Romans 4:4-5 - Counting Faith as Righteousness

Romans 4:4-5 - 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

Message: Work versus not working

Time: The date of the book is probably 60 A.D. written from Corinth on Paul's third missionary journey. The church in Rome seems to be established and Romans does not speak of any one error in the church that he is addressing. The church had a large Jewish element, but also filled with Gentile converts from paganism, both free as well as slaves. 

What the Lord is Saying: 

Background
Paul has presented in Romans many assertions, but has also backed them up with Old Testament scripture. It is clear that for the Jew or non-Jew even there was the thought that if one keeps the Mosaic law then they can be saved. It is an all too familiar assertion that is found in most people today as well, that God accepting man is based on the person and how that person lives their lives, mostly in relation to other persons. And as long as they keep fundamental laws and don't end up in jail then they are counted worthy of heaven. Paul wants to make it clear, though, so he first brings to the forefront Abraham, the Jewish patriarch to show how he believe and therefore, his faith, made him righteous in God's sight. 

In verses 4 and 5, Paul contrasts a worker and a non-worker. In verse 4, he appeals to man's conscience and common sense and experience living in the world. He states that a worker that works, the wage that he receives is based upon what is due that a person and is not a gift or favor. Wages have nothing to do with grace, but with what is due.

In verse 5, for the person who does not work, I think Paul is, in a way saying, that what this person receives is a gift. This person believes in God/Jesus who justifies (makes right) the ungodly. And so this person's faith is credited as righteousness. 

Once again, Paul is saying that the litmus test for a person is not whether they are good or not. Paul has already clearly put forth that no one is good (Romans 3:12), not one. Man wants to turn the tables and talk instead about how good man is. That was the conclusion of that movie, Hawaii, I saw. Julie Andrews who played the wife of the minister declared at the end of the movie that she could not believe in a God who would send to hell people that are good. She watched those Hawaiian island people and saw how good they were and therefore said God must reward goodness with heaven. But, being good is not the issue because God says no one is good. This was also conversely the problem with the message of the minister who gave the idea that no one can be bad. He gave the idea that if a person is bad and does those things contrary to God then a person can't be saved. But, we are all bad. No one is better than another. We desire to be good and follow the Law, but it is in response to what God has done for us, not as a condition. 

The problem with people is they want to believe that God is about verse 4 and not verse 5. 

In verse 5, it states that belief and faith work together. Belief is the word pisteuo which is not simply an intellectual assent, but is a complete belief and acceptance. If I believe that a chair will hold me up, I sit on it. If I believe the car will take my places, I get in it and drive or ride. If I believe the plane will fly me places, I get on it and become a passenger. Throughout life belief means a person accepts the belief and then will put it into action. To believe in God means that I will stake my life on what I believe. 

Much is said, and rightfully so, on martyrs throughout the times. Martyrs are simply people that believed and staked their life on that which they believed. Isn't it funny how I so badly don't want to be a martyr because I fear the pain of death? But, to be a martyr is actually the greatest testimony of my faith. 

Here is a faith acrostic I saw on preceptsaustin.org. 

• F is for Facts. Faith is not based on a blind leap into the unknown and unknowable, as many liberal and neo-orthodox theologians would have us believe. It is based on the facts of God's redeeming work through His Son Jesus Christ.
• A is for Agreement. It is one thing to know the truth of the gospel; it is quite another to agree with it. The believing heart affirms the truth it receives from God's Word. 
• I is for Internalization. The inner desire of a believer to accept and apply the truth of the gospel to his own life. Internalization also involves the genuine desire to obey Christ as Lord.
• T is for Trust. In some ways and in some contexts, trust is a synonym for faith. But trust also carries the idea of having unreserved confidence in God to keep His promises to never forsake us as His children and to provide all our needs.
• H is for Hope. Every believer is saved in the hope (firm assurance) of going to live eternally with God in heaven, although he has never seen heaven or seen the Lord in whom he believes. The vast majority of those who have trusted in Christ over the centuries have never seen Him. Even those who saw Him after the resurrection and witnessed His ascent to heaven had only the HOPE, and not yet the reality, of their joining Him one day in heaven. Until he meets the Lord through death or by rapture, every believer must live in HOPE of that which he has not yet fully received.

The desire to do good is not a problem. But, the problem is the desire to do good to earn favor with God. God sees not as the world preaches. 

Promise: Our belief in Jesus and what He did on the cross for us, receiving the punishment for us being bad, makes us righteous.