Romans 4 - Abraham Justified by Faith

1. Paul's words taught us last week how we may be covered by Christ's righteousness, through faith alone.
2. In this passage, he continues to lay out the particulars of how faith apart from works is justifying, and to counter any other objections that may arise, especially objections that would come from Jews when hearing these things.
   1. Connect to Romans 2 \- Speak a little about circumcision and the Jew-Gentile distinction.
   2. How without the Law that includes circumcision?
      1. That circumcision was not a necessary marker for one to be blessed by God in justification, but only a seal to Abraham of the righteousness he had by faith.
      2. Paul points us to Genesis 15:6, where the scriptures tell us that, \[Abram\] "believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness"
      3. The studious Jew would already know from the scriptures that Abraham was justified by his faith and not his works.
      4. And Paul makes this abundantly clear in verses 4-5 "Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,"
   3. How without Abraham as father?
      1. Paul counters by professing that, indeed, Abraham is the father of all who share his faith.
3. Faith in Him, who justifies and justifies perfectly, is the only way that we may be delivered from our sins and enter into true rest.