Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

There are few things that match the joy of unexpectedly discovering something good. Whether it’s discovering money on the ground, or learning a new concept in a class, joy floods our hearts when we find something good that we didn’t expect to find.

Unfortunately, “unexpected” is not the word most people would use to describe our church services. Instead, words like “predictable” and “routine” characterize our churches. Few people seem to discover anything new unexpectedly in our services.

This is why Paul’s comments about the unexpected joy of forgiveness in Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 are so encouraging. Here Paul identifies Abraham as someone who unexpectedly discovered the joy of forgiveness. The story of Abraham is one well known to church goers and students of the Bible. We all know how the story ends. But for Abraham, the one living the story, each twist and turn was unexpected. To Abraham and his family, life probably seemed more like a roller coaster than a straight line.

Discovering Righteousness By Faith (4:1-5)

As Paul tells Abraham’s story, he relies heavily on the Genesis narrative, especially chapters 12 and 15 of Genesis. In his lifetime, Abraham discovered, quite unexpectedly, that one is made right with God on the basis of faith rather than the basis of human efforts. For Paul, the proof of this comes from Genesis 15:6, which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” This act of God occurred prior to Abraham’s circumcision, which formed the seal of his covenant relationship with God. Prior to the covenant being “sealed” by circumcision, God sealed Abraham as “righteous.” Abraham’s standing with God came on the basis of faith.

There’s nothing that could have prepared Abraham for this experience. The reality of what we now call “justification by faith” is some-thing that can only come by divine revelation. There’s nothing in the world or in our minds to prepare us for this truth. Everything in our experience tells us that people earn other people’s favor. Gifts come by meriting them.

Frequently we stereotype Old Testament figures as languishing under the legalistic burden of the law. However, Paul even describes King David as discovering the joy of forgiveness in vv. 6-8. The example of David reminds us that righteousness has always come by faith. This was true prior to God giving the law (as evidenced in Abraham), after the law (as evidenced by David), and since the coming of Jesus.

So long as we strive to earn merit with God, we find ourselves looking for wages from God rather than a gift from God (v. 4). This struggle colors our entire relationship with God, as we picture God as a boss and a master, rather than a Father, a lover, and a friend. The unexpected joy of forgiveness frees us to see God closer to as He truly is.