The Illustration of Justification

4:1 What then shall we say
> We need to draw some conclusions now as to what we have learned and make some applications as to some of what history teaches us concerning the Jewish faith, so we don’t lose the right perspective of things. We need to look at when things happened and in what order, so that we don’t get the cart before the horse.
that Abraham, our ancestor
> What about the father of faith, Abraham, whom God promised to save all his children who followed after his leading and were made faithful as he was, that is, being declared righteous for believing God. He is our first example of, faith-to-works, works-to-faith, to find out how it started and in which of those is in the right order.
according to the flesh,
> With respect to him having been the first circumcised, which also in its meaning is that he is the first one faithful of the circumcised. And that making all of the faithful, his offspring, even the uncircumcised. And then also meaning that he is the father of the Jewish nation, as far the physical lineage goes.
has discovered
> What was his personal revelation in this, how did he come away enlightened from that experience with God, that in his prior walk with God, he did not know about his relationship with God. You see he was learning to, just as we are, and God is teaching us, the same thing he taught to Abraham.
regarding this matter?
> And what from that, is something we could apply to ourselves, as we try to understand it. Seeing as he was the first to have come into this defined relationship, that was ordered by God to be in the form that it was, that’s worth knowing about. It’s the message that God is saying to every person on earth, do this, and you will be saved from my wrath and judgement of your sin.

4:2 For
> So the upcoming premise here is whether or not what Abraham did was what caused God to forgive him, or was it how Abraham was trusting in God, despite how he was obeying Gods command of him, that in the end, caused God to forgive him. This is at the very heart of what I am teaching here and what and how we should respond also with God.
if Abraham was declared righteous
> Because if what happened to Abraham is how you get out from under Gods judgment and attain eternal life and forgiveness. Then that is what we have to do also, we have got to get this down right in our own understanding. Cause there is no other way to eternal life and holiness before God, except thru the example made in Abraham. So according to what is written, God declared Abraham as having been declared Holy and just in Gods sight. Now we need to define the actual mechanism that brought about this transformation, what triggered it to be so.
by the works
> Was it in any way the result of Abraham doing something that God commanded, that in the end, God could find no fault in him. So God after testing him, determined that Abraham, in and of himself, was worthy of being on the same level as God when it came to purity and character.
of the law,
> So it is true in this sense that Abraham obeyed the law, God commanded him to a specific task, and without reserve he obeyed it, whatever God ask of Abraham he did, so what does that prove, that Abraham was willing, yes! That Abraham was trusting in his ability in these works of Gods law to save himself, No! He was banking on God being greater then himself and that Gods word of promise to him, in an oath that God swore to himself, was able to save him in spite of anything he did. He believed that God was greater than man and that without his help all was hopeless anyway.
he has something
> Now in doing the law that God gave him, was certainly admirable and we should not loose sight of the fact that he obeyed God, as a very important issue. But that is not the crucial fact in this premise, the key to his obeying was not to Abraham’s glory in this, though it is something of greatness and we should be impressed into imitating him.
to boast about
> So was Abraham good in his deeds, did he do what God required of him, you bet! We should all look to what he did to please God, to the point that salvation would come thru him to us and as an example of how to please God. It’s a good thing you weren’t depending on me Paul for this example of obedience thru faith, I was trying to kill off the faithful in Christ, as I Paul, persecuted the church. Thinking I was defending the faith of Abraham, boy was I wrong.
(but not before God).
> But any and all personal admiration of what Abraham did, ends with man when it comes to an example of what is right to do. He was still a sinner to God, in need of salvation and remember, he was not declared justified until after Christ redemption, it was still a future event even for him. God was only declaring him righteous in connection with the fact that Christ would atone for his sin in the proper time.

4:3 For
> The message that is recorded for us, is that Abraham, became a willing accomplice in what God was doing, or the idea of "guilt by association", or in this case, innocence by association. Because Abraham took Gods side in what he did, in saying to the world, I’m with him(God). God in return looked back and said, "He’s with me". So that God accepted him due to Abraham wanting to be associated with him, and that he responded to Gods lead in what he did.
what does the scripture say?
> Does the bible have any comments on this, that tells us what manner there was in Abraham that saved him, yes in Genesis, it says it very clearly so you could understand it and learn from it.
"Abraham believed God,
> Abraham listen to what God told him and did not doubt any of Gods promise, as to do what he promised to do. He trusted in what God promised to him, not debating with God, what he did not understand about what God was asking him to do. Doubt is disbelief, as is delayed action disobedience, but Abraham set aside his doubts even though he did not understand Gods request of him. He exercised faith even though he had no basis of what faith was, and believed God was able to perform outside of his own lack of understanding. He believed God could see and do beyond the present situation, so he was trusting God blindly because he was God, he accepted his own humanity and Gods divinity in his life, without even knowing the end of what it all meant, except of a few promises of God.
and it was credited to him
> Because of this belief demonstrated by Abraham, God declared that he would become justified as far as his legal standing before him. God was no longer going hold his sin against him, he was commuting his sentence to eternal life in Christ, which was still a future event. But God was allowing Abraham to live under the affects of that future event, in his present life. God delayed judgement and advanced his mercy, to have an immediate effect on Abraham.

If this were a bank account in Abraham’s name, it would at first be considered as overdrawn account by God, making him in debt to God for the missing funds. So God out of his grace to him, deposited sufficient funds to bring back to balance the account for Abraham. This concept then, applied to sin as having caused the overdrawn account, and God accepting Abraham’s faith as security, he deposited righteousness to Abraham’s account, which brings it into balance.
as righteousness."
> Because of this God was not imputing (charging) to Abraham his own sin, but instead was also imputing to him the righteousness of Jesus Christ. A holiness that was not of Abraham’s own nature, but was Christ nature being attributed to Abraham for having believed in God, God provided a substitute for his sin and punishment thru Jesus. So that Jesus took upon himself, ours and Abraham’s sin, and we took his righteousness upon us, in that, Jesus swapped places with us at the cross.

4:4 Now
> Let us look at this whole issue of working for a wage, debt and payment due, verses giving somebody something and not expecting or obligating you to pay for it in return.
to the one who works,
> We learn in life is that someone who labors for someone else, does so to accomplish a goal, it is not without meaning, there is a mutual agreement be them, for a reciprocal outcome, there is a purpose behind it. There is no charity involved here, it is a contract of obligation on both sides.
his pay
> At the end of this contract, when it is completed according to the agreed specifications, The who did this work, received a predetermined wage for what he did.
is not credited
> Now when the one who hired him to do the job pays him, he is not doing the man a favor when he pays him, due to the fact that he was under an obligation to do so. Each person met there obligation under the arrangement, received what each wanted out of the agreement, as they should have, no heroics or charity involved.
due to grace
> So when the laborer gets paid for that which he did, he doesn’t get paid out of the favor of him who hired him. He doesn’t get paid because the employer was merciful to him, there is no defining attribute that comes out of a contact agreement that both sides agreed to prior to its fulfillment. Nothing happened outside of the normal aspect of daily living, neither was there anything supernatural outside of what was common for man to do concerning morality.
but due to obligation.
> He gets paid out of duty, he pays him because he was indebted to the man for his services rendered, as he labored in this in order to be compensated, he has a right to what he will receive, it was merited to him and equivalent to what he deserved, nothing special came from this.

4:5 But
> In contrast to that, let us consider a situation in which things are dramatically different and what takes place is outside of what is normal or natural in life to happen. Where the regular environment seems topsy-turvy or bottom-side-up, all the time as an unnatural state to us, but normal in the place it exist. Where if things were that state on earth all the time, economies would cease to operate as they do now. Cash flow would reverse itself where those who labored suffered loss and those did nothing received the greatest of all wealth, and rivers would flow up stream.
to the one
> So in this case, how do we approach what someone does not accomplish on their own, and doesn’t do anything to earn a wage and be compensated for what they have received. Is that person who receives said to have received it, due to merit. By what measure do they receive it and how do you bring things into balance.
who does not work,
> Lets say for instance they are not able to comply with what was required of them because they lacked the necessary skills to do the work and could not be trained in any adequate way to comply with the requirements. So they agreed they could do nothing to meet the requirements and therefore were not entitled to compensation.
but believes in the one
> But at the same time they strongly believe in the project that is to be done, by the one seeking labors for this. They want to be a part of it, but simply fall short of the requirements. In fact after looking and examining the situation, the owner of the project determined no one is able to do this labor but himself. That the labor force before him will never be able to attain such skills on their own, even though it was for their own benefit to see the project done. But he chooses to move forward with the project on his own abilities and let those labors who could only stand by and watch, do just that as to what he did for them. Then out of the kindness of his heart, let them reap the benefit of his work, and let them live in the place for free as their permanent residence, this is what God did for mankind
who declares
> God in this instance, realigned things according to his own ability to move against the natural order of things and make those who know they are dirty, clean. Even though the environment they live in is a cesspool by his standards, he is able to make them clean from the inside out, which then repels the odor of what they were and replaces it with the freshness of Gods glory.
the ungodly righteous,
> As a result of this he justifies those who are not just, as a legal proclamation, he calls them into to be partakers of something, to which they are not entitled. He takes those who are sentenced to death in the prison of sin and commutes their sentence to eternal life in Christ. He does not just set them free, but makes them a new race of people which before did not exist. Which is not the same as being set free to go and do anything one wants. It’s a freedom to be alive as a new creature bent on Gods righteousness, instead of being bent on evil, by having Christ living his righteousness thru you.
his faith
> So it is the honor and glory of Christ that is in you, that is the significant difference that leads you to eternal life. Not that he came to you, as yourself being something deserving of his presence at your occasion, as though it were an honor for him. But it is that his presence in you, is deserving of you having eternal life, and sufficient for your atonement.
is credited as righteousness.
> So by believing in Gods abilities to do as he wills, he who is in debt from sin, trust God with the expectation that Gods attributes are sufficient to save him. So God out of his mercy and grace, not only does not hold his sin against him. But lets Christ take his punishment in his place and then God allows the sinner to become ordained as the one having met the requirements of righteousness. This as a result of being justified thru Christ, the labor was done of his behalf, and then he received righteousness as payment, for work he did not do, and that is Love!

4:6 So
> There is some one who had it right, and I want you to consider carefully, exactly what he said and how he applied it.
even David himself
> The other example of this is King David, who understood this and experienced it first hand. Even though he seemed to have a life of contradictions, and his life was life often running counter to his beliefs, yet he remained in his heart, ready to confess his mistakes. He new the mercy of God to such a degree, that he could not dispute with him the end results of it.
speaks regarding
> So look what he said about those end results of trusting God to forgive him and set him upon the right path. Look how he does not focus on the struggle that he was in, but what he learned after it was over. Sure during the struggle he was misled and frustrated by it, but once it was over and he knew he was wrong, he declared the glory of Gods mercy and how God treated him in his realization of having sinned against God.
the blessedness
> There is a contentment that comes with God showing favor to you that was unexpected in it arrival. He gives you something inside of you that makes you feel so special, that it is for the most part, indescribable. There are human comparisons to being made to feel special, but they simply do not have the lasting effect of how God is able to make it stick with you. A woman receives and unexpected gift of flowers from her soul mate and she is on a cloud. But the flowers wilt and life goes on and she forgets the favor that she was shown. But not with God, not just because the stakes are higher, it is something that God has to give that is not attainable in the human experience that he gives us, something that is intangible, that does not wither or fade away. He fills that void in us that nothing else can fill, with something that never draws down on itself, it becomes a glass that is always full, that vat of oil that never runs dry.
of the man
> David didn’t try to declare himself good enough in other areas, that God should have allowed him to slide on certain present issues. Instead he praised God for him being merciful and Holy. Then David sought forgiveness and mercy instead, and declared how the real rich man, is the one who receives in himself, the mercies of God.
to whom God credits righteousness
> This man will gain a wealth that is incalculable in any vast array of legal estimations of value. God deposits righteousness in a persons overdrawn account for them, so they will not have a debt to pay. Because their sins are no longer charged against them, and they are called Holy in Christ, as he is substituting for their holiness.
apart from works:
> For God gifted to man that righteousness, that he cannot perform for himself, nor even fully understand what it is that he has been given. So God owes no recognition to man, because he did not earn his own salvation, as man did not labor to gain salvation as a wage.

4:7 "Blessed are those
> How fortunate are the ones who have been made joyful and rich with mercies from God, for they have come to know what so many remain ignorant of. Because they were willing to listen, they received what the others will never know the benefit of.
whose lawless deeds
> They have acknowledged their sinfulness, and they know that mankind is evil and have sinned against God, making them his enemies. They did not try to argue with God about whether or not they were all that bad, they accepted his verdict and his solution of it.
are forgiven,
> They are pardoned, God is no longer angered by their sinful behavior and has made it so they will not be held accountable for their sins. God provided the way out for them and they took it, they accepted that only God could lead them to himself.
and whose sins are covered;
> Because of the sacrifice God made of his son Jesus Christ on the cross and the shedding of his blood. Our sins have been hidden away in the blood of Christ sacrifice, and Christ himself is covering our sins from judgement. They have been removed from the process of how God examines the evidence against us. In this case, there is no evidence of sin in us, because in our place, the Father is examining Christ instead of us, as judgement of ourselves is given over to Christ, and Christ hides us in himself from condemnation, but God the Father only examines Christ.

4:8 blessed is the one
> How fortunate are the ones who have been made joyful and rich with mercies from God, and remember his forgiveness all the days of their life.
against whom the Lord
> Whom the Lord is not keeping a record against them as a memory of their wrong doing. He is not opposing them, but rather aligning himself to their success, in which he is going ahead of them creating their future. There is no destruction of them on God mind, and he is never out to get them, when they have erred.
will never count sin."
> God has no tally of sin that must be reconciled with them upon judgment day, they have no charges waiting to be brought against them. There is no evil found in them, and though this is unimaginable to a man who knows his wicked deeds. Only a Holy God can be so resolute, as to be able never take into to account, what has so obviously been done against him and is able to remember them no more, as if they never happened.

4:9 Is this blessedness
> In the middle of all this, who are the fortunate in this richness and joyful celebration, how is it distributed, who is receiving Gods blessing. Is their some blessing set aside for some, even more than for others, or is God making it available to everyone, the same.
then for the circumcision
> Is it only for the Jews who were born after the ancestry of Abraham, did God mean salvation to be exclusive to them only, didn’t God promise to bless all the nations thru them. They would say that it is for only the Jews, at least that is what they would like you to think.
or also for the uncircumcision?
> What about the non-Jew, did God intend for them to receive his mercy also? It’s not that God has always been thrilled by the Jews behavior, he almost chose another people for Moses to establish as his chosen people. So God is not exclusive, nor is he a respecter of nations, in that, they are special of their own accord. If there is anything special about any nation, it is because as a result of Gods blessing to them, they are made special, but not that God is with them, due to them being something as a natural state of who they are.
For we say,
> It is written in the scripture what the truth is, there is a clear record of everything I tell you. It tells us how it was that Abraham was determined to be authentic before God, so much so that God decided not to hold him accountable for the things he did that were evil.
"faith was credited to Abraham
> Abraham having an expectation from God that he was able to do what he promised and trusted him to do so that he looked toward God with an anticipation of wanting God to be God. So because of this belief, God in return justified him and said that even though you do evil, because you look to me with hope, I will use that hope you have in me as a replacement for goodness, that you do not have. And as your account with me is overdrawn, having been spent on sin, I will bring it into balance for you, due to your faith in me.
as righteousness."
> God declared of Abraham, as far as your legal standing before me in judgment, I find you not guilty of sin, as my holiness is now yours, in substitution for your sins, which I will take care of their debt and make the payment myself at my own cost.

4:10 How then
> What manner of occasion and condition was Abraham in at this point and time in his life, that all this happened to him. Examine the facts of this and you will see it clearly what the state of his physical condition was, when God decided that his faith was authentic.
was it credited to him?
> So how did God go about making him free of sinful judgment, think this thru with me. Did he alter him physically, did he change him in some miracle that changed his human form into another form or was he still in the same sinful body. The body of Abraham was still a sinful one, before and after God decided he had an authentic faith.
Was he circumcised at the time,
> At the time of his having been justified, was he the same physically concerning the ritual of circumcision, did he first cut away his foreskin to become justified. Did that take place before God would interact with him or did that happen later.
or not?
> If you read the account of it, you know the answer and so do all the Jews who look to that ritual as something, but do so out of ignorance of the truth. They approach the truth of the scripture the same way that people everywhere do. They take a statement here or there out of scripture and then base their whole belief structure, on part of Gods truth and on the other parts of scripture, they willfully ignore as to the whole truth.
No,
> So because of them removing certain portions of the scripture out of the whole text, they twist the meaning of it to each meet their situation. Where there is nothing to counter balance their position on the text, because the rest of the body of text, they have removed from effecting their reading of it. For example, if it is said, in whole, on one sentence, "so they had sex, and God destroyed them for perversion". But you only quoted the first portion, "so they had sex," you would be deceiving yourselves as to the meaning of the passage, with grave consequences, and that is what they did.
he was not
> Because they are assuming that it was the fact that they are circumcised out of the command of the scripture, that they are authentic and the real thing with God, but when read in the whole account. It is clear that God was not looking at circumcision as a benefit to him declaring them anything at all. But it was a token for them as a ritual of remembrance, of how they came to be in the presence of Gods glory as a people.
circumcised but uncircumcised!
> Because at the time, Abraham was not uncircumcised, he had not done anything like that, having no knowledge that their was even such a thing and God never asked him to do that, at that point. So he remained physically the same at time of his justification, when God said to him, you are authentic to me, and I accept that from you and it pleases me to do so.

4:11 And he received
> So this was done for him, as way of proclaiming that God removes sin from us thru our innocence of our awareness of it having been done for us. Even as it is for the child who is unaware of the event having ever happened for them. So him having received it, was in the form of a representation of our sin being cut away and gone forever, buy someone other than ourselves.
the sign of circumcision
> So as a result of that justification, God gave him a living symbol that marked him as one who God had made Holy in judgment. It was to say that a miracle had occurred in us, and that it came to us, not out of us. This was to mark that occasion as having happened to us in our innocence of it and without our having caused it to happen in our own body.
as a seal
> This became a very serious condition for the Jews to adhere to then, it was a way of declaring their allegiance back to God and remembering that it was God and not them that is Holy. This became then an act of branding themselves to a belief in God, that gave them the right to come to God as a people for help and forgiveness of sin. It was the same as a legal document filed in the courts, of a binding contract, a covenant with God.
of the righteousness
> It became to Abraham an official representation of having been made Holy, not as one who is Holy, it was only in a legal sense that it was deemed so, like adoption makes one a parent. It became the supporting evidence as to what had taken place, it showed an outward physical trail, back to motive and opportunity, for Abraham to have existed before the throne of God, to have been judged by God to be authentic.
that he had by faith
> This having come about thru the act of having an expectation from God to do in him as he promised. It was when Abraham trusted God in times of difficulty, that God proved his faith to be authentic.
while he
> This all occurring at a time when there was no physical evidence in him to reach that conclusion. No motive or opportunity to prove it as being relevant in any fashion. The physical state of his flesh, was just like any other man.
was still uncircumcised,
> During that time period where he was not given that outward mark to show himself as having been justified before Gods judgment. Yet God was dealing with him, as though he had what God wanted out of him, as in the area of a man willing to have with God, a developing relationship. God never examined him to see if there was circumcision in his body, so we cannot conclude that it was a determining factor with God.
so that he
> What happened then was this, God told him that he was going to use him in a way that would change the world forever. That he would be the beginning of a new way that God communicates with mankind. It will no longer be diverse in nature, but precise and organized around Abraham and his family.
would become
> That the purpose behind this, was to develop a witness thru them to tell who God is and how he thinks, in the minds of a race of people, that the world could learn the truth from.
the father
> As a result of this faithful act, he would become the leader of those who came after him, they having become heirs of their faith, having received it from Abraham as the first to be declared faithful.
of all those
> So this would not be just the Jews who should hear and understand, but that they should be the ambassadors of Gods goodwill towards man in this. Every person of every nation, was to see in the Jews, how to have faith in God.
who believe
> So everyone who puts their faith in Christ has their heritage in Abraham, as he was the first of those who came after him. He was the father of a culture of people, not just in the flesh, due to circumcision, but in their hearts, trusting God to save them and be their only God.
but have never been circumcised,
> As they also never had cut away their foreskin as a precursor to having been able to put their faith in Christ. They also are being taught that it is by faith that they believe that God is their God, that they become acceptable to God.
that they too
> So salvation came to them also, just as it did to Abraham, they did not earn it or do some deed to obtain it. There was no initiation test, as their was for Abraham, to see if it was authentic. Once Abraham was tested in his faith, it was evidence enough for God to establish it as a mode of faith for others to follow after to unite with God.
could have righteousness
> They could live now under the effects of Gods holiness, and even incorporate his attributes into their lives with his help. They could seek God in relationship, ask for his help, and know that God would unite with them and answer their prayers.
credited to them.
> As he does not only justify those, who were not just, but then infiltrates their lives as a loving Father does. Making them as part of an extension of himself, here on earth. Removing from them the debt that their overdrawn account had left in them, due to sin having taken away more in life than it gives back. God brought their account to him, into balance for them, by writing off the bad debt and keeping the account in balance from that day forward, at his own cost.

4:12 And he is also
> Now I am not taking away from the Jews who are physical descendants of Abraham, any of that special and unique position that they have with God. That state will continue to exist for the benefit of Abraham and Gods promise to him.
the father of the circumcised,
> So I am not saying he is not still the father of the Jews also, he is, but were talking about his spiritual fatherhood here, not just the physical fatherhood.
who are not only circumcised,
> These are those Jews who have cut away the foreskin as a symbol of their faith and heritage, as I have. These are Jews who have gone beyond the fact that they were born into a certain race of people, but have embraced a faith in God also.
but who also walk
> It is not just a label for them to wear proudly in life, rather it is in humility, they take to themselves a lifestyle that is centered around God and not themselves.
in the footsteps
> And then from that, they have been followers of how Abraham lived also, recognizing that it is not just a symbol to be trusted upon, but an avenue that leads them to God in personal fellowship as to how they walk in the relationship to God. Not an exterior mantel of religion that one simply aligned themselves with, as a social standing, but a lifestyle that dwelt within them even when they were alone.
of the faith
> And that based in an expectation of God who is able to live thru their trust in him, absorb them into his fullness and deliver them from sin. They anticipated God being in their life at all times, not just when it was convenient to do so.
that our father Abraham possessed
> That is what Abraham was made of, an internal faith that trusted God to do for him, what he himself was not able to be complete in. That’s what he had and that is what God wants to make over in you. A life built upon faith in God, that is at the center of how you live, not on the outskirts of your lifestyle, that you only encounter on occasion or convenience.
when he was still uncircumcised.
> And all of this was a result of Abraham’s faith, which was prior to him having been sealed in a ceremony of him being circumcised. He didn’t know about circumcision at the time, because their was no such thing, God proclaimed that as a ritual, after the fact.

4:13 For
> The premise of the situation then goes from that state of faith in Abraham, to the present state, that we all follow also. It is the same faith that was at work in Abraham, that is at work in us today. God has not altered anything in his plans of in the mode in which he declares a person as righteous. Only our understanding of it has been revealed more clearly, but it is the same in all other respects.
the promise to Abraham
> The agreement that God made with Abraham, which was meant to establish the future processes that would take place in Abraham’s life, which was not just one single promise. That is the same mode of promise at work in us today, which was at work in Abraham also.
or to his descendants
> Also to those who trace their ancestry back to him were made part of this agreement which God gave in his word to Abraham, as to its fulfillment. It was a future event that Abraham and his descendants were looking to. But they were looking to the future, thru the past, as it was what God promised to Abraham, that they had as the operative in their lives. Without that promise there would be nothing that they had that was of any significance.
that he would inherit the world
> That they take possession of the entire world one day, all of it would be by right of their heritage, in that they succeed him in his faith, which was not just Jews but gentiles also. So God is saying that in the end, everything and all the land of the earth, would one day come into the possession of the faithful in Christ.
was not fulfilled through the law,
> None of this that God proclaimed, was accomplished by any of them fulfilling the law, they did not earn their possession any more then Abraham did. It was not passed on to them because they did something to gain an inheritance thru works. They had actually not had the law at this time and when they did get the law, they failed in it.
but through the righteousness
> It came by way of Gods holiness, that he credits to mankind on there behalf, that justifies them before God. It is an event outside the scope of man that triggers this new condition for man to be saved. It is not an action of man that is affecting God, but a reaction of man(demonstrated as faith) to God, that effects a change in them by God.
that comes by faith.
> All of which is given to them due to them having an expectation in God for their future, that God is able and above creation. To effect all of life’s outcomes, no matter how great or small.

4:14 For
> So the premise that we are discussing continues in this thought and truth also, that the law and faith are able to be both effective in doing the same work in the same person. If one is the result of salvation, the other is not, they are opposing forces that God can employ, where there is faith, there is no requirement of the law. Where there is no faith, the law requires its justice to be carried out on them without faith.
if they become

> How is it that they came into their salvation from Abraham, that is the real issue here and that is where the answer lies.
heirs by the law,
> Was it theirs as a result of a binding contract in the law, that entitled them to it by right, regardless if they even believed in God. If so where is the contract that entitles the Godless people a place with God. The very opposite is true though, in that God clearly stated he would destroy the wicked and godless, he never claimed to save the faithless in him.
faith is empty
> What good would our faith be if they could take it away from us by claiming lawful possession, foreclosing on us and evicting us from Gods provision. Because if they had possession of the land thru obedience to the law, then faith would have no value, including Abraham’s faith.
and the promise
> Then what would come of Gods word, that declared salvation for those who live for him thru faith like Abraham. Not only would salvation thru the law make faith untrustworthy as a mode of salvation, it would have the same effect on Gods word. Because he told Abraham that he was being considered righteous, due o his faith in God, when in fact, the law was not given at that time, so faith it is.
is nullified.
> It would be broken contract for the Jews if the salvation was in the law and we who exercise faith, would be left out in the cold. That is what those of the law would have you believe, they want something for nothing by faking claim to God, thru possession of the law, while they walk in ignorance and faithlessness.

4:15 For
> Now continuing along this same line of thought, we can deduce another conclusion that adds clarity to this subject.
the law brings wrath,
> If a law is broken, then their must be consequences to that violation, that is why laws exists. So that is not what is in question, Gods wrath according to the law is righteous, if that is his only goal in the law, mind you I said, if. So we do not need to debate that, so far as Gods being just, if God is mad, he is right and whoever he is mad at, is wrong.
because where there is no law
> On the other hand, God never intended there to be a law that led to salvation, it was intended to point out how certain our condemnation was. He never established a binding contract with the Jews, so that they could earn righteousness before him by obeying the law. There is no valid claim, in which they can say that they can call upon it before him, in their claim of self-righteousness as a path to salvation.
there is no transgression either.
> Therefore, because God never entered into a contract with them, like it was some kind of business agreement, that in return for obeying the law, they would get eternal life… that never happened. They have no right to claim exclusive possession and God is under no obligation to give them an audience, for their claim to anything under the law. God made a promise to mankind, but it was not a, work-it-off contract, where you work for you salvation. The whole purpose for the law was to show them that they were not so perfect after all. So the law came, because where there is no law, there is no accusation of crime to be violated and there can then be no punishment. But now there is a law that must be dealt with.

4:16 For this reason
> So there it is, a detailed explanation which argues against any possible law of salvation thru works. God was never interested in reviewing the goodness of man to see if he could be good. He is God, he created us and knows the answer, as is his nature to know all things without deliberations, as to that or any other question.
it is by faith
> Because we have in us that expectation, that will secure us in eternal life through Christ. Is there any reason left for us to adhere to that which held us hostage as sinners and accused us as condemned sinners. But we are know longer condemned, so far as our eternal salvation is concerned. Now for healthy living in the Lord, the law is of the highest importance, but in relation to salvation, it is not even under consideration for those who have faith.
so that it may be
> What God wants to happen, has to occur by his hand alone, so far as the provision of salvation itself. There is no situation or condition, where man is able to interject any deed or intention of their heart. That God would consider it valid, in adding anything in itself to salvation, for even one man or women.
by grace,
> So we have in us the only thing that is acceptable to God, it is already perfected as God wanted it to be, a gift of salvation, not that we earned, but due to unmerited mercy from God to us. It is a God created solution, that does not include the moral efforts of man, but rather a blind trust in the power of God to do it all for us.
with the result
> And with the intended purpose which he set out to accomplish, not according to the way that man tries to figure out ways to do things. God was working his plan out according the only way that it could be done, apart from taking what man was or was not capable of into consideration. God removed the do’s and don’ts of man from the equation completely, and that only left faith and trust in God, as a final solution for man to be saved by.
that the promise
> So now, concerning his word to Abraham, to save eternally all that followed his lead of faith in God. God will fulfill his word to Abraham and in that we are not yet at home, but will be one day. That promise is an ongoing process, that continue its ability to save, by faith, lost sinners that are being added daily, to Abraham’s offspring.
may be certain
> That everything he promised would be established and irreversible, and it is all done as that which is immovable, as it is founded in God, who is always the same. The certainty of it is never a question, because it does not lie in the hands of man to provide its viability, that lies in God, as God, to do so as he wills.
to all the descendants-
> That all who came after Abraham in his type of faith, would receive an inheritance of that promise of eternal life with God. That is to who the is made, because there was no law at that time for man to follow, except that which was in his own heart, to know right from wrong.
not only to those
> So this demonstrates that the faith promise was meant in both the physical and spiritual aspect of what God had promised. Yes there would be many physical descendants of Abraham, but it was those in all the world, who lived by faith in God, that in the end would be justified in the sight of God and forgiven.
who are under the law,
> And that is not just a promise to the Jews, who were raised in the knowledge of the written code after it was finally given to them. They had been given special instructions, beyond what they know to be right and wrong in their hearts. So any one who hears the law, is under that same law of condemnation, whether Jew or non-Jew.
but also to those
> This goes for those then who have had God revealed to their hearts, by the fact that they know they are not alone any longer, due to Gods presence. And that a God they cannot describe in detail, is somehow alive in them. As from their state of weakness, God stands in that void and fills it with himself, to make the hollowness of man, a solid place to be.
who have the faith of Abraham,
> So it comes down as one following after the lead of Abraham, concerning that which is in mans heart, as to how he is willing to have a relationship with God. Not that is something that we take for granted, but it is a steadfast fiath and trust in God, as I was in Abraham also.
who is the father of us all
> This is whom we all are offspring of, and know that it is a settled dispute and fully complete. We live in relationship to God, in an open discourse with him, unlike the days of old, when God revealed himself only to a few. All of which came about, due to our father in faith, Abraham.

4:17 (as it is written,
> The scripture has already declared it as something that is a foregone conclusion, even when the promise was made at the time, God considered it a done deal.
"I have made
> This thing, as God, I am doing for you, you are not doing it, and I am not doing it because you are some super human being to me. I am doing it as a favor to you, because I want to create a demonstration of my glory beginning in you. You’re the first and all those that come after you, they will have their beginning in you.
you the father
> Abraham is the beginning of a new covenant that will outlive him, he was the seed of its beginning. But it is the rest of the believers who trust as he did, that will see the promise thru till the end as an extension of what he did.
of many nations").
> It will be reborn in the hearts of every race that God created and become all that he had promised. Because in the end it will not be like a nation bound by faith, but one that intermingles in all the nations of the earth. In more explicit language, I will say it plainly, that I am speaking of the non-Jews here.
He is our father
> That makes every believer the offspring of Abraham, the father of everyone who puts their trust in God to save them from sin. God is planning on a one nation faith, it is a call to all nations that God said he would do thru Abraham.
in the presence of God
> Because what he did stands as a testimony before God as to his righteousness before all creation, a monument to Gods glory. That God was able to rescue mankind, based on the faith that one man established in God, as the formula that would rescue all that believed in the same manner. They would all then be able to exist in the glory of Gods presence and flourish there in it forever.
whom he believed-
> And it was Abraham that became that belief that others would imitate, because when God told Abraham his plan, Abraham said in essence: I believe you God, and if you say it will be so, then it will be.
the God who makes
> I am magnifying the meaning of God to you so that you see, that Abraham knew that God was of such great magnanimity. That all things are sustained and function, as is their process, in and thru his course of action concerning them. nothing operates outside of Gods control, because he is the essence behind their existence, so without his control, they would vanish out of existence. There would be no substance to anything, spiritual or physical, if it were not under Gods control, it simply would not be.
the dead alive
> This is God, that he, is able to turn death into life and resurrect the condemned from their destruction. What I am declaring is that Abraham knew that God was not a mere mortal and that limits of man were no challenge for God. The fact that we cannot conceive its possibility, does not interfere with God, as the God, of life and death.
and summons the things
> Bringing together the eternal effects of Gods righteousness, upon the physical existence of things, whether alive or dead. What exist, does so at his will to come into existence, Abraham finally bore children at Gods choice for it to be so, thru Sarah. It was according to Gods will that it happened, not mans.
that do not yet exist
> God is able to make available to Abraham, blessings that are not yet available to the sinful flesh of mankind, because until death is finally put down, the whole of mankind is in grave danger. But God is able to tell Abraham that what God will do, is as good as done. That being, that God would save his offspring in eternal salvation and give them the world as an inheritance from him.
as though they already do.
> So thru the power of his Spirit is able to make alive a dead people, even before their resurrection. The whole premise of Gods promise was making a people spiritually alive, even though they were dead according to their sin in the flesh. The nation building process that God was undertaking was a spiritual one, as well as a physical lineage of Abraham. God has and is sustaining both of them for different reasons and at the time of the promise, it was set in the future, as having already been recorded in the past, making the future, a historical event.

4:18 Against hope
> Having the impossible set before him, even common sense told Abraham that what God said he would do for him, was not humanly possible any longer. That no human could do it, but God was not human, that he knew clearly.
Abraham believed
> But despite the impossible odds, Abraham stuck to his guns and held his position along side of God. He concluded in himself that God was not a man, and therefore does not require the imperative things as man does to procreate human life.
in hope
> Abraham believed God could do the impossible, which God promised to him to do. Abraham rested from his own ideas about his future, and conceded it into Gods hands.
with the result
> And right God was, everything that God promised came true, both the physical nation that are related to him in the flesh and now the church, established in Christ, after Abraham’s faith.
that he became
> Due to that, God did the impossible, he created a new race of people marked by their spiritual nationality, not their physical race and ancestry only, all as a the aftereffects of Abraham’s faith.
the father of many nations
> Abraham is the beginning of a new covenant that will outlives him and he was the first of a new race of people who in the church age are a part of Christ body. They exist in almost all the nations of the earth and that mission is ongoing as we speak.
according to
> None of which came about by random events, but with in the framework of what God set out to do thru Abraham.
the pronouncement,
> God proclaiming this and having it recorded as evidence of its validity, it came about in that very fashion that God said it would. Not according to Jewish traditions or their leaders desires for them as a nation, but according to Gods written word, in came to be.
"so will your descendants be."
> It will come about that you will bear the offspring of faith and they shall come after you in every nation on earth, exercising faith in God, as you have demonstrated as a witness for them.

4:19 Without being weak in faith,
> Abraham held strong in his expectation that God was all powerful in whatever he promised to do, he would accomplish it. What made Abraham so unique in how he interacted with God was, that he never focused on his own inability’s or weakness, but his faith was based and reliant on Gods strength, that God could over power everything that seemed an obstacle to Abraham.
he considered
> This Abraham did, at a time when we would all be looking to put a period and the end of the sentence of our lives. Age had a firm grasp on him and the youthful desires of life had long been in the past.
his own body as dead
> Abraham’s faith was not swayed by the fact that he was very old and the natural reproductive functions would have ceased at this point in his life. That was an issue for his body, but not anything of relevance for God who created us.
(because he was about one hundred years old)
> After all he was 100 years old, his youth was far behind him and past his prime.
and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
> Nor did it bother him that his wife Sarah was in the same boat he was, as she was also past her child bearing days of her youth, or the fact that she never had any children then either, she was sterile. None of that caused his faith to be called into question, in his mind, God was God, and that was that.

4:20 He did not waver
> There was never any second guessing as to what Abraham believed, he never doubted God would do as he promised. He never became overwhelmed by the obvious odds against him, he just went about his business as usual with God.
in unbelief
> He didn’t entertain ideas that were like those of unbelievers, skeptics that just because they couldn’t figure it out in rational way, that it was just to wild a tale to be trusted upon. He never considered doubt as an option, that was what made Abraham special to God, not his morality, but his total trust in God. God said, here or there, and Abraham, just said, OK.
about the promise of God
> Abraham trusted the word of God to be absolute, for he new that the God of creation is able to do anything he desires to do. Even if it is something that is to large or to insignificant, neither was something that sacred Abraham, in fact he got excited about it, like a child anticipating a present.
but was strengthened in faith,
> This actually had the opposite effect on Abraham then it would on the doubters and pessimist in life, he was excited about it and it made him stronger in expectation of seeing come to be. Abraham was an optimist, it was like he now had something to look forward to and was waiting in anticipation for the package to arrive, he new it was in the mail and could show up any time now.
giving glory to God.
> And as a result, he started praising God for his gift before it ever even arrived, he wanted God to see his gratitude for having made a promise to him for something he knew he was not worthy of. And that he was receiving something from God that was unmerited and a blessing that was unheard of, he felt very loved by God.

4:21 He was fully convinced
> Because Abraham new that God was sovereign and there was nothing that was not under his authority. That he was safe in Gods mercy, immeasurably more so then if he trusted in his way of doing things. The evidence in his mind was totally persuasive that he could not lose, because Abraham was totally sold out to God. That meant that there was nothing remaining in him to doubt God with, that is was sold out is. It means that the opportunity to do otherwise is non-existent, the object that produces doubt was already sacrificed to God, God purchased it all and it is no longer there on the shelf to be effective in creating doubt in you, everything you once held in reserve, is now in the hands of God.
that what God promised
> That anything God said he would do, was as good as done, his intent in his word was not only right when he gave it. But that his word never failed to be as he proclaimed, it was sure to be exactly as it was spoken.
he was also able to do.
> That God being the only all powerful God, there is no other, he could not be prevented from doing just as he said. All creation would obey his command and nothing could resist his will, it was no longer a matter of if, but when God would cause it to happen.

4:22 So indeed
> That is why God was interested in Abraham, not because Abraham thought he was something or that he could do anything of greatness, But God, could because Abraham pleased go with faith!
it was credited to Abraham
> So as a result God decided to give to Abraham a blessing beyond humanity and beyond humanness, it would be supernatural because it came down from heaven, to man, not up from man, to God. Which is how a carnal minds reasons to themselves before God in their own self-righteousness, as if they had something of value to offer God. God took Abraham’s overdrawn account, that was bankrupt with sin, and brought it into balance at his own cost.
as righteousness.

> And that gift was God viewing Abraham who demonstrated faith, so that he would receive Gods Holy attributes as if he had done this himself. As if he himself possessed those traits in the eyes of God, so when God looked at him, he would see his own reflection of holiness, and that pleased him. In human terms, it is like being given the body of a weightlifter, without having lifted a weight to do so. But in this case, he was being attributed holiness, where their was none.

4:23 But the statement
> And then God expanded beyond just Abraham in his blessing, as this promise was only the beginning. God had the future in mind, God was laying the ground work for all that was coming to put man right with God, if they would do as Abraham did.
it was credited to him
> That the blessing that would make Abraham appear in Gods eyes to be righteous, just as God is. That put God and Abraham on the same side of good verses evil, where Abraham desires it and God provides it.
was not written
> Wasn’t just recorded as a historical event, so that people would enjoy the entertaining thought of Gods blessing to someone long ago. God is not in the business of story telling just for the entertainment of it. It had an eternal purpose to it, a reason that went beyond the event of Abraham’s own life.
only for Abraham’s sake,
> It wasn’t just for Abraham that this was being made known, solely for the purpose that God could show that he loved him. Nor was it just to pay honor and respect to him, God had a much broader intent. Everything that God did with Abraham, was a training film for those who wanted to be studied and astute as Abraham was with God.

4:24 but also for our sake,
> It was for you and I that we could benefit from what he did for Abraham and reveal to us, that it was for all of us together. God had prepared a way for him to work things out around mans sin, and was able for it to be implemented for all those who would take him up on his offer.
to whom it will be credited,
> That we all should receive from God the same reward as Abraham, namely, that we should be granted righteousness despite the fact that we are sinful. God is going to take possession of every overdrawn account, and settle the affairs of each person that calls on him to do so in faith.
those who believe
> And this for those who have put the outcome of their fate, into trusting and having the gift of holiness, that was given to them by faith. It is not for those who doubt God and view him as they other men, whose ways are unstable and unreliable. No, this is for those who acknowledge their own weakness and frailty, placing it in the confidence of the one true God, who is strong and able to bring all things together for his own good.
in the one who raised
> As there is only one faith that is able to grant them eternal life, and that faith is in God who raised himself above life or death. The one who has the power to take life into his own hands and determine its outcome. The one who has power over death, rather than death having power over him. The one who can embrace death at its worst and not be consumed by it.
Jesus our Lord
> As we know him and have seen him, the Lord Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah that came out of the Physical and spiritual lineage of Abraham.
from the dead.
> This he did as he raised him from his death on the cross, this making Jesus the first and only totally viable human to ever live, only Christ ever had the power to lay his life down, and then take it up again. Who came to life in the flesh under his power to do so, and in that same power, lived in righteousness, died as though he were in sin, even though he was not, and took back up his life from the sting of death.

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