Notes on Romans from a Message Preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chapter 4 Verses 13 to 25: Justification by Faith: Is the Beginning Not the End Justification by faith begins a life of faith It takes us beyond what we can grasp here and now It is a way of looking at the world, of understanding our life, of dealing with problems, of living for Christ in a world hostile to faith in principle and hostile to Christ in Person There is a great danger and a great temptation in the life of the believer once the great truth of justification by faith is grasped to look upon salvation as something which is now passed and is in the past, and now I can get on with my life as I please. We can then become connoisseurs of ministry, enjoying the meetings and preaching but going away unaffected and unchallenged by the Word of God, because we’ve already done salvation! We’re saved now and so that’s the end of the matter! Justification by faith is not the end of the matter it is the beginning of the matter! The Gospel is:

1. A hope which I embrace
2. A relationship which I enjoy
3. A reality which I live for

• The Scope of Gods promises (4:13-14)
• The Certainty of Gods Promises (4:15-16)
• Our Standing in Gods Promises (4:17)
• The Seed and the Substance of Gods Promises (4:16-18)
• The Strength of Gods Promises (4:19-20)

The Scope of Gods promises (4:13-14)

“Heir of the world” (v13) At a time in Abraham’s life when he did not even possess the land under his tent God promised him everything under the sky! Might say that property was not Abraham’s strong point! Herds and oxen and cattle yes (Gen12:16) but property no By the end of his life all that he owned of the land God had promised was the grave in which he had buried Sarah. Here is a consistent theme of Gods dealings in grace with men:

• When God will choose a man to go before Pharoah He chooses Moses: “10And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? 12Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say” (Ex4:10-12)
• When God will choose a man to face the Midianites, he will choose Gideon, a farmer and not a soldier, “15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. 16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” (Judges 6:15-16)
• When God would choose a man to lead and rule a nation He would choose a Shepherd boy “6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him. 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep” (1 Sam 16:6-11)
• When Christ would call 12 disciples He would call fishermen not theologians!
• When God chose an evangelist for the gentile world, who better to chose than a man totally opposed to the gospel, a persecutor of Christ! Run that one past me again! Ah well you say God didn’t really chose him for that calling, he converted him to that calling: “15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace”

The promise of God to Abraham “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.” Romans 4:13; cf. Gen 22:17-18, massively outstripped the experience of Abraham up until that point. Why is Abraham described as “our Father” (Rom4:1,12,16) and why are believers even today referred to as the “children of Abraham” (Gal3:7) Was he the first man ever to have faith? No, ever before Abraham exercised faith there were men like Abel, Enoch and Noah, all recognised for their faith! What was so distinctive about Abraham? Was it not the quality of the faith which he exercised? “Who against hope believed in hope,” Romans 4:18. Faced with so many obstacles, so much to contradict the convictions of faith, so many problems in opposition to Gods promises Abraham believed and he kept on believing! Abraham allowed his expectation to go beyond his experience! Abraham’s vision extended beyond the horizon of natural experience! “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world” (Romans 4:13) – how much of the world do you have? Well the ground under my tent! “Father of many nations” (4:17) – up until age 86 how many children do you have? Approximately? Give or take 1 or 2? Approximately 0! What about your wife? Aged 76 and never had any children! Then in the next 13 years, up until aged 99 years – 1 son to a slave girl! Do you ever think the Devil whispered in his ear: ‘get real Abraham’ or ‘come on Abraham, face reality,’ or ‘face the facts Abraham’ or ‘is it not about time you started to take things into your own hands Abraham’? On more than one occasion that was precisely what did happen: Consider the tension with Sarah his wife: “And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife” (Gen 16:3) – 10 years she had waited, was that long enough? Had Sarah had enough after 10 years? Had there been tension there between Sarah and Abraham for 10 long years? Consider the temptation presented to Abraham by the King of Sodom (Gen 14:21-23), that would increase Abrahams inheritance a bit wouldn’t it? It would give him a start? Consider the testing of Abraham (Gen 22) – just when he begins to make progress with Gods promises, he has a son, now he is to take that boy and offer him on the altar! Surely God is mocking you now Abraham. Abraham was a man whose faith could not be shaken, whose trust in his God could not be broken. Abraham allowed his expectation to go beyond his experience! By faith Abraham attained the unattainable! Faith takes the handbrake off of God’s inheritance. If works could never have earned the inheritance that Abraham gained what about the believers inheritance in 1 Peter 1:4-5? How could works ever earn an inheritance like this? The believer’s inheritance: “ἄφθαρτος” – incorruptible – used of the character of God: Rom1:23; 1 Tim1:17 “ἀμίαντος” – undefiled “ἀμάραντος” – fadeth not away The believers inheritance in 1 Peter chp 1 is “ready to be revealed” (1:5), that which is revealed in 1 Peter 1:7 is the person of Christ! If a man could never earn the inheritance of the world how could anyone ever earn Christ as his inheritance? Two great truths in 1 Peter chapter 1, the opening chapter of an epistle that has so much to say regarding the trials and testing and turmoil of the Christian experience and the “trial of your faith” to believers going through the fiery furnace of affliction as did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo of old:

1. 1 Peter 1:18 – I belong to Christ because He has bought me, He has purchased me, ‘I am redeemed and I know it full well’
2. 1 Peter 1:4 – Christ belongs to me! ‘I am His and He is mine forever’! Our inheritance is “in Christ” (Eph1:3,11,14) , our inheritance is an “eternal inheritance” (Heb9:15)

Two great truths in 1 Peter chapter 1, the opening chapter of an epistle that has so much to say If God desires me to enjoy Christ and to have an inheritance in Him, this is truly something that would never be possible by works. Some things you could work for in life: new watch, maybe new car, perhaps eventually pay off the house! There are some things, it doesn’t matter how much I might work for them I could never earn them: Buckingham Palace, the Taj Mahal! When preaching the gospel we often point out that Gods standard is too high to reach (Rom 3:23) and so it is. In chapter 4 we see that Gods salvation is too great to Deserve It was faith and it inly could be faith that would bring Abraham into a salvation of:

• Infinite potential
• Limitless possibility
• Eternal prospect
• Unimaginable power
• Unbreakable promises

Works could never earn a salvation of this magnitude! Gods salvation was too great to earn!

The Certainty of Gods Promises (4:15-16)

The fulfilment of Gods promises are certain – for they rest upon Him and not upon us. Not upon our works but upon faith in Him If the fulfilment of Gods promises in salvation rested upon us neither David nor Abraham would have gained salvation! To gain such an inheritance could only ever be on the basis of faith No amount of good work or self effort could ever have brought Abraham into an inheritance of the world!

Our Standing in Gods Promises (4:17)

The Seed and the Substance of Gods Promises (4:16-18)

The promises given to Abraham did not germinate and come to fulfilment until much later on, many of them, not until after his death. 1st Isaac, then Jacob, then Jacob's 12 boys and then 12 tribes by those 12 boys after 430 years of captivity in Egypt and then about 2000 years after that the birth of the promised seed in whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. The fufillment and germination of Gods promises went beyond the limit of a lifetime: "many nations" (4:17) "many nations" (4:18)

The Strength of Gods Promises (4:19-20)

The power, not mine, God was able to work even with a dead man (4:19)! God’s strength brings life from the dead! God’s strength brings liberty from our own liability! We can all make excuses, God looks for great expectations rather than great excuses! Because Gods promises are fulfilled by Gods power the Glory is all of God: "giving Glory to God." (4:20)

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

Notes on Romans from a message preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chapter 4 Verses 1 to 8: Justification by Faith is A Full Salvation

1. Righteousness is Credited (4:1-5)
2. Sin is Cleansed (4:6-8)

2 Errors of Mark 10:17-31:

1. Salvation is Deserved: “what shall I do that I may inherit...” (10:17); “all these have I observed” (10:20)
2. Salvation makes no Demands: salvation ultimately makes the demand of discipleship (Mk8:34), implicit in saving faith is that I see the need for salvation and implicit in this is repentance from the way I was going. Faith in Christ means turning away from sin, Satan and self.

Often emphasis the 2 sides to a sinner coming to Christ: repentance and faith:

1. “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Act 20:21)
2. “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,” (Heb 6:1)

“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mar 1:15)

They are of course part and parcel of the same thing

1. Repentance: “μετανοέω” - a change of mind:
2. Turning to Christ in faith is Turning form sin

Repentance from sin is implicit in faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ One of the reasons that justification by faith alone does not mean I can be saved and still live as I please! Right from the start faith in Christ demands and implies repentance from sin!

Justification by Faith is a Full Salvation: 2 Aspects to this Full Salvation: answering to to faith and repentance Pervading Judaism and there in Mark chapter 10 was the idea that when it comes to salvation you get what you deserve Abraham was often presented as an example of this – he got what he deserved: served God from age 3 years kept the law before it was written The 1st of 7 men responsible for bring the Shekinah glory into the tabernacle Only righteous man in his generation Abraham's path to salvation was very different form the way many Jews imagined it to be:

• Called out not from perfection to follow God but form idolatry: “And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.” (Jos 24:2-3)
• At times marked by incomplete obedience (Gen11:31; 12:5), not until Terah dies does Abraham fully obey the commandment of God and move out of Haran! Is it possible that Abrahams disobedience resulted in the death of Terah to bring Abraham to obedience? It is a feature of Abrahams life that: Abraham's obedience brings blessings to multitudes and Abraham's disobedience brings problems to those around him (cf. Pharaoh in Gen 12)
• At times imperfect faith was: Gen 12:10 doubted Gods ability to meet his need in famine conditions; he went down to Egypt. A minor matter? A reasonable decision? One made without consulting the Lord! Reasonable, rational, responsible but but not guided by the Lord. Did it matter? from that he gained flocks from the flocks strife developed between Abraham and Lot, the strife resulted in the separation of Abraham and Lot as a consequence Lot went down towards Sodom as a result Lots daughters were born and brought up in Sodom as a consequence of this Lot when he was rescued from Sodom was alone in a cave with 2 girls educated and indoctrinated in the ways of Sodom. the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughters resulted in the Moabites and the Ammonites (Gen 19:37). It was the Moabites and the Ammonites who oppressed Israel for years and it would be Ammonite and Moabite wives that Solomon would one day take to himself, they would bring in idolatry to the nation of Israel and ultimately the removal of the Kingdom (1Kings11:1ff). In other words that simple step of 'minor' disobedience ultimately was responsible for the greatest attack that Abraham's descendants experienced on gaining and enjoying the promises of Gods covenant with Abraham! How important to be obedient in every step for Christ! Not only that but in Egypt Abraham gained a servant girl Hagar from whom came Ishmael and the Arab nations and Islam, who to this very day hate and attack Israel! It is so often the small, the apparently inconsequential decisions of life that have huge consequences for the future. The path and the journey through life takes a lifetime of decisions and directions and determination and walking yet the briefest of decisions at one of lifes crossroads can profoundly change the direction of life forever! There may only be a few steps of a difference between turning right and left but they completely change my direction. The difference between faithfulness and failure may only be the difference of 2 or 3 footsteps. A simple, sensible but not spiritual decision to move from famine to food can spell disaster in the longer term.
• At times interrupted communion (Gen12:8; 13:4) – no altar in Egypt?
• At time inadequate appreciation of Gods purpose (Gen15:2)
• At times impatience with Gods timing and Gods methods (Gen16:1-5) – Abraham knew it was wrong (Gen16:5)
• An incomplete appreciation of the power and ability of God (Gen 17:17-18)

So was Abraham saved because he was perfect?

Was Abraham justified by works? (Rom4:2) Abraham was justified by faith (Gen15:6)

Was God indebted to justify Abraham (Rom4:4)? Did Abraham get what he deserved? If righteousness was reckoned as it was earned then the righteousness reckoned to Abraham would have been an imperfect righteousness, for Abrahams works were imperfect.

Sin is Cleansed (4:6-8) If Abraham got more than he might have expected then David received less than he might justly have deserved – a full salvation! In 2 Sam 24:1, 10-16 – 3 days of pestilance were cut to 1 day! Was God just in saying 3 days of pestilence as a punishement (24:13)? Surely God is just! So what do we say when instead of going for 3 days of pestilence God gives 1 day and then stops destroying Jerusalem? If one is justice then the other is surely grace! The pestilence was stayed by the grace of God (2 Sam24:16) and that in response to the repentance of the sinner (2 Sam24:17) Cf. also: “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” (2Sa 12:13) Why should David die? “The soul that sinneth it shall die” (Ezek 18:4,20) David had broken the commandments:

• Thou shalt not kill – Uriah
• Thou shalt not commit adultery
• Thou shalt not steal
• Thou shalt not covet
• Thou shalt not bear false witness
• He caused the heathen to blaspheme

David desired and pursued Bathsheba The punishment for any 1 broken law was death David broke 7 commandments

For defrauding his brother of offspring God slew Onan (Gen38) was God righteous? For raping Dinah God allowed the men of Shechem to be slain – was God righteous? God said: “thou shalt not suffer a murderer to live” was God righteous?

By the righteous standard of the law David ought to have been put to death. So what is 2 Sam 12:13 all about? Grace! Not only that but the law would have condemned Bathsheba to death too but not only is she allowed to live but from Bathsheba comes Solomon, wait for the punch line: “and the Lord loved him” called his name “Jedidiah” : “Loved of the Lord”

So David can speak of:

• A 4 fold blessedness (Rom4:6-9)
• A triple forgiveness: (Rom4:7,8)
• A double negative (Rom4:8)
• A single justification

A triple forgiveness: (Rom4:7,8) “Forgiven” (4:7) : 863 : “aphiemi” – to send forth / to send away, to dismiss: to remove the sins from someone Used of a debt cancelled (Matt18:27, 32, 35) – forgiveness is not merely the suspension of a payment, a payment holiday where the debt remains but we can stop paying it up, forgiveness means the debt is removed, it is cancelled 'I can forgive but I can't forget' often has harboured within it a grudge pointing to no forgiveness at all! Forgiveness is not the shell around the nut of bitter resentment! Gods people must be a forgiving people because Gods people are a forgiven people! Forgiveness removes presence of the debt Forgiveness removes the power of that sin (Matt9:2,6; Mk2:5,7,9) “aphiemi” – used of the Lord sending away the multitude (Mk4:36) “aphiemi” – used in “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” (Mat 4:11) That's good the Lord has “forgiven” my sin but He still knows about it! “who's sins are covered” : “ἐπικαλύπτω” - a double word 'epi' and 'kalupto' – covered over! Well they are forgiven – put away and they are covered over – not seen by God but what about if God brings that covering off? Will they not come back to haunt me? What if God changes His mind? “will not impute sin” - double negative – “will not ever impute sin” - “will not at all impute sin” “impute”: “λογίζομαι” : to credit or to reckon Sin is cancelled – a debt removed and forgiven Sin is covered Sin is never credited again It is possible to be saved and then to be determined to live under a constant cloud of oppression and guilt for past sin – that is not honouring to Christ! The man sick of the palsy had to take up his bed and walk The man of the Gaderenes had to leave the grave yard, go and tell and go and show. Paul had to “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” (Acts9:6) God has purchased a people at great cost to enjoy a full salvation Righteousness Credited and Sin cleansed.

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

Notes on Romans from a message preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie:



Romans Chapter 4 Verses 1 to 5: 'Justification by Faith : Is by Faith Alone'

1. Justification by Faith is Nothing New
2. Justification by Faith is Faith in the Person of Christ
3. Justification by Faith : Is by Faith Alone
4. Justification by Faith: Is by Faith Alone

In all that has been said so far there is one obvious objection: that salvation seems to come too cheap, too easy, goes contrary to human intuition that so great and valuable a possession as eternal life and forgiveness should come so easily, after all is it not the case that the greater the value of a commodity, the higher the price and the higher the price the longer and harder we have to work to pay for it?
Perhaps too in a sense the whole idea of justification by faith offends our human sense of justice, can it really be the case that a person can be a terrible sinner and yet can have their sins simply forgiven, they can go free from the court of heaven and be declared not guilty by the Judge of the universe Himself? Is such a thing feasible? Is such a suggestion even fair?
The example is often given what about the church going, clean living, hard working woman who does her best all of her life and yet does not trust Christ for salvation can it really be that she is lost and yet the thief or criminal or murderer who confesses, repents and believes goes to heaven?
Surely the clean living, church going, hard working life of the respectable counts for something? Is that not just as good as the faith of the criminal?
Is it not faith plus something else?
In this section we have the Great Objection, and as Paul faces this kind of objection Paul name the hard working, respectable, religiously minded and respectable kind of individual that the Jew would have in mind: Abraham himself, the father of the nation of Israel!
Paul brings to our attention one of the most remarkable and influential characters in history, I say that not only as a Christian but it is evident today even from the political sphere. Abraham gave rise not only to the nation of Israel but the faith and salvation story of Abraham underpins the Christian gospel and from Abraham came not only Isaac the forefather of the nation of Israel but so too Ishmael and from him the Arab nations.
Christianity, Judaism and even Islam all claim links to this remarkable character.
He was for the Jew the very epitome of morality, piety and godliness – surely Abraham proves that you only get to heaven if you earn it?
Jewish tradition built up Abraham even beyond his noble character in scripture.

According to the Rabbis and Jewish tradition Abraham:
Was the 1st of 7 men who by their own merits brought back the Shekinah – the cloud of the presence of God into the tabernacle!
Was the only righteous man of his generation
Began to serve God from age 3 years
Even before the law was written he had managed to fulfil it!
If anyone ever contributed anything to their salvation it was surely Abraham!
It was of course not only in Jewish circles in days gone by that this question was asked, it is still very much with us today.
In the past a great source of confusion came from Roman Catholicism which teaches that faith and works together save
Perhaps the greatest source of confusion today however would come not so much from Roman Catholicism but rather from the Charismatic movement – salvation is faith plus some kind of dubious experience, supposedly spiritual in nature, an experience such as speaking in tongues or being slain in the spirit. The confusion that is being sown is real and serious. It is tragic to hear people tell you they are saved, to ask how they were saved and hear a story about someone putting their hands on them, a warm feeling coming all over them and giving them the Holy Spirit! This is not salvation!
It maybe perspiration but its not salvation!
Is salvation by faith, plus something else?
Is salvation available by alternate means altogether, come to that, so often teachings which begin as faith + something else end up just with the something else and drop the faith altogether.

When faith alone is watered down to faith and works, faith and works very quickly becomes watered down even further to works alone, we'll go along to our church and that will do us! Christ and His Word and His salvation becomes an embarrassment. We are left with a dead and barren and shallow thing, the religious state of Judaism in the days of the Lord Jesus: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” (Mat 15:8)
Not only did Luther and the reformers need to take a stand in their day that salvation was by faith alone so too do we in our day, the confusion still abounds.
So what about Abraham, if ever anyone could have added anything to his salvation it must have been Abraham.

In vs1 we are confronted with the greatness of this great man.
The fact that he was a great man could hardly be disputed, gave rise to the nation of Israel, a nation with whom God had tremendous dealings, brought them out of Egypt by 10 plagues, brought them in as promised into their land, spoke to them by the prophets and fulfilled His promises and prophecies, in particular in bringing forth Christ.
It seems evident that this man had something
God spoke with him, he spoke to God and with Abraham God made His covenant, here was a man who had a relationship with God!
How did that relationship come to be? Why was Abraham great?
Was Abraham a great man and thus he had a relationship with God?
Did a relationship with God make Abraham a great man?
“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?” (Rom 4:1)
Abraham was particularly remarkable because of what Abraham found “as pertaining to the flesh”
Some commentators will interpret that verse as “our father pertaining to the flesh” - the trouble is this isn't true, Abraham is not our father according to the flesh, neither was he the physical father of those to whom Paul was writing – these people were mainly gentiles – non Jews (Rom1:13)
One of the truly remarkable features of Abraham that makes him the subject of this chapter was the fact that he unquestionably had a relationship with God and that relationship with God was evident in His life.
One of the objections we sometimes hear to the great doctrine of justification by faith is that it is too easy and that you can say you believe and then live as you please and still go to heaven!
When we speak of true biblical faith, real faith is faith that brings me into a relationship with God.
Real faith, biblical faith is relationship faith: (Heb11:1ff; Rom4:5).
Real saving faith brings a real relationship with the Saviour and a real relationship with the Saviour brings the evidence of that relationship in my life.
So often there can be a profession without any reality.
Sadly we do often here of claims that folks are saved, on the basis of a profession of faith made many years before but with no real evidence in the life ever to back up such a claim.
This was not the case with Abraham.
We cannot judge a mans heart: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2Ti 2:19)
As men and women met the the Lord Jesus down below, how did they know that He was the Son of God?
Most of them did not sit down with the OT scriptures and work it out from first principles! Some of them knew nothing about the OT scriptures: the Syrophenician woman, the Roman Centurion – gentiles by nationality!
They knew that He was the Son of God because of His:

1. Words and His Works
2. Miracles and His Ministry: 7 sign miracles of Johns gospel, marked him apart as having authority over the creation – he is the creator.
3. His life and His death (the centurion and the thief on the cross)

There was no mistaking that here was a man marked by the very character of God, His relationship with the Father was evident in His life:

• “I and My Father are one” (John10:31)
• “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.” (Joh 10:37-38)
• “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” (Joh 5:36)
• The relationship of Christ to The Father was unique as John 10:31.

The principle does however flow down to the believer:

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (Joh 17:20-23).

Is that not something that ought to be evident?
The essence of Christianity is a relationship with God through Christ and such a relationship must be evident in the life of the believer!
Abraham is presented as an undeniable example of a man with a relationship with God because God did such a mighty work in him, in particular, in his “flesh”.
I wonder if people were looking for the big answers to the big questions, if they were looking to get in touch with God would they see it in me?
Would they come to me?
Is the reality of relationship evident in my life?
Faith is fruitful! As it was in the case of Abraham.
“Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin 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.” (Luke 3:8)
The law works wrath (v15) and faith brings fruit (v13)
The reality of that relationship with God was stamped on Abraham's “flesh”, in what way?

1. Circumcision (4:9-12) – Gods covenant promise
2. Covenant (4:13, 17, 18) – The fulfilment of that covenant promise – He did indeed become the father of a great nation
3. Children (4:19) – 100 years of age and Sarah 99! “Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.” (Heb 11:12) – no question about Abraham's fruitfulness.

In a most remarkable way this mans very flesh was marked by the power of God!
He bore the scars, he saw the seed and one day from his line came the Saviour!
A life truly touched by the finger of God!
But was any of his undeniable greatness due to himself?
Was Abraham a great man:

1. Because of what he did
2. Because of what God did in him?

The contrast is the contrast between:

1. Salvation by works: I do it and give it to God
2. Salvation by Grace through faith: God does it and gives it to me.

Was Abraham great by virtue of:

1. The Power of his own flesh?
2. The Privilege of the covenant?
3. The Product of his own effort?

The Power of his own flesh?
He was dead (4:19)

The Privilege of the covenant?
He was uncircumcised (4:10)
Abraham was not waving about in the air the terms of a religious privilege or birth or merit that he had earned or even that he had been born into, he didn't even have it at the point God credited him as righteous!

The Product of his own effort?
Consider the works done and the promises fulfilled in Abraham (4:13, 17, 18), many of them were fulfilled in Abraham after His death, in particular the bringing forth of the nation of Israel, not immediately from Abraham but through Isaac and then Jacob and Jacobs 12 sons, eventually maturing into a might nation of over 3 million people coming up out of Egypt!
From that nation the person of Christ!
Did Abraham have anything to contribute here?
This was not an empire that Abraham built! It was after he had died!
Why was Abraham great?
Not by virtue of the work done by him but by virtue of the work done in him!
The greatness that became Abraham's in “the flesh” (4:1) was received from God, it had to be.
Abraham's greatness, and Abraham's salvation was:

1. Constructed in Grace (4:10)
2. Consisted of Grace (4:17,19)
3. Concluded in Grace (4:17,18) even after his death

How then did it commence?
It would seem strange that a mighty work done by God in the life of Abraham Constructed in Grace (4:10) which Consisted of Grace (4:17,19) and which Concluded in Grace (4:17,18) somehow commenced in self effort and works!
For the whole work to have commenced with Abrahams self effort would detract from everything that God was doing in his life!
It would give Abraham room to boast: “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.” (Rom 4:2).
Yet it is an established principle of Gods word that in the work of salvation only God can boast, it is all of Him and for His glory (Isa 40:5ff).
In all that we can observe in the life of Abraham God has moved out with and beyond the principle of giving a man simply what he deserves!
God has consistently moved according to the principle of grace!
For God to commence such a work and out pouring of Divine grace by virtue of the works of Abraham, or on the basis that Abraham deserved it would surely undermine the grace and Glory of the work which God was doing.
It would be like starting a wedding with a funeral dirge
Commencing a funeral with a wedding march
Starting a meeting of weight watchers with a fish supper and bottle of irn bru.
All of Abraham's greatness was a greatness granted by grace!
Abraham's greatness, and Abraham's salvation was:

1. Commenced in Grace (4:3)
2. Constructed in Grace (4:10)
3. Consisted of Grace (4:17,19)
4. Concluded in Grace (4:17,18) even after his death

It was all of grace!
It is not really the subject of Romans chp 4 but if salvation commences with Grace it continues with grace and if I get into a rut spiritually I will only get out of that rut by seeking His grace and His help and not by self effort!
Justification is by Faith alone, man can add nothing!
Not even Abraham added anything to his salvation!