(Rom 4:4) “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (5)  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”  Is the Lord obligated to give everlasting life to the person who prays, “Save me”? The answer is “no”. He saves the person whose heart condemns their sin. The Bible word for this is repentance. Wrong thinking and thus teaching on this subject has and will send many a person to hell. 

 (Rom 4:4) “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (5)  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”  “Worketh not” isn’t saying, “Do nothing for Christ.” It is speaking of any thought of earning or deserving to be saved. For example, there are those who think God is obligated by His loving nature to bestow salvation. Wrong. The great price of salvation came through His holiness demanding justice being satisfied through the death of His Son on the cross. More tomorrow on this subject.

(Rom 4:4) “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”  No matter how you slice it, an effort to obtain or keep salvation is a “work” – period. (Gal 3:3)“ Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Yes, we are saved “unto good works” Ephesians 2, but not because of good works. The glory is all of God!

  (Rom 4:2)“For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. (3)  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”  The text is not saying that faith “is” righteousness, but that faith was “counted as”: it wasn’t such but God decided to consider it such. Big difference. God is so good towards those who seek to please Him!

 (Rom 4:1) “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? (2) For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.”  “Just”: not guilty of any sin. Obviously his efforts to live worthy of God (works) fell short. Such will it always be in this life. We need to embrace the Savior for salvation and cling to Him, never again looking at self to obtain worthiness. 

 (Rom 4:1)“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh hath found?”  Notice that Paul, a Jew, is including all the saved as the children of Abraham: “our father”. The promise made to Abraham was not only of those physically his offspring, but all those spiritually his offspring, (Rom 4:16)“ Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,”.  I pray you are a child of Abraham by faith, that is, acting upon that which the Word of God reveals.

(Rom 3:29) “Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: (30)  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. (31)  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” The act of Jesus dying for our sins did not say, “The law is of no value so do away with it.” No, it says, “Look, you cannot keep the law. You need a sacrifice – a Savior!” Therefore the act of salvation establishes the law as the perfect standard of God for all men. 

(Rom 3:28)  “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Our sinful nature seeks even to glory in one’s faith. Friend, that’s nothing to glory in. It is simply right to do, for all should have absolute faith in God – period; faith being “believing what He has said and them responding rightly to it”. No. The point here is that one is justified in the sight of God because of what He in Jesus did (v.24-27).  

(Rom 3:26)  “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (27)  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” Many a new believer has been burdened with and taught they needed to “keep” their salvation. It seems “right”, for it appeals to our sinful nature of pride. Yet, plainly we see (our text) it is all of Jesus without human effort, the keeping of the law. Our attempts soil the purity of that blessed sacrifice of Jesus! 

( Rom 3:26) “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”  People who are taught they have to keep their salvation need to consider this passage. God is “just” declaring us “innocent of all charges” because He bore our sin Himself and is thus the ‘justifier”.  It is done. How can you possibly think you can add anything to that?