Ephesians 2:1-9 - The Grace of Regeneration

Ephesians 2:1-9
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Message: The Grace of Regeneration

Time: Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon. Ephesians deals with topics at the core of being a Christian - faith and practice, no matter the situation.

What the Lord is Saying:

John Calvin comments that every part of salvation is authored by God. This includes even our decision to believe. As we grow more independent and seemingly more self-sufficient, this type of thinking that 'God does it all' is actually quite offensive to the world in which we live and naturally they resist it. It also seems to me that the Gospel or Truth is not that clearly spoken in our churches. Even in my own life, I am not sure if sharing the Gospel is a major focus of mine.

The last couple of studies that I have had on these subjects of grace have been significant. What I realized last time is man's fallen condition makes him incapable of making a choice for righteousness. Thus, our salvation is entirely about God. I still have free will and the power to choose but in relation to my salvation I don't have the means to choose salvation, thus God draws me.

I think in many ways we fear the real message of the Gospel which chooses some, but not most for salvation. That's the truth of the doctrine, but we as his followers do not who has been chosen and he still wants us to spread this gospel and speak to people.

As this passage make clear in Ephesians it is all God. Man's life is contrary to God. We are sinners. The Way of the Master presentation is significant because it takes a moment to do something simple and radical for this day and age - it helps people see that they are sinners. And sinners need God to intervene and save them.

Ephesians 2 presents tough words about the condition of man:

• Dead in your sins
• Lived in the lust of our flesh
• Indulging the desires of the flesh and mind
• By nature children of wrath
• even as the rest

This is the condition of man. And this condition makes us incapable of coming out of it. Our nature is a child of wrath - our nature. We stand in opposition to God. The work of salvation is entirely God:

• Rich in mercy
• His great love
• Made us alive together with Christ
• Raised up with Him
• Seated us with Him in the heavenly places
• Saved by faith not ourselves
• It is the gift of God

The shift from man's condition to seated in the heavenly places is entirely God. I think this is why the diagram of the expanse between man and God and that Jesus provides the bridge is a good one because it shows that this big jump from lawlessness to righteousness is significant. It is a huge leap that man cannot make on his own. Yet, man is still a person made in the image of God. Man is not necessarily incapable of acts of righteousness. But, practicing acts of righteousness and being declared righteous are two very different things. I think we have this naturally tendency (and it is growing) to think that our practicing acts of righteousness will at some point merit salvation. I have heard people say and I have even thought that the sins I have committed in the past are not sins today. I am getting better, but getting better still doesn't mean salvation is in our grasps.

So people will do good things. They will show compassion to the poor and needy. They will restore homes and give to those in need. We have a country that is very aware of those that are hurting and helps them. But we cannot think that all of these good deeds makes us deserving at some point of salvation. This is contrary to our world-based thinking that hard work results in a reward. Most certainly giving to others yields the result of making us feel good about ourselves and that we have in a small part helped out a person in need.

The part we have in all of this is seen as having faith - For by grace you have been saved through faith. Yet, it would seem that regeneration and being made new has already happened at that point and the declaration by us of faith is a formality.

Promise: God is God and man is man. The two are separate entities. Man in his condition is fallen and that fallen condition is incapable of making the jump to being declared righteous. Man sinned and became like God, but this does not mean that gaining the tree of life was not of his own doing. God needs to make this happen.

Prayer: O God my Father, thank you for saving me. It is all you. None of it is me. My works are filthy rags in your eyes. You are rich in mercy and have great love and have made me alive together with Christ. You have raised me up with Jesus and I am seated with Him in the heavenly places. That is a done deal. You see me as completely accepted as completely loved and completely in Christ. Thus, in your eyes my position in the heavenly places is a done deal. Thank you God for saving me. I will never understand it and never should I.


Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of April is about salvation by grace alone. March was about the sovereign providence of God; February was about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January is about the doctrine of God.

Romans 5:15-17 - The Justice of God's Choice

Romans 5:15-17 - 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Message: Adam sinned once for all. Christ died for sin, once for all. Adam took on one sin. Christ took on all sins.

Time: The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57, just three years after the 16 year old Nero had ascended to the throne as Emperor of Rome. Persecution of Christians wouldn't begin until AD 64. The church was experiencing times of relative peace. From where he wrote, Corinth, was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idol worship.

What the Lord is Saying: 

We continue a discussion on sin and sin entering the world, contrasting the imputation of righteousness (in Christ) with the imputation of sin (in Adam). Yesterday, we ended with the statement that Adam is a type of Him (Christ) was was to come. There are similarities in Adam and Christ. But, Paul will now show how what Christ did was far greater than what Adam did.

Grace is greater than sin
It is true, Adam sinned once and sin was manifested to all people. He took on one sin and all people are now known as sinners. Sin entered the world.

"Much more," though, did the grace of God abound to the many. Sin results in death. Grace results in life. Grace restores life in the person. It is not about returning to life as it was before in the garden, but rather the life we have in Chris is far greater.

Grace is a free gift. But, we can't really call receiving sin a gift. Gifts should not result in death. Plus, a gift must be received.

Verse 15 uses the word transgression rather than sin. Sin is missing a mark. Transgression is crossing the line. In sin, there is a standard and sin is missing it. In transgression, there is a line, like a shoulder line when driving a car and crossing that line or boundary. Adam crossed the line. God drew the line and said, "Don't cross it."

We deserve what we got in Adam. Adam sinned, we all sin. We don't deserve grace, yet we can receive it. 

Judgment through one sin, righteousness through many
Adam carried on his back one sin. Christ carried on His back many sins. There is similarity, but what Christ did was far more significant. We are condemned because of Adam's sin. We are made righteous because of Christ justifying man. 

One man brought death. One Man brought life. 
There is one notable difference between the imputations that occurred because of the result of Adam and Christ. In Adam, sin fell on all men. Death resulted from all sinning. In Christ, people are made righteous, but this righteousness is not automatic for all people. It is through receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. All people are in Adam, but they must receive Jesus to be in Christ.

Promise: We deserve what we received in Adam. Adam sinned, we all sin. We don't deserve grace, yet we can receive it.

Romans 5:13-14 - Counting Sin in Adam

Romans 5:13-14 - 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Message: Sin existed, apart from the Law; Sin Spread to All Men when Adam sinned.

Time: The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57, just three years after the 16 year old Nero had ascended to the throne as Emperor of Rome. Persecution of Christians wouldn't begin until AD 64. The church was experiencing times of relative peace. From where he wrote, Corinth, was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idol worship.

What the Lord is Saying:

I am in the middle of studying Romans 5:12-21. I saw yesterday that sin entered the world through one man, Adam. And from that one sin, death spread to all men. All sinned. Adam began the human race. What Adam does affects everyone else. Overall, I am in the middle of an explanation by Paul of why it is necessary for man to be redeemed and justified. Why can't man just say? "I'm working on living the best kind of life I know how?"

Without the Law, sin still exists
In Chapter 4, in describing that righteousness was by the faith of Abraham. Abraham was present 430 years before the Law. Before the standard was given, therefore, Abraham was still accountable. In Romans 1:19, Paul states "that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them." God makes himself evident to man. And in Romans 2:14-15, Paul addresses that our conscience itself is a law written on our hearts. Paul is letting us know clearly that apart from the Law there is still an awareness of right and wrong.

Here in verse 13, "for until the law sin was in the world." The only thing the Law did was expose sin for what it was, but sin still was in the world. Verse 12 stated, "All have sinned."

The Law helps call sin--sin (but there is still sin without the law)
The word imputed is also the word credited that Paul speaks of Romans 3 when it speaks of man being justified (3:24), or made right with God, through gift of the grace of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the justifier (3:26).  Paul shows further in Chapter 4, in which he quotes from Genesis 15:6 in verses 3 and 9 to state that Abraham's faith or believe in God was reckoned (credited, imputed) to him as righteousness. It is through faith that the credit transaction of righteousness is made between Jesus and man. But imputed also represents what happened to all men when Adam sinned. His sin imputed sin to all mankind. By sinning, sin was credited to the account of man.

In Romans 4:15, it states that "the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation." In that verse the Law is a signpost in our life. But, that verse wasn't stating that there is only sin with the Law, but it is saying that Law exposes us to our sin that we have already been committing.

This verse in Romans 5:13 really is stating the same thing in that a violation of the law is not counted against man until the Law is present. Paul is not saying that No Law = No Sin.

I think what is kind of difficult here to understand is that in life we often don't change our behavior until  a Law or standard is known or been communicated to us. But, I think what Paul is saying is the Law is written on our hearts and our conscience, even before the Law is communicating to us what is right and wrong. This is hard for us because Laws and rules are so abundant in our lives. And yet I think we know the difference between right and wrong.

There are people that I have communicated with that don't know of a 10 commandments and what it says, but they still recognize sin in their life.

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses
In verse 12, Paul mentions sin coming into the world and because of it, death spread to all men. So, here in verse 14, Paul mentions that death was present from the time sin came into the world (through Adam) until the giving of the Law (by Moses). There isn't really anything difficult in this statement, sin ushered in death and we all know death was present from Adam to the giving of the Law (Moses). Thus, we don't doubt that death is present, so we also shouldn't doubt that sin is present during those years.

Death was not present because of the exact sin Adam committed
Paul goes on to say in verse 14, "even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam." What is being established in verse 14 is really a connecting of the dots from verse 12 and 13. Sin was in the world before the Law. Abraham was declared righteous by faith before the Law. So obviously, to be declared righteous, sin must be there. Adam sinned. When Adam sinned death came into the world and we know death was present from Adam to Moses or from sin entering to the Law being erected.

That said, Paul feels it necessary to communicate that death is not simply present because of the exact sin of Adam not believing God. Because of what Adam did in sinning, the human race after him because like Adam, irregardless of whether a person sins or not. God is not waiting to judge man by seeing if that person will sin. This is the point of this phrase within this verse. Death is present. Death isn't waiting for a person to sin, but it is just present. Why? Because Adam sinned.

Adam was a type of Christ
As Wayne Barber reminded me yesterday, before being in Christ, we are all in Adam. So, we are either In Adam or In Christ. So, Adam is a type of Christ. "(Adam) who is a type of Him what was to come." In Christ, through believing in Him, righteousness is credited or imputed to all men. In Adam, my his act of sinning, sin is credited or imputed to all men. Adam sinned, once, for all. Christ died for sin, once, for all.

Promise: From Tabletalk, April 10, 2014: When a person is born, they are already deserving of death.

Romans 5:10-11 - Saved by the Life of God's Son

Romans 5:10-11 - 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Message: To be reconciled with God through Jesus Christ

Time: The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57, just three years after the 16 year old Nero had ascended to the throne as Emperor of Rome. Persecution of Christians wouldn't begin until AD 64. The church was experiencing times of relative peace. From where he wrote, Corinth, was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idol worship.

What the Lord is Saying:

Set-up
In these verses, Paul continues through the benefits of righteousness. Chapter 4 gave illustrations of righteousness, primarily through the witness of Abraham, though David was also mentioned briefly. But, Abraham more specifically was shown to be righteous apart from works, apart from circumcision, apart from the law; thus, overall, he was declared righteous by faith. Romans 3:21 got Paul started off on this complete description of righteousness by faith and God imputed Jesus' righteousness to man when man believed in Jesus, that he lived, died and rose from the dead; this places our faith in Christ, in accordance with grace. Our sins are not counted against us anymore. Christ died for us.

Chapter 5 then starts to give us benefits. We have peace with God and we have joy in tribulation. And then, starting verse 9, we have salvation from wrath. The wrath of God will come down on man at some time. Maybe it is the tribulation wrath. Maybe it is the wrath at the judgment seat. No matter when, wrath will come. And the point of these verses, 9-11, is to show that man has been saved from this wrath.

Wrath has also been described in chapter 2. The Jews were told they would be judged according to truth, by their works, and with impartiality from verse 1 to 16. The wrath of God is inescapable.

In verse 9, Paul more clearly shows me that I have been justified by Jesus blood. Blood was the means by which Old Testament saints were declared free from sin. Their sin was paid for by the blood of an animal, through a sacrifice. But, Christ's ultimately and completed covers the sin of the called out ones.

Reconciled when we were enemies
Verse 10 is a sobering truth for Paul clearly puts forth that when not in Christ, we are enemies of God. We are contrary to the ways of God. With God, it is either/or. There is no middle ground. The fact that God is impartial shows us that all people are judged fairly and consistently and all people have the same need for salvation.

Verse 6 stated that I was helpless. Verse 7 I was hardly a righteous person (I was not righteous). Verse 8, I was a sinner. But, Christ died for me. As an enemy, God did something incredible and reconciled me to God through the death of Jesus, God's son. I was not reconciled to God through Jesus while I was a good person or moving toward goodness or practicing good works or possessing church disciplines and ordinances, but I was reconciled while I was God's enemy, a sinner.

Saved by His Life
Verse 10 states another "much more then." This phrase came up in verse 9 as well. To me, it is a statement of "wait, there is more." It's a phrase that makes sense coming from Paul because Paul is all about clarifying His points and confirming them over and over.

So, now that we are reconciled. Again, belief in God resulted in being reconciled. This is a past event and a permanent event. This is a done deal. This isn't something that can just suddenly go away. This is God's covenant to man. I think people struggle with this principle because we now have so few good examples of covenants. The covenant of marriage is fleeting. It has been for 50 years as a person has clearly been show to fall in and then, out of love. What has been clearly shows is the importance of a right foundation. And so without good examples of covenants, we start to think that being reconciled to God through Christ is a revolving door rather than a known certainty. But, in verse 4 and 5 of this chapter, I saw hope being confirmed through a tribulation. We have a certainty that we are in Christ. So, I am reconciled.

I am saved by the life of Jesus. This is a future event. I will be saved by his life. Throughout Paul's explanation, there are 3 main points.

1. We have been reconciled to God. We have been declared righteous. Our belief in God imputes righteousness to us.
2. We have hope. This hope is a confidence in a future event. Right now I have hope. 
3. We will be saved by His life in the future. When the wrath of God comes, in the future, I will be saved by the life of Jesus. 

Thus, past, present, and future. Jesus lived a perfect life, and thus He became the perfect substitution. Throughout the Old Testament, substitution were made for sin, but they weren't perfect. Man's sin was being written off by an animal. In Jesus, man's was reconciled by the work of another man. There was a likeness of the same kind. I am saved by the life of Jesus.

I am rich because Jesus has reconciled me
"And not only this." Again, Paul cracks me up. No, wait, there is more. Paul testifies of more truth.  In verse 2, Paul uses the word "hope" to describe the peace we have with God in that we exult or boast in God. We have a lively and triumphant joy because of the faith that we have. We are certain of our future with the glory of God. In verse 3, I exult or have lively and triumphant joy in tribulations. I can now look at tribulations in a new light. They confirm my faith. And now here in verse 11, I exult or have a lively and triumphant joy in God through Jesus because I have been reconciled.

By faith I receive reconciliation. I was an enemy of God (verse 10). I am now reconciled (verse 10). I am a friend of God. It's a declaration of praise: "I am a friend of God."

The result of being declared righteous, of justification:

• Peace with God through Christ (Romans 5:1)
• Access into the grace & presence of God through Christ (Romans 5:2)
• Experience of Exultation and Joy in tribulation (Romans 5:3)
• The love of God poured out in our heart (Romans 5:5)
• The indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5)
• Deliverance from future wrath of God (Romans 5:9)
• Present continuing salvation in Christ our life (Romans 5:10)
• Reconciliation through Christ with God (Romans 5:11) 

Promise: From Tabletalk, April 8: The position we enjoy in Christ today ensures that we will fully experience all of His benefits tomorrow.

Romans 4:22-24a - Declaration Versus Transformation

Romans 4:22-24a - 22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited,

Message: Abraham credited and every person believing is also credited.

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:

Preface
Every day that I read a new set of scripture for that day, I am once again reminded that Paul wants his readers to understand more completely what he is saying. Chapter 4 has all been about defending the faith and explaining righteousness by faith. The gospel was clearly put forth at the end of Chapter 3 where after Paul showed that all people had sinned, it was a person's faith that made them right with God. For in faith, God transfers Christ's perfect righteousness to man. And all of the sin in a person's life is transferred to Christ. Yesterday, the definition of faith came more clearly, that God makes a promise and I believe completely that it will occur. But, in chapter 4, Paul wants his reader to really understand what is meant by this faith that credits righteousness to a person. He uses Abraham and then David's lives to show people today how their lives were a testimony of this truth. The imputation of our sin and Christ's righteousness is not a new thing, but rather an old truth that, now in Christ, has been fulfilled and more clearly seen. 

In verse 18 and on, Paul shows from Abraham's life what faith really meant as Abraham believed God would provide an offspring to Abraham and his wife in order to fulfill the promise God had made to him that He would be the father of many nations. Again, through this explanation, Paul once again shows that the answer is not keeping the Law or even having the Law nor is it circumcision, but that Abraham was made right with God while uncircumcised. 

Verse 22 - Therefore, faith
From yesterday, the message in those verses was:

1. Abraham had hope and believed in the impossible 
2. Despite what he saw and knew, Abraham did not become weak in faith 
3. Abraham's faith grew 
4. Abraham's faith was defined completely  

Believe, Faith, Faith, Faith. This is how a person is credited with righteousness. But it is not faith that merits salvation, but it is through faith that we receive salvation for the performance of salvation was completely and only by Christ.

Verse 23 - This faith is not just for Abraham
Paul now turns a corner. He has described the faith of Abraham. David told us that all of our sins were transferred to Christ. Paul has given the clear examples of 2 patriarchs of our religion. But, these are not just to describe what happened to other people. This transaction of being credited with righteousness is not just to Abraham.

Verse 24 - But faith or credited righteousness is for every other person.
Faith is not just for Abraham, but it is for everyone. So, just like Abraham, it is for our sake as well to be credited. The Old Testament is not just a record of facts, but it is a description of what can happen in every person's life. Paul clearly puts forth that there is personal application in these verses. Yes, it was true for Abraham and receiving God's promise of offspring. But, what occurred in Abraham being credited as righteous is also for us today and every person in the future. 

And Paul wants it be clearly understand that a person is credited. It is a done deal. It is not a process or a growing process of making a person righteous (sanctification), but it is a done deal, in that a person is justified. The righteousness of Christ is transferred to the believer, who has faith, in accordance with grace. Faith connects us to God's righteousness. 

An illustration:
Suppose I say to Barnabas, my sixteen-year-old son, “Clean up your room before you go to school. You must have a clean room, or you won’t be able to go watch the game tonight.” Well, suppose he plans poorly and leaves for school without cleaning the room. And suppose I discover the messy room and clean it. His afternoon fills up and he gets home just before it’s time to leave for the game and realizes what he has done and feels terrible. He apologizes and humbly accepts the consequences.To which I say, “Barnabas, I am going to credit your apology and submission as a clean room. I said, ‘You must have a clean room, or you won’t be able to go watch the game tonight.’ Your room is clean. So you can go to the game.” What I mean when I say, “I credit your apology as a clean room,” is not that the apology is the clean room. Nor that he really cleaned his room. I cleaned it. It was pure grace. All I mean is that, in my way of reckoning—in my grace—his apo­logy connects him with the promise given for a clean room. The clean room is his clean room. I credit it to him. Or, I credit his apology as a clean room. (From PreceptAustin.org)

Promise: Crediting Righteousness is available to every person, in Christ. 

 

Romans 4:11-12 - The Sign and Seal of Righteousness

Romans 4:11-12 - 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.

Message: Circumcision is a visible sign to others of a change that already took place.

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 continues here to respond to a question that he feels like the Jew would have still. If there is one thing that Paul continues to address over and over it is that all people, whether Jew or Gentile, have the same standard and are saved the same way. There is one God, one Savior, one Lord, and one way of salvation.

In the beginning of chapter 4, Paul went back to two patriarchs, Abraham and David, to show that each believed God and was credited with righteousness. Faith in God doesn't make us righteous, but it is the vehicle in which God uses to transfer or credit righteousness to man.

Verses 11 and 12 shift back to Abraham. Verses 9 and 10 began the presentation on circumcision by stating that having Faith in Christ and believing that Jesus took the punishment for our sins, that we needed a ransom, believing God, this occurred before circumcision. And this blessing is granted or availed both to the circumcised and the uncircumcised. There is no distinction. All have sinned. All equally need God's grace.

Overview
Paul has declared the simple message that a person is credited righteousness before being circumcised, so what then happens when a person is circumcised. Here in these verses he speaks that there is value in circumcision. There is a reason we get baptized, go to church, pray, ask for forgiveness, admit our sin. It is true that those things don't make us right before God, but it doesn't mean that we have no need to ever do those things.

Verse 11 reiterates that circumcision was a sign of the change that took place in Abraham's life before he was circumcised. For the Gentile, baptism is clearly the ordinance that is closely related to circumcision and can at times take on the same level of confusion to the Gentile that circumcision has received for the Jew. What circumcision shows is that Abraham was declared righteous, not being circumcised, but when he was uncircumcised.

When a person graduates from high school they receive a diploma. The graduation ceremony and the receiving of the diploma doesn't make the person a graduate. The person became a graduate through the passing of their courses. And the diploma is simply the sign that they passed. This is what circumcision is, as well as baptism.

Verse 12 then reminds the Jew that circumcision is not imperative. To me, this is the thing that people have the most trouble with in understanding grace. Works follow grace, but works don't define grace. Works don't provide an opportunity to receive grace. We exhibit works because of grace. And we will exhibit works, but that doesn't mean that works have anything to do with acquiring grace. Galatians 3:29 states that we are spiritual heirs of Christ because of the promise.

I think more clearly what Paul is saying that the physical act of circumcision is not even what makes a person circumcised. That when Christ saves us and righteousness is credited to our account a circumcision of our heart takes place. We see circumcision as a visible change. But Christ already knows circumcision has taken place because faith credited righteousness to our account.

TableTalk note: 
As I read and study through Tabletalk, I notice their belief that baptism can occur as an infant. There point is that baptism, as the sign of a circumcised heart, can occur before a person is credited with righteousness. The issue isn't that baptism saves. Church membership often follows baptism which follows conversion, but that doesn't mean that is the only way. Church membership and baptism can precede conversion. This is the point the reformers are making, I believe.

Promise: God makes a person righteous, not circumcision.

Romans 4:9-10 - A Double Transfer

Romans 4:9-10 - 9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;

Message: How was righteousness credited?

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: Paul continues in these verses to explain how justification by faith is not a new concept invented by him or by anyone else in New Testament times, but has been around and was around in the Old Testament. He takes his audience back to Abraham and David, his two witnesses to this truth and has shown thus far that a person who has faith in Jesus Christ, who believes that he took our punishment, was our ransom for us, that God credits that man with righteousness and all of that persons sins are now forgiven.

For the Jew in chapter 2, Paul addressed two core beliefs for the Jew in that they believed (1) because they were called a Jew and were a Jew that they had special privileges and had been collectively grafted into salvation for the Law had been given to them and (2) through the act of circumcision, a commandment given only to the Jew that by practicing this circumcision they had the components necessary to be seen as accepted by God. Paul addresses each of these in the latter half of chapter 2 bringing attention to the Jew that (1) though they have the Law they have not practiced it and have transgressed and (2) clarifies that circumcision is a commandment that is given by God, but circumcision in and of itself doesn't save a person, but is something that exhibits our faith.

On the heals of the message of David and the quotation of Psalm 32:1-2 which stated, "How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!", Paul once again states to the Jew that circumcision does not make a person righteous but righteousness comes about when a person is really uncircumcised.

Verse 9 states, "Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also?" Blessing is being reckoned or credited with righteousness apart from works. So, is the blessing of being credited righteousness apart from works there once the requirement of circumcision has been performed. In essence, does this blessing come with it an expectation of an act being performed? But also what is being asked is whether or not the blessing is limited to Abraham's descendants. Abraham and David's examples have been given, so is their now a connecting between the descendant or Jew and circumcision and thereby the blessing? Must a person be a circumcised Jew to inherit the blessing of righteousness being reckoned apart from works?

Paul here anticipated what his Jewish readers would be thinking.

This is an example of how it is important to understand the beliefs of the person we are speaking with about the Gospel. It is important to understand what they believe because a component of sharing truth is exposing false truth.

Verse 10 states, "How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised." This is really simple and logical. How was Abraham credited with righteousness? Was it while he was a Jew or while he was a Gentile (not circumcised)?

This text is really important because many people are told that God accepts them and they consider themselves to be religious because they have been baptized (sprinkled) or go to church or grew up going to church. Or even because they simple confess their sins once or twice a week to a priest. What makes us a Christian is not what we do, but what Christ has done for us. This is a foreign concept to many and expresses why it is so important for true followers of Christ to preach the good news of Jesus Christ.

Promise: Faith is the Lord's chosen means of transferring the grounds for His declaration to our account. Abraham was declared righteous before He was circumcised.