Romans 4:9-15 | Women's Rightly Divided Bible Study

Father God, thank you so much for this time that we can spend reading and studying your word, specifically today in Romans chapter 4. In Jesus's name we pray amen. 

Romans 4:9-15 says

9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

Now, let's look over each verse and discuss them.

9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

[It is NOT only the believing Jews from the prophetic program that are or were saved. Abraham was a believer before the law covenant. In fact, so was Noah, Enoch and even Adam and Eve and some others even before the law covenant or the nation of Israel was formed. God has always wanted all people to be saved, but unfortunately the vast majority of mankind rejects God. The blessedness is God's righteousness imputed to us by faith. It is the most blessed thing to have Christ's righteousness imputed to us from the moment we believed the Gospel!]

11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

[God has wanted both Jew and Gentile to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.]

12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

[Abraham is "father" to both believing Jews and beleving Gentiles. He's also the physical "father", or ancestor, of all physical Jews whether they are believers or not.]

13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

[Abraham simply believed God and God counted it unto him for righteousness. Abraham was not under the law covenant. The promise comes through faith. 

So, even in Israel's program, they are required to have faith. They were also required to have works of faith which meant living according to God's will for them by believing God and obeying his word. This will certainly be true during the tribulation period, where they need to have faith first, and then works of faith by not following the anti-christ and enduring until the end (their faith in God is what will get them through it). Even during that time there will be plenty of other Jews claiming that they keep the law, but they won't have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and so without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is first and foremost absolutely necessary for salvation in their program.

In our dispensation we are only required to have faith. However, as believers we should want to serve God by allowing Christ to live in and through us, but even if we just decide to live carnally for the rest of our lives on earth after we have been saved, God does not take away our salvation- rather, we will suffer loss of rewards at the believers judgment seat of Christ, but we will still be in heaven forever.]

14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

[Trying to keep the law for salvation would never work because the purpose of God giving the nation of Israel the law was to reveal to them their sin nature. As they try to keep the law without faith in God to save them, they actually will sin more (this is explained more in Romans chapters 6-8). For Gentiles, we have our conscience that reveals to us our sin nature (actually, Jews had this as well so they had both the law and the conscience to reveal to them their sin nature). The law is also referred to by Paul as the ministration of death (2 Cor 3:7) And here Paul says that the law worketh wrath. The more that you try to keep the law, the more it stirs up your sin nature to show you that you cannot keep the law, but if you don't learn the lesson of the law, then the more wrath that you store up for yourself. This is why legalism is such an abomination because Christ paid the full payment for our sins and all that is required for us today be saved is to have faith in Christ's death, burial and resurrection as atonement for our sins. We are saved by grace through faith alone PLUS NOTHING. But so many churches are teaching people that they must keep the law in order to be saved. That means that they are storing up wrath for themselves by trying to earn their way into heaven! Even if they do teach that we are saved by grace through faith alone, oftentimes they will then tell you that you must now keep the Mosaic law in order to stay saved or in order to try to please God. But this causes believers to walk after the flesh. If you have recognized your sin nature and then believed the gospel and are saved then you have already learned the lesson of the law. So, by putting themselves under the law, these legalistic Christians just end up sinning even more (they usually hide it well!) and don't have any kind of spiritual maturity and are not allowing Christ to live in and through them, though they might appear to "have it all together" by having a FORM of godliness. This is why right division is so important, so that we understand that we are not under the law today but under grace, and why its also important for us to be established in sound grace doctrine here in the book of Romans so that we understand salvation, our new identity in Christ and how to walk in the Spirit.]

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