Romans – A Treatise
Chapter Four
THE FINE PAID
Scripture Reading: verses 20-25
HE STAGGERED NOT AT THE PROMISE OF GOD THROUGH UNBELIEF; BUT WAS STRONG IN FAITH, GIVING GLORY TO GOD; AND BEING FULLY PERSUADED THAT, WHAT HE HAD PROMISED, HE WAS ABLE ALSO TO PERFORM. AND THEREFORE IT WAS IMPUTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NOW IT WAS NOT WRITTEN FOR HIS SAKE ALONE, THAT IT WAS IMPUTED TO HIM; BUT FOR US ALSO, TO WHOM IT SHALL BE IMPUTED, IF WE BELIEVE ON HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS OUR LORD FROM THE DEAD; WHO WAS DELIVERED FOR OUR OFFENCES, AND WAS RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION.
Abraham is on the witness stand. Paul points out that Abraham was not justified on the principle of works because the promise of God came to him when he was senile – as the Scripture says, “as good as dead” – one hundred years old and his wife barren. The promise was he would have a son, and through this son as his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. The tribute paid here to Abraham as the father of the faithful is significant, and it would be difficult to overestimate the faith of this progenitor of all the faithful. The testimony concerning him is this: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. Man’s wisdom, as well as nature, point to the impossibility of God's promise coming to fruition in the lives of Abraham and Sarah, still, Abraham believed God who was able to raise up the dead. Surely the God of resurrection could bring about this promised miracle. Thus, Abraham staggered not at the promise of God, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. This touches the very crux of the whole situation: he gave glory to God.
The question presented before the court by this brilliant lawyer concerns justification by grace on the principle of faith. If on the line of works, then the glory of its accomplishment would accrue to the person performing the works, not to God who gives the promise. Abraham knew only too well that by himself he could never bring to fruition what God had promised, but he believed God in spite of the evidences, and, knowing God was a God of resurrection, that He could touch a dead body and make it live, he knew that through the miraculous operation of God he and Sarah could realize their hopes. He was fully persuaded that what God promised He was able to perform. Thus, he took no glory to himself; he expected no accomplishment on the line of flesh, accepting the promise from God.
It is remarkable that in the context in the Epistle to the Romans the story of the birth of Ishmael is left out. However, we believe there is a distinct reason for this. First, Abraham had confidence in God to perform whatever He undertook, yet the trial of waiting was too much for Abraham and, thinking he would help God in making possible what He had promised, he resorted to human devices. Thus, Ishmael was born, and Abraham did not again gain the highroad of spiritual communion with the Lord until Ishmael was cast out and Isaac, the seed of promise, found his unique place in Abraham's household. While this record is left out of the Epistle to the Romans, its very omission is a reminder of the absolute uselessness of the works of the flesh in promoting the realization of God’s purpose for us in Christ. There are many in the world today who accept God’s promise and believe in salvation by grace on the principle of faith, but think, as did Abraham, that they will help God along by adding their own works. So, we have an admixture of faith and works. But the entire argument in this chapter of Romans is that the sinner’s justification must come only by God; the works of the sinner do not enter into it. In the light of his justification, the only thing of value in the life of Abraham was that he believed God. His unbelief, as well as his failure and impatience are omitted because they neither helped nor frustrated the purpose of God. So the apostle here concludes:
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
This brings the courtroom scene home to our hearts.
Here, in the shoes of the criminal, we stand before the bar of God’s justice. We have heard the condemning evidence against us; we are proved guilty before God. There is no escape from the guilt; our mouths are stopped; we are sinners deserving of perdition. Then Paul, lawyer for the defense, states that it is actually possible for us to be cleared of guilt by means of the imputation of righteousness not our own. In other words, we may be justified in exactly the same way as Abraham, namely, by believing God. But a great question arises: how is it possible for God to do this and yet maintain the austere justice of the court? In this way the Lord Jesus comes in. A debt of guilt has been accumulated by the sinner. That debt must be discharged – the sinner must pay the penalty of his sins. The Lord Jesus steps in and pays the debt. He bears the penalty of our sins, in our room and in our stead, on Calvary, for “He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” The debt is paid by another and we, the sinners, go free.
That is the Gospel. A feeble illustration might be that the criminal stands before the bar of justice, and the judge imposes a penalty, a fine of $100,000 to atone for his offence. One who loves the criminal steps into the courtroom, pays his fine, obtains his receipt from the court, and then takes the criminal by the arm and together they march out of the court, the law having no further claim on either of them. That is what took place at Calvary. Of course, the penalty of our sin was not a fine payable in money. It could only be paid in blood. Our sin before God is so great that our life is forfeit, and the death penalty is imposed. Then Jesus the Lord, friend of publicans and sinners, steps up to the bar of God’s august throne; He offers Himself; He goes to Calvary’s Cross, and dies; He rises again in order that in a sense He might have the receipt, the proof of what He has done. He again appears before the court; the penalty has been paid; Jesus has died for our sins according to the Scriptures, has been buried, has been raised again the third day according to the Scriptures. He takes each of us, the sinners, by the hand, and, united to Him in resurrection life, we are eternally saved. Our sins are forgiven – removed from God; buried in the depths of the sea; as far as the east is from the west. He says: “Your sins and your iniquities I will remember no more for ever.”
