Biblical Christianity 101, a study of the book of Romans

[Drich]

We starting out with another very Anti 'Christian' doctrine. Or rather Anti legalism doctrine.

So what can we say about Abraham, the father of our people? What did he learn about faith? 2 If Abraham was made right by the things he did, he had a reason to boast about himself. But God knew different. 3 That’s why the Scriptures say, “Abraham believed God, and because of this he was accepted as one who is right with God.”[a]

Here Paul is setting up which came first. God's favor for abraham because of his works/religious practices or because of his faith/belief in God. This is important because many of us today understand these words "We are justified by faith alone" but do not know how to reconcile that with our works. So Christianity becomes about doing 'right' and living a certain way and when people don't/can't about harsh judgement and negitive responses to those outside of a religion based effort to righteousness. Behavior like this is what I see over and over as being one of the reasons people are so put off by Christianity.. And as we will see Biblical Christianity is not like that at all.

4 When people work, their pay is not given to them as a gift. They earn the pay they get. 5 But people cannot do any work that will make them right with God. So they must trust in him. Then he accepts their faith, and that makes them right with him. He is the one who makes even evil people right. 6 David said the same thing when he was talking about the blessing people have when God accepts them as good without looking at what they have done:

This is a critical point. in that our works (ability to live by the law of God nor the things we do in service to God) Do not justify us before God. It is our initial faith that God accepts as justification. So again this means (as per what was discussed in Chapter 3) That the Law ceases to be a requirement of our coming to righteousness/our way into heaven. Which then makes the law only valid in pointing out that we do indeed need salvation/atonement. In other words 'morality' counts for nothing in of itself. that is our system of accountablity not God's. His is solely based on our belief/faith in Him to do what He says He will do. And even then according to Christ Him self on this very subject all we need is a mustard seed's worth of faith to find what God has promised. Which means the law (while still valid in that it points to sin in those who have not sought atonement)ceases to be our way to righteousness/heaven.

“It is a great blessing
   when people are forgiven for the wrongs they have done,
   when their sins are erased!
8 It is a great blessing when the Lord accepts people
   as if they are without sin!”

The above is what Paul is using (OT Quotation) to justify or underscore the point he is making. (in that this is not a new concept/something unique to Christianity, that God has being doing this very thing since the beginning)

9 Is this blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who are not circumcised? We have already said that it was because of Abraham’s faith that he was accepted as one who is right with God. 10 So how did this happen? Did God accept Abraham before or after he was circumcised? God accepted him before his circumcision. 11 Abraham was circumcised later to show that God accepted him. His circumcision was proof that he was right with God through faith before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all those who believe but are not circumcised. They believe and are accepted as people who are right with God.

This shows that while Abraham's salvation was not dependant on his works Abraham still followed through with his works as a sign of love and respect for God. so while we are not justifed by works, we still try to do the best we can.

Now someone might look at this and say what is the difference between faith based salvation and works based salvation if in both instances the same works are being done.. In a word, Attitude. Our attitude is completely different. Meaning when we base salvation on a must do works theology like the pharisees did, then we fall into the same trap of judging everyone by what they do, and worship becomes a check list of things to do rather than an actual relationship. Which (relationship) is what God actually wants. And in the case of the Pharisees is the reason Jesus blasted them and their practice of Judaism so hard. Their rules and check list theology was having the opposite effect in that it was keeping people from God, rather than promoting a relationship. The same is true for the legalistic Christian/One who demands obedience to the law or their doctrine/version of God's law.
The following 3 verses even take this a step further.

12 And Abraham is also the father of those who have been circumcised. But it is not their circumcision that makes him their father. He is their father only if they live following the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 Abraham and his descendants received the promise that they would get the whole world. But Abraham did not receive that promise because he followed the law. He received that promise because he was right with God through his faith. 14 If people could get God’s promise by following the law, then faith is worthless. And God’s promise to Abraham is worthless, 15 because the law can only bring God’s anger on those who disobey it. But if there is no law, then there is nothing to disobey.

When Paul say "Nothing to obey" He is speaking about believers who are no longer santified through the law.
As Christ said the law still exists, but again only to point to the need for redemption. Paul himself will speak on this in greater detail shortly.

16 So people get what God promised by having faith. This happens so that the promise can be a free gift. And if the promise is a free gift, then all of Abraham’s people will get that promise. The promise is not just for those who live under the Law of Moses. It is for all who live with faith as Abraham did. He is the father of us all. 17 As the Scriptures say, “I have made you a father of many nations.”[b] This is true before God, the one Abraham believed—the God who gives life to the dead and speaks of things that don’t yet exist as if they are real.

Here Paul says or identifies the source of salvation (going to heaven) More over righteousness (being made right/sin free before God, justifying your ability to go to Heaven) is a free gift that we can not earn by works/obeying the law. He draws a strong parallel in the life of Abraham (the most righteous Jew) of when he was deemed righteous verse when he started his campaign of works. showing again that what Paul is teaching is nothing new, as this pattern of works and righteousness has been consistent with God from the very first example given by the jews.

18 There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, “You will have many descendants.”[c] 19 Abraham was almost a hundred years old, so he was past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham was well aware of this, but his faith in God never became weak. 20 He never doubted that God would do what he promised. He never stopped believing. In fact, he grew stronger in his faith and just praised God. 21 Abraham felt sure that God was able to do what he promised. 22 So that’s why “he was accepted as one who is right with God.”[d] 23 These words (“he was accepted”) were written not only for Abraham. 24 They were also written for us. God will also accept us because we believe. We believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from death. 25 Jesus was handed over to die for our sins, and he was raised from death to make us right with God.

Paul is now driving the point home (to the Jews) by showing that Abraham was justified before God before he completed the first 'work' that it was through his faith the God found Abraham righteous.


So what does that mean to us in context of the study so far?

Chapter 1
Paul identifies evil and evil people (People who will not repent of sin/People who love sin more than God

Chapter 2
Paul starts by telling the sinners of the church not to judge evil people because they too are guilty of the exact same sin. thus pointing out the ony real difference between sin and evil is a heart that loves God more than the sin they are in.

Chapter 3
That ALL in and out of the church are all ways in sin. None are righteous no not one.

Chapter 4
We can not earn righteousness through the works based religion legalistic people push. That salvation is a gift that can not be earned. Yet we do 'good works/try to up hold the law out of love and respect to God. the difference being is the 'judgement' a legalistic heart might have toward God. verse compassion we should have to our fellow slave to sin.