This evening's message comes to us from the fourth chapter of Romans, Romans 4, verses 1-8. And so I'll ask if you would please turn in your Bibles to Romans 4 and join with me in the reading of God's Word. I'll begin reading in Romans 4, verse 1, and then we'll go into the preaching of the Word. So let's hear now the Word of the Lord, Romans 4, beginning in verse 1. hear now God's word. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due. And to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. May God add his blessing to this reading from his holy and inspired word. Martin Luther, of course, the famous 16th century reformer, if you were to have asked him whether or not he loved God, at least earlier in his life, he would have said, Love God? Absolutely not. I hate him. Now those words may seem like a surprise to us, given the knowledge of Martin Luther's reputation as the great 16th century reformer. But at that point in his life, he still had not really truly embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ. He came to certain passages of scripture, such as the opening of Paul's epistle to the Romans, particularly chapter 1, verse 17, where Paul talks about in it, meaning in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. And as Luther approached that text, he believed that it spoke of God's righteousness in the judgment that he would bring against sinners. And in one sense, Luther was correct. Luther believed and recognized that he was profoundly sinful. He was acutely aware of all of the times that he would sin. He knew that God could see everything, that knew everything, could hear everything, knew every single thought in his mind. And so he thought, how could I possibly stand before the throne of the all-seeing, all-knowing God and think that I could somehow escape his righteous judgment? But blessedly, the Spirit of God fell upon him and opened his eyes that he would understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. And Luther writes, at last, meditating day and night by the mercy of God, I gave heed to the context of the words. In it, the righteousness of God is revealed. As it is written, he who through faith is righteous shall live. Then I began to understand the righteousness of God is a gift. A gift of God, namely received by faith. Here I felt as if I was entirely born again and entered paradise itself through gates that had been flung open. An entirely new side of the scriptures opened itself to me. And I extolled my sweetest word with a love as great as the loathing with which before I had hated the term, the righteousness of God. Luther recognized that the righteousness that Paul spoke of in the opening of Paul's letter to Rome was the gift of righteousness. The perfect obedience and suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ given to those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ by faith alone, that is received by God's grace alone. So that yes, that sinners like Luther or that sinners like you and me can stand before a righteous and holy judge and have him bring blessing upon us to give us eternal life because the satisfaction of Christ has been given paying the penalty for our sins. And Christ's righteousness has been given in complete fulfillment of every jot and tittle of the law so that when God looks upon us, he sees us as perfectly righteous. Not merely as those who are innocent. And certainly not those that are sinful, but rather those who are righteous, who have fulfilled every single conceivable aspect of the law. And this was the message that Luther embraced. And this is the message that we must embrace. Yet over the years, whether in Paul's day, whether later on in church history, whether in Luther's day, whether in our day, there are always people who come to the gospel of Christ and they think, certainly that's too good to be true. surely there's got to be something that I have to do in order to please God. So much so that even as a pastor, sometimes I would conduct membership interviews and be talking to somebody who had been a member of the church for many, many years. And we'd ask, looking for a basic profession of faith, saying, well, why should Christ let you into his kingdom? And as the words would fall out of their mouths and drop coldly upon the floor, they would say, well, because I've tried to live a good life. And it's at that point that my heart would sink down into my feet because I knew that there was a lot of work to do to try to have the person understand that that is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. In spite of Paul's clarity, over the years people have repeatedly sought to placate God's wrath and his righteousness by some sort of salvific alchemy where if they can mix their good works, their obedience, somehow with the grace of God, they can produce the gold of salvation. And yet, beloved, if we pay close attention to Paul's words here in Romans chapter 4, verses 1 through 8, we'll see that it was Paul's desire for the Romans as well as especially even for us here this evening to embrace Christ alone by faith alone by trusting in what Christ has done for us and that we would be declared righteous not based upon what we have done but based upon what Christ has done through what Paul would call or calls imputed righteousness where God accredits, where he accounts Christ's perfect law-keeping and his suffering to us. So it may be a little bit unorthodox, but tonight's sermon only has two points. Two points. Understanding the nature of faith, and then secondly, that it is Christ's imputed righteousness that we receive by faith alone. First of all, let's give thought to faith. I think if we look at Romans 4, 1 through 8, and indeed if we look at the whole of Romans 4, faith is one of the themes that Paul continues to beat the drum. He says in verses 1 through 3, What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather, according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. But what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. I think so often people think that they've got to curry God's favor by their obedience. And that's the only way that they can avoid his wrath. And they hope that God somehow grades on a curve. They know that they're not perfectly righteous. But so long as God, you know, kind of looks kindly upon their sincere obedience, then they'll be accepted. But notice that Paul does not invoke Abraham's obedience here. He says that if it was on the basis of obedience, well then Abraham might have something to boast about. But that's not what the scriptures say, Paul writes. Abraham believed God. He believed God. Recall that when God promised to give him many, many descendants, Abraham looked and he had no descendants. He only had Eliezer of Damascus, his servant. Yet God said, believe in me, trust in my promise, that I will give you heirs as numerous as the sand on the seashore. So Abraham believed. And the text says that God credited to it, imputed it to him as righteousness. Now this is a stark contrast, a stark contrast, beloved, in how Paul's contemporaries understood Abraham. You see, Paul doesn't appeal to Abraham's supposed goodness. Whereas Paul's contemporaries in his day, they did appeal to Abraham's goodness. From one ancient writing from Paul's day, 1 Maccabees. Was not Abraham found faithful when tested? And it was reckoned to him as righteousness. That's the exact opposite of what Paul says. Paul's contemporaries said, well, because Abraham was obedient. God credited to him as righteousness. Was not Abraham found faithful? Another passage from an ancient writing coming from around Paul's lifetime called Jubilees says, for Abraham was perfect in all of his actions with the Lord and was pleasing through righteousness all the days of his life. Here Paul's contemporaries said, Abraham was faithful, he was righteous, and even perfect in all of his actions. So much so that God looked down upon Abraham and said, wow, look at this guy. I think I want to get into an arrangement with this guy because it set up a covenant because look how faithful he is. Yet Paul says nothing of the sort. He says, Abraham believed God. He does not appeal to Abraham's goodness. And in fact, he says the exact opposite. Notice verses 4 and 5. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due. And to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Paul, in a sense, does the unthinkable. He identifies supposedly Abraham as perfect in all of his ways, faithful and righteous throughout his life, as ungodly. Ungodly. The diametrically opposite kind of evaluation that Paul's contemporaries were making about the great patriarch Abraham. Paul's contemporaries said Abraham was perfect. Paul says he's unrighteous. Paul's contemporaries said, God justified Abraham because of his obedience. Paul says, no, not his obedience. It's because he believed. He trusted. He looked to the promise that God gave him and trusted in God by faith. And he looked to the promise of the fulfillment of the gospel in Christ by faith. And so Paul clearly, clearly places obedience in stark antithesis to faith. The ungodly have no path to being declared righteous in God's sight by their own obedience. It's the fool's errand. It is impossible. Because not only do all of us, as sinful human beings, have the albatross of Adam's original sin hanging around our necks, dragging us down, keeping us firmly planted upon the earth. But what James says in chapter 2, verse 10, is that to break the law at one point is to break the whole law. There is no such thing as graded on a curve. There is no such thing as, well, you know what? I only missed one or two questions on the exam. You need to score perfect in word, in thought, in deed. There is no halfway. There is no partial measure. This means that you're either declared righteous in God's sight by perfect obedience to the law or by believing in the promise of the gospel that comes through Jesus Christ. This is the only path, therefore, that we as sinful human beings have is trusting in the work of Jesus Christ and his obedience and his satisfaction, his perfect suffering. Beloved, if we have any doubts, any doubts whatsoever that this is Paul's point, I don't know if you've ever done this before, but take note as to how many times Paul uses the words related to faith or believe in this chapter. Verse 3, Abraham believed God. Verse 5, to the one who does not work but believes. Verse 9, faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. Verse 11, circumcision as a seal of the righteousness he had by faith. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe. Verse 12, footsteps of faith. Verse 13, the promise did not come through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Verse 14, for if adherence to the law are to be the heirs, faith is null. Verse 16, that is why it depends on faith, but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham. Verse 18, he believed against hope. Verse 19, he did not weaken in faith. Verse 20, no unbelief made him waver, but he grew strong in his faith. Verse 22, faith was counted to him as righteousness. Verse 24, it will be counted to us who believe. Beloved, Paul uses faith or believe a staggering 16 times, 16 times in this one chapter. If there's any doubt as to what Paul's point was, I don't know of any other way that he could have made it clear. He is banging the drum for faith ever so loudly, saying, it's not by your obedience, it's by faith in Christ, by trusting in what he has done for you, not in what you have done for yourself or could do for yourself. It's what we would call an extrospective faith, not something that is introspective, that looks within somehow to ourselves to produce what is necessary, but rather it is a God-given faith, by his grace, that enables us to look outside of ourselves to the person and work of Jesus Christ to receive and to trust what he has done for us by faith. Should there therefore be any doubt about how we as sinners stand righteous before our holy God? Is it by works? Clearly not. Paul closes that door and it's by faith alone. Verse 6, the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works, which ultimately, this only echoes points that Paul has made earlier in his epistle, such as what he says in Romans chapter 3, verse 20, for by works of the law, no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. Beloved, it's by faith in Christ, by trusting in him and trusting in Christ alone. But secondly, what does it mean to be accounted righteous? What does it mean to receive the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ by faith alone? Well, this is the second chief element, among others, that Paul presses in Romans chapter 4, but especially here in Romans 4 verses 1 through 8. To impute, or to accredit, or to count is ultimately an accounting term, a legal term. Imagine columns in a ledger, in a financial ledger, where you credit somebody with money in one column, or you deduct money if they have debts. I remember being ever so happy one time when I received my credit card bill, and it showed my $100 payment as being a $10,000 payment. I wanted to go run and buy a lot of things. before they figured out that that had been accredited to my account. I called them and they said, oh, thank you for pointing out the error. And I was like, what, no finder's reward or anything? That's $9,900 I just saved you guys. That's what it means to impute or to accredit, to put it in the ledger on one side. And so righteousness, on the other hand, keep this in mind, very simply is obedience to the law of God. Deuteronomy 6, verse 25, as the Israelites were reflecting upon all of God's law, they said, and it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God as he has commanded us. Obey the law, and God says you're righteous. But note two things. I think two things that stick out as Paul brings these concepts forward. First of all, it clearly says in the Old Testament that Israel should not justify the wicked. How can somebody who is grossly guilty of sin and wicked enter into the courtroom and have an Israelite judge say, you're innocent, you're righteous? It's a miscarriage of judgment, justice. It's a miscarriage of justice. Exodus 23, 7, keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. Proverbs 17, 5, he who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. So how is it then that God can declare ungodly Abraham righteous? Doesn't this violate his own law? And if his law is a reflection of his character, how can he justify the wicked? Justify the ungodly? Doesn't this go against the very nature of God? Well, the short answer is no. How does he get about this then? How is it that he can justify ungodly Abraham? Beloved, it's because God declares ungodly Abraham righteous on the basis of Christ's perfect law-keeping and sacrifice. It's because Christ stands in our place. God does not simply erase the sin. He doesn't write it off. He doesn't turn away. He doesn't ignore it. He deals with it. And it's by His Son suffering the penalty of the law on our behalf, dying in our place. And it is by His Son being perfect in word, thought, and deed to every single commandment of the law in every conceivable way that we could think of. This is what Paul says so clearly earlier in his epistle in Romans chapter 3, verses 21 and following. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it. The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction for all who have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. Paul is saying, it is Christ who provides the perfect law-keeping. It is Christ who provides the perfect suffering, bearing of the penalty on our behalf. So God does not violate the law, His character, nor does He ignore it or write off sin. Rather, He sends His Son to obey the law and to bear the punishment on our behalf. Our redemption, as Martin Luther has called it, is essentially this glorious exchange where God imputes, He accredits, He puts into Christ's side of the ledger all of our sin. And then on our side of the ledger, He imputes or accredits all of Christ's perfect law-keeping and suffering. When a couple gets married, everything that belongs to the husband becomes the wife's, and everything that belongs to the wife becomes the husband. They're one person. They're one person. I tell my wife that my books belong to me. I don't know how much she's convinced of that. But you get the idea. When Christ marries us, as Paul describes it in the fifth chapter of Ephesians, that it is this marriage relationship where Christ lays down his life for us, his bride, and he takes all of our sin upon himself and he bears it for us and he gives to us all of his perfect righteousness and suffering so that when God looks at us through the perfect obedience and suffering of his son, we are, as Paul says, hidden in Christ. Hidden in Christ. Now once again, if we have any doubts whether Paul is concerned to drive this point home, all we have to do is take a look at how many times Paul says counted in the fourth chapter. Verse 3, it was counted to him as righteousness. Verse 5, unto the one who does not work but believes in him who justified the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Verse 6, David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Verse 8, blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. Verse 9, faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. Verse 10, how was it counted to him? Verse 11, so that faith would be counted to them as well. Verse 22, his faith was counted to him as righteousness. Verse 23, but the words it was counted to him were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. Verse 24, it will be counted to us who believe in him who raised Jesus, raised from the dead Jesus our Lord. Paul invokes this term counted 10 times, 10 times in the fourth chapter. Is there any doubt? Is there any doubt that this was Paul's point? Faith alone, 16 times, counted to those who believe Christ's perfect righteousness, 10 times. This is, I think, Paul's driving points here in Romans chapter 4, verses 1 through 8, as well as more broadly here in the fourth chapter. Beloved, Paul wanted the Romans and he wanted you to recognize that salvation comes by God's grace alone, through faith alone, trusting in Christ alone. There is no other path to redemption. And it's this message that the unbelieving world needs to hear so desperately. I think so often as we get the impression that the culture and the society is just crumbling around us, sinking further and further into greater immorality and being unashamed and not simply being unashamed, but if not being boisterous and prideful in its immoral conduct. And I think the attraction, the temptation for the church as an institution might be to try to take up certain social elements that we could somehow combat this death spiral. Beloved, the strongest instrument that we have in our arsenal, and indeed the chief instrument that we have, is to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to this lost and dying world. We must double down on the gospel. We must pick up the sword of the gospel, and we must bring the light of the gospel to the world. This was Paul's point. Listen to this catalog, if you will, of sinners that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 6 verses 9 and following and what he says about their status. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And in some of the most glorious words in all of the scriptures, and such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Beloved, the world desperately needs to hear the gospel. And we must take it to them by every and any means possible. But this is also a message for us, for believers, that we repeatedly need to hear, meditate upon, and cherish. I think Calvin has to me what is one of the most powerful illustrations about receiving the blessings of redemption through faith alone and wearing that robe of Christ's imputed righteousness. I wouldn't say that it's so much of an exegesis of the passage, but he reflects upon Jacob and Esau as Jacob sought to receive his father's blessing by fooling and tricking his father. He put on Esau's coat so that he would smell like Esau. He put fur on his arms so that if his father asked to touch him that he would feel like Esau. He did everything he could wearing his elder brother's coat to trick his father into giving him the covenant blessing. And Calvin says, what a tremendous gift of God's grace and blessing that it is to know that we need not try to fool our heavenly father as we enter into his presence seeking his blessing. For we need not by deception or trickery try to steal our elder brother's coat, but rather the Father and the Son has freely given us our elder brother's coat that we might wear his perfect robe of righteousness, enter boldly into our heavenly Father's presence, and receive the blessings of the covenant, to receive the adoption of sons and eternal life itself. Don't fear, don't tremble, but rather, beloved, go boldly into the presence of God. For indeed, through Christ alone, the gates of paradise have been flung open. Rush forward into the presence of the Father, not our judge, but our heavenly Father. Your heavenly Father, and know that you have peace with God, and that indeed you are his precious child, because you have received the blessings of redemption, Christ's perfect, imputed righteousness and suffering by faith alone, by God's grace alone. Let's bow together in a word of prayer. Father God, we give you thanks that indeed you have had mercy upon us, we who are indeed ungodly. For apart from Christ, we are most pitiable and deserving of your judgment and condemnation. But your Son has stood in the gap and he has reconciled us to you. Indeed, you have reconciled us to yourself by giving us your Son and applying the work of your Son through your Holy Spirit. Widen the mouth of faith that we might further consume Christ, the manna from heaven. That we would eat and be satisfied. That we would drink and never thirst. That indeed you would satisfy our desire for righteousness and that you would put it in our hearts to seek first your kingdom and all of your righteousness and all of the other things that we worry about will be met by your fatherly care. Give us courage as it seems as though the world gets darker around us that we would not cower before the world but rather we would boldly herald the gospel of Christ. Whether if it's proclaimed from the pulpits of our churches, whether it's shared in one-on-one conversations with friends and family or even strangers. Lord, give us the courage to herald the gospel of free salvation in Christ, that gift of your righteousness that comes only through your Son. We pray and ask all of these things in Christ's name. Amen.