Romans

Lesson 4 w/AnswersRomans Chapter 4

In this lesson we’ll examine Romans Chapter 4 and another key doctrinal principle that forms the basis for our Christian walk: how we are saved.

Roman coin

I continue to get good feedback on my practice of quoting our study text from the Contemporary English Version (CEV) and will continue to take that approach as we work our way through Romans.

For this week, please read the following text from the Contemporary English Version (CEV), or Romans Chapter 4 from your favorite version, before answering the questions that follow.

Romans 4

The Example of Abraham

1Well then, what can we say about our ancestor Abraham? 2If he became acceptable to God because of what he did, then he would have something to brag about. But he would never be able to brag about it to God. 3The Scriptures say, "God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him."

    4Money paid to workers isn’t a gift. It is something they earn by working. 5But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him. 6In the Scriptures David talks about the blessings that come to people who are acceptable to God, even though they don’t do anything to deserve these blessings. David says,

    7"God blesses people

   whose sins are forgiven

   and whose evil deeds

   are forgotten.

    8The Lord blesses people

   whose sins are erased

   from his book."

    9Are these blessings meant for circumcised people or for those who are not circumcised? Well, the Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him. 10But when did this happen? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? Of course, it was before.

    11Abraham let himself be circumcised to show that he had been accepted because of his faith even before he was circumcised. This makes Abraham the father of all who are acceptable to God because of their faith, even though they are not circumcised. 12This also makes Abraham the father of everyone who is circumcised and has faith in God, as Abraham did before he was circumcised.
The Promise Is for All Who Have Faith

13God promised Abraham and his descendants that he would give them the world. This promise wasn’t made because Abraham had obeyed a law, but because his faith in God made him acceptable. 14If Abraham and his descendants were given this promise because they had obeyed a law, then faith would mean nothing, and the promise would be worthless.

    15God becomes angry when his Law is broken. But where there isn’t a law, it cannot be broken. 16Everything depends on having faith in God, so that God’s promise is assured by his great kindness. This promise isn’t only for Abraham’s descendants who have the Law. It is for all who are Abraham’s descendants because they have faith, just as he did. Abraham is the ancestor of us all. 17The Scriptures say that Abraham would become the ancestor of many nations. This promise was made to Abraham because he had faith in God, who raises the dead to life and creates new things.

    18God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations. 19Abraham's faith never became weak, not even when he was nearly a hundred years old. He knew that he was almost dead and that his wife Sarah could not have children. 20But Abraham never doubted or questioned God's promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave all the credit to God.

    21Abraham was certain that God could do what he had promised. 22So God accepted him, 23just as we read in the Scriptures. But these words were not written only for Abraham. 24They were written for us, since we will also be accepted because of our faith in God, who raised our Lord Jesus to life. 25God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God.

© Copyright 1995 by American Bible Society


Our lesson considers the fundamental question: Were Old Testament people saved, and how could this happen if Christ’s ministry did not begin until the time of the New Testament?

First of all, I continue to encourage you to become familiar enough with the Old Testament that you could lead someone to Christ using it as the Apostles did when the church first began. And so, let’s look at salvation, redemption, faith and grace as it is, and as it was during Old Testament times. "Why?", you might ask. We do this because it will reveal a fundamental truth that existed before we were created, and we will realize that we today are no different from the Old Testament folks that we have read about. Salvation, and the means to obtaining it, have not changed and will not change.

Consider the following questions:

  1. Based on your reading of Romans 4:1-3, why do you think it asserts that Abraham could not have bragged to God about what he did?
    1. ANSWER: Because his faith saved him, not his work or deeds; therefore there was nothing he did that he could brag about that would mean anything to God.
  2. Why did God accept Abraham? Was it because of what he had done or would do?
    1. ANSWER: No, God accepted Abraham because of his faith, as the scripture plainly states.
  3. If we were to read no further in this chapter, we would already have discovered a fundamental doctrine in verse 3, i.e., how we are saved. What does Ephesians 2:8 tell us regarding this doctrine?
    1. ANSWER: Paul instructs that we are saved by God’s grace because of our faith in him, and nothing else.
  4. Now examine Romans 4:4-6. What is the point being made between earning wages versus receiving a gift?
    1. ANSWER: We earn wages that are paid to us, however, any gifts that we receive have nothing to do with our work. By definition, any gift that we are given is freely given to us, and not because of something that we earned. God’s grace and our saving faith are the same thing. God gives us the gift of salvation freely because we believe in Him and in His Son. Jesus. John 14:1 tells us, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me."
  5. In Romans 4:7-12, Paul points out a very real and basic truth about Abraham and his relationship to the Law. Why is this important? What is significant here that we should be aware of?
    1. ANSWER 1: First, we can see that Abraham’s act of faith occurred before he being circumcised (which did not occur for another fifteen or so years later). This means that the act of being circumcised, as the Jews practiced it later, did not save or provide salvation to anyone; and it meant that an uncircumcised person could also be saved, just as Abraham had been.
    2. ANSWER 2: Second, all of this occurred with Abraham hundreds of years before the Law was given to Moses—so we know that a person is saved apart from the Law, and not by keeping it. See Romans 4:13.
  6. In Romans 4:13, Paul recounts that God made a promise to Abraham. Why?
    1. ANSWER: God made this promise because of Abraham’s great faith, and not because of the Law, or circumcision, or any other reason—only because of Abraham’s faith. That basic principle is just as true today. To be saved, we must put our faith in Christ, God’s only Son. It is the only way to be saved.
  7. Romans 4:16 asserts that one thing provides the basis for all others and assures us of obtaining God’s promises. What is it?
    1. ANSWER: Just as Abraham experienced, God’s promises to all of us are only obtained by placing our faith in him; nothing else will "earn" that for us.
  8. Can you define the difference between believing that God exists and having faith in God?
    1. ANSWER: Even Satan knows that God exists, as do the fallen angels, the demons; but Satan and his followers choose not to place their faith in Him. The world is full of those who are lost and who know God exists, but they refuse to surrender the lordship of their of lives to him. Believing God exists and putting our complete faith in him are clearly two different things.
  9. Read Romans 4:18-21. Abraham teaches us something about faith in these verses. What is it? (For a hint, read James 2:20.)
    1. ANSWER: In spite of Abraham’s circumstances—against all hope, knowing he was almost dead and would soon be one hundred years old; despite all of these things—he believed everything that God told him and he put his complete faith in him. It was not something Abraham did—not works, not circumcision, not favor with God—but only by placing his faith in God was he saved. And in doing so, he became the example that all Jews and Gentiles were to follow throughout the Old Testament, and today was well. We now have Jesus who has risen from the dead, as evidence that Abraham’s faith was well–placed. Today is no different that Abraham’s day some four thousand years ago—in spite of our circumstances, position in life, etc., we are only saved by God’s grace when we put our faith in him.
  10. So, after studying about Abraham, and about God’s promises to him; what does all this have to do with us? Why should we care about someone who lived and died over four thousand years ago? Read Romans 4:21-25.
    1. ANSWER 1: Clearly, we see in these verses that Paul is telling all of us, "The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead."
    2. ANSWER 2: The same principle applies today as it did in the time of Abraham: Mankind can only be saved by God’s great grace in response to placing our faith in him and in his son, Jesus, the Risen Savior.
  11. How does this lesson’s study help us in reaching others for Christ?
    1. ANSWER: It shows us that no matter who we are, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, healthy or crippled, in prison or free, troubled or at peace, there is only one way to be saved, to have an eternal life in heaven with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit; and that is to have faith in God and in his son, Jesus. It is both that simple and that profound, i.e., nothing complicated, no special degrees needed, no special knowledge, no special acts—just a simple life–changing faith in the God of this universe and his only son, Jesus. Jesus came to die and be raised again so that all might find eternal life; this is the gospel message! Let’s proclaim it to everyone that we can!

I pray that this lesson has revealed to you how great God’s grace is, and how He loved us even before the world was created. His love for us is undying, and it was so great that He sent Jesus, His only son, to die for us, and to be resurrected to life—just as He promises resurrection to all those who place their faith in Him.

We don’t earn it, we can’t work for it, and we can never pay enough to get it. Salvation is God’s free gift to us through grace. In exchange for that we owe Him our love and our service. We are saved to serve and not sit. Faith, true faith, will reveal itself by how we act, who we are, and how we treat others. Can others see Jesus living in you today?

May He richly bless you as you study His Holy Word with us this week.

In Christ,

Wes

[2004]

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