What then shall we
say that Abraham
our father has found
according to the flesh?
For if Abraham was
justified by works,
he has something to
boast about,
but not before God.
For what does the
Scripture say?
“Abraham believed
God, and it was
accounted to him for
righteousness”
(Genesis 15:6).
Judaism
strove to place circumcision upon non–Jews, to Christians that were Gentiles,
even so to those Jewish proselytes that had not followed the custom of
circumcision due to the fact that they were several generations from Israel due
to their parents dispersion. “So, you want to be a Christian, do you?” “Well!
You must be circumcised as this was the promise to Abraham, was it not?” This
is the demand of the Judaizers. Now, if a person was not of the seed of Abraham,
then, it was most important to be followers of Abraham, and the promise of the
covenant, they must be circumcised. Is this what it means, be circumcised, to
become an heir of the promise? Let us then look back to the account as to why
God promised anything to Abraham. Abraham called out to God because he did not
have an heir, therefore the heir to receive all of Abraham’s good, property,
etc., would go to Eliezer of Damascus; (Genesis 15:2), and not to one of his
actual heirs. God then took Abraham aside and showed him the stars and gave
this promise: “Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward
heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ “And He said to
him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’” (Genesis 15:5). Abraham was
childless, therefore this promise was not based upon what Abraham had done,
produce an heir, no the promise was based upon: “And he (Abraham) believed
in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).
Circumcision played no part in the promise. Faith, is the basis for this
promise by God to Abraham. If Abraham had received God’s promise and the
righteousness of God by anything that he had done then: “Now to him who
works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt” (Romans 4:4). If God
had given this promise to Abraham because of some work that Abraham had
performed then God would become a debtor and all God had done was to pay the
debt He owed. God, the creator of all that exists is not ever to be accounted
as owing a debt. All things are His, and He owes nothing for anything that He
does. Therefore it is not works that brings righteousness: “But to him who
does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is
accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of
the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those
who lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man
to whom the LORD shall not impute sin’” (Romans 4:5–8; cf Psalm 32:1–2). Salvation, righteousness is not of works, it
is not of anything we do, not even to say that we believe (not that our belief
is unimportant in our salvation, it is not the basis for our salvation), it is
God who imputes, imparts, righteousness due to our faith, faith alone. We are
saved, by grace, not of ourselves: “But to each one of us grace was given
according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:7). Jesus Christ is
truth and grace, and by Him, not the law, not working of the law, but from Him:
“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ” (John 1:17). Our faith, given to us as a gift is Jesus Christ and
our faith is shown to all, to us, to assure us, to make our salvation sure, is:
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience
does not save us, our works are not told to us what to do, other than keep His
commandments, no, God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit never makes the means for
us to be obedient. We must be obedient due to our faith, out of the oneness we
have with Him, by our spirit joining with the Spirit. Faith is not in what we
do: faith is apart from what we do, and is according to our disposition towards
God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. You may say that you have faith, but, is that
faith really faith in God, or some other form of faith? Will you obey God in
those haphazard dark places in this life? We will see God in those dark
haphazard circumstances if we are faithful, and obedient to God. Faith in God
is to deny self. One cannot have two masters, you as one, and God as the other.
It by our obedience, not circumcision, not works, not some revelational
experience, no, it is by obedience to our Savior Jesus Christ that the
redemption of God, the righteousness of God will rush through us as wildfire
upon dry brush, and other lives will see the glory of God. Do you want the
reality of God, the Almighty? Then it is obedience to His commands, and those
commands clearly outlined for us in His word. Obedience is the reality of God
in us. God gives grace, and God gives salvation, and God gives faith, it is all
a gift of God. This is where we falter if we attempt to be pious, righteous by
works. Obedience is not work, it is simply what is us, obedient, and those
commands are not burdensome, unless you do not desire to follow them. They are
burdensome to those who find some fault, or some reason not to do what Jesus
has commanded. You struggle with what you know is revealed to us in His word,
with our own desires to be autonomous. Finally: “Does this blessedness hen
come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that
faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While
he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised” (Romans 4:9–10).
Do
not follow after those who demand works, and there are many churches that
demand works, or teach works. Yes, you do works but that is works of faith, and
not of yourself, it is not in what you boast. You boast in Jesus Christ who has
given you salvation and not due to anything that you have done. PRAISE GOD!
Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
Call upon
His name;
Make known His deeds among
The peoples.
Psalm 105:1
Give God the Glory
Richard L. Crumb
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