in a palace, but God’s still in a tent—the tabernacle. David wants to build something better for Him. But God tells the prophet Nathan, “No, David won’t build it. His son will.” That’s Solomon, who later builds the temple.

 

Then God makes David a promise: “When you die, I’ll raise up your seed, and I’ll set up his kingdom. He’ll build a house for me, and I’ll make his throne last forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13). That’s a big deal. God is saying David’s family line will last forever. Saul’s line ended quick, but David’s won’t. This is where the promise of the Messiah comes in. The Savior, promised since Genesis 3, will come from David’s family.

 

Jesus was born in the city of David. He’s called the Son of David in Matthew 1:1. That fulfills the promise. God also says in 2 Samuel 7:14, “I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son.” That’s not just poetic—it’s prophecy. Some Bible versions change it to “like a father,” but that weakens the truth. God is saying Jesus is His Son. Just like in Genesis 22, when God said He’d provide Himself a lamb. God Himself would be the lamb. The words matter.

 

God also says, “If he sins, I’ll chasten him, but my mercy won’t leave him like it did Saul.” That’s huge. Saul sinned and God cut him off. But with David, God promises mercy that won’t go away. That’s not because David was perfect. It’s because God made a covenant of mercy with him.

God tells David, “You and your house are mine forever.” That’s why being in David’s family matters. Jesus being the Son of David means He’s the promised King with God’s mercy and kingdom forever.

 

Isaiah 55:3 talks about this too.

God says to Israel,

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 

 

Israel failed to keep the law, but God promises to save them by mercy—just like He did with David.

 

Now flip to 2 Samuel 11. What happens after David gets this promise of mercy?

He sins.

He stays home from battle, sees Bathsheba bathing, and commits adultery. Then he tries to cover it up by having her husband, Uriah, killed. That’s murder. According to the law, there was no sacrifice for those sins. The punishment was death.

 

So why wasn’t David cut off like Saul?

It wasn’t because he was above the law. It was because God had already promised him mercy.

That’s the point. David, the great king, the Psalm writer, the man after God’s own heart—he still sinned and sinned big.

But God’s mercy held. That’s the “sure mercies of David.” Mercy that doesn’t quit, even when we fall. It’s so hard for us to grasp the magnitude of that kind of mercy.

 

God told David in 2 Samuel 7:14, “If he commits iniquity, I’ll chasten him, but my mercy won’t depart.” And that’s exactly what happened. God knew David would sin—He knows the end from the beginning. David’s sins—adultery and murder—deserved death.

Leviticus 20:10 says there’s no sacrifice for those sins. We read this,

And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

 

In the law, most sins had a way to make things right by bring an offering or paying restitution. But for David’s sins, there was nothing. No sacrifice. No payment. Just death. That’s the law.

But David was forgiven. That’s grace.

We see the prophet Nathan exposing and rebuking Dvid in the incredible passage of 2 Samuel 12:1-14.

Then, in Psalm 32, we see David’s heart after Nathans exposure and rebuke when he writes, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

 

How was his sin covered? David didn’t, couldn’t, offer a sacrifice. He didn’t know how God could forgive him and still be righteous. He just knew God promised mercy.

 

He says, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes not iniquity.” That’s David talking about himself—not boasting, but humbled. He felt God’s hand heavily on him. He confessed his sin, and God forgave him.

That raises a huge question. How can God forgive a sin that has no sacrifice?

Psalm 51 goes deeper.

David cries, “Have mercy on me, O God… blot out my transgressions.”

He pleads for cleansing, knowing he can’t earn it. He says, “Against thee only have I sinned.”

Paul quotes that in Romans 3. David admits, “I was shaped in iniquity.” Even though he was anointed and praised, he knew he was a sinner from birth.

 

He says, “You desire truth in the inward parts.”

Nobody saw what David did—Uriah was dead, Bathsheba was now his wife. But God saw.

David asks, “Create in me a clean heart… renew a right spirit.” Christians sing that verse today, but David didn’t know about Christ. He didn’t know how God could forgive him. He just trusted God’s mercy.

 

He says, “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.”

That’s not a prayer Christians should pray today. If you know the gospel, you know the Spirit won’t leave you. You’re sealed by grace through faith in Christ but David didn’t know that.

He had the right spirit, but not the full truth.

Today, we should say, “Thank you for saving me,” not “Please don’t leave me.”

 

David says, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.” He’s guilty, and he wants to be changed. But today, we know Christ already forgave us. That’s grace. David says, “If you wanted a sacrifice, I’d give it.” He was king—he had animals, wealth, power. But God didn’t ask for anything and that’s the point.

We can’t do anything to justify ourself. Even if we might be better than some others, we’re still a sinner. We can’t earn salvation. God doesn’t owe us. He’s always the giver and we’re always the receiver. That’s why salvation is by grace through faith—not of works.

 

Psalm 51:16-17 says God doesn’t want sacrifices—He wants a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

David knew that.

After his sin, he had nothing to offer. No sacrifice could fix what he did. But he trusted God’s mercy, mercy promised by God’s very word of promise.

That’s what Paul teaches in Romans 4: it’s not by works, but by faith—believing what God said and what Christ did.

Paul uses David as proof. David, Israel’s righteous king, sinned badly. Yet in Psalm 32, he writes, “Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven… to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” David knew he was forgiven without works.

 

Paul connects this mercy to Jesus. In Acts 13:34, Paul preaches to Jews saying,

And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

 

Paul says those mercies point to Jesus. David was a picture of Christ. God didn’t count David’s sins against him because of Jesus—even though Jesus hadn’t come yet. But God already knew of Christ’s coming.

 

2 Corinthians 5:19 says God isn’t imputing sin to the world today. Same with David back then. Why? Because of Jesus.

Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:8,

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 

 

That gospel is how God gave mercy to David.

 

So Abraham and David were justified by grace through faith, not works. They didn’t know about the cross, but God justified them anyway and that’s Paul’s point: God justifies the ungodly by Christ’s blood, without works, law, or covenants. That’s the mystery of grace in Romans 4.