believe – Page 3 – Ministry of Grace Church

Romans 4:3

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Truth to Learn

Righteousness comes by believing God’s message.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “accounted” is logidzomai, which is an accounting term meaning “to count out as one would count out money when payment is being made.” By interpretation, however, it means “to put to one’s account” or “to credit to someone.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is quoting here from Genesis 15:6. Let’s set the scene in order to understand the context of this verse. Abraham and Lot have separated and Lot has taken his flocks and has moved to Sodom. Meanwhile a confederacy of kings from the East has come and defeated Sodom and several other cities, carrying off the people of Sodom (including Lot) as captives. Upon hearing this, Abraham gathered the men of his own household along with a couple of his friends and pursued the conquering kings. Taking them by surprise at night, Abraham and his forces defeated the kings and brought all the people and goods of Sodom back with him.

He was met just outside Salem (now Jerusalem) by the king of Sodom. He demanded that Abraham give him his people back but told him that he could keep the plunder. Abraham not only gave back the people but nearly all the plunder as well (he offered 10% of it to the King and Priest of Salem and allowed his two friends to take their share). He did this so that no one could ever claim that they had made Abraham rich. He wanted God and God alone to have that distinction.

Immediately afterwards, God recognized Abraham’s selfless actions and promised him a son. Here’s what it says:

But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 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.” And he [Abraham] believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:2-6)

Abraham believed that God would provide him a son and it was because of this faith that God “accounted it” to him for righteousness. In other words, in God’s record book He wrote down the word “justified” next to Abraham’s name. Because of Abraham’s faith, God declared him to be righteous!

This is precisely what happens to us when we believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we are declared righteous.

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord through faith, then you are recorded in God’s record book as having the righteousness of Christ himself. This means that you are now completely saved from your sins.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 3:3

For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?

Truth to Learn

Salvation and our relationship with God are all about faith.

Behind the Words

The word translated “not believe” is apisteō, a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and pisteō, meaning “to believe” or “to have faith.”

The noun “unbelief” is from apistia, made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “un” and a form of pistos, meaning “faith” or “belief.”

“Faithfulness” is translated from pistis, which comes from the verb peithō meaning “to win over” or “to persuade.” In other words, it means “to be persuaded,” that is, “to believe.”

Paul is very fond of using words playfully (meaningfully, but playfully). Here he is playing on the word pistis (faith) and its verb forms pisteuō (to believe) and apisteō (to not believe). In the previous verse the passive form of pisteuō was used to indicate that God “entrusted” the Holy Writings to the Jews. And here he asks if the “unbelief” (apistia) of the Jews would cancel out the “faithfulness” (pistis) of God.

Meaning Explained

In the first chapter of this letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul clearly articulated the fact that the Gentiles are sinners and that they are guilty before God and without excuse. In the second chapter he made a very clear case against the Jews, showing that they also were guilty before God without excuse. And, even though many of the early Christians were converted Jews, Paul makes it very clear that when it comes to being righteous before God, the Jews had no advantage over the Gentiles.

In the first verse of this third chapter, Paul posed a rhetorical question and he proceeded to answer it in verse two. He now poses another rhetorical question that a Jewish Christian might ask him. Since there were so many Jews who did not believe in Jesus, the Messiah, when He came, what good did it do for the Jews to be keepers of the oracles?

Paul says, in effect, “So what if some (many) did not believe in Jesus? Does that mean that God is not faithful in saving His special people (the Jews)?” As he showed in general during the first two chapters, Paul will point out several verses from now very specifically that both Jews and Gentiles are guilty of sin. Because there is none righteous, Jew or Gentile, neither group is deserving of salvation.

Do you notice that? None of us deserves salvation. Paul will make this abundantly clear. God doesn’t judge any of us to be righteous based on our actions or our deeds, but on a single deed of Jesus Christ.

Application

Sooner or later each one of us has to face the question: Are you good enough for God to let you into heaven? There are many people who, when asked this question, will say, “Of course, I’ve done the best I can. What more can God expect of anyone?” But “the best I can” isn’t good enough because God expects perfection. Since none of us is perfect, none of us deserves heaven. God has entrusted us with the Holy Bible. If we ignore it, we’re lost. If we read it and believe that Jesus died to pay for our sins, then God judges us to be perfect.

It’s all about believing (pisteuō).

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Ministry of Grace Church

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Romans 4:3 – Righteous Abraham

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