There are a lot of passages in the Bible that are “doing” verses. We like those because they help us feel like we are able to give something in return for what we have been given. I like those verses because they give me a target to shoot for. But then there are passages like Romans 4. They are not about what WE do, but what God does, or has done. They are not passages that give us 3 things to do when we leave, but they are passages that motivate and inspire. The Bible is a tremendous book, the the most valuable thing about it is that it teaches us about God – his nature, character and heart.

While chapter 4 might seem like a Jewish scholar prattling on about the heritage of the people and the life of their founder, it is much more about God than it is about Abraham.

Romans 4:1–5 NIV

¹ What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

Abraham was a man of faith. The Bible is clear about that. And Abraham’s faith led him to do some amazing things in obedience to God. However, Paul declares in verse 2:

Romans 4:2 “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works (and he couldn’t be), he had something to boast about—but not before God.”

We know Abraham was not justified by works. But, even if he could have been, Paul says he would have nothing to boast about before God. Why would he say that?

For that answer we need to delve into his argument.

Romans 4:4 “Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.”

How many of you soldiers signed up to be in the army and checked the box “[] please do not pay me. I work for free.”  I can assure you, that if I said to my employees at the end of the week, “Thanks for volunteering this week.” They would not be back next week! Or if I said, “Here is a gift for you for working this week.” They would like at me like I had 4 heads.

Each week you work you deserve to get paid, right? If you did not get your check (actually most of you have probably never seen a check, so let me rephrase that) if you did not get your direct deposit, you would probably approach your boss and say, “You owe me. I earned this.” There is nothing wrong with that! That is a good thing.

1 Timothy 5:18 “ For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.””

Your boss is obligated, because you entered into an employment agreement with him/her. But God never entered into a contract like that with humanity. God provided to law to show that no amount of work we could ever do would earn enough to gain us favor with God.

Many approach eternity with a mindset of, if I work hard enough, God will let me in. If I am good enough, God will want me with him.

It’s like walking up to God and saying, “I did good things, you owe me! I earned this! I deserve this”.

We have in our mind a system of equity. My good works on one side, my sins on the other. Like a scale.

“I am a good person, I have done good things, I will get into heaven.” God OWES it to me? Nope.

We could never do enough good works for God to owe us.

It is not in the contract. God never made an agreement with mankind that it would work that way.

Paul continue with his argument this way:

Romans 4:5 “5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.”

Paul says that there is something that is more valuable in the economy of the kingdom. Trust/faith. It is a different kind of currency than works.

I heard we have a building project we are getting ready to start, so I thought I would contribute towards it. Brought with me, 2 Million Dollars. (pull out Monopoly money) I am sure that we can put a building up now!

There is no backing to the currency, is there? There is no value because the source of the $$. It is just paper to be burned, or played with, but it certainly will not help if you really need to buy something – other than houses and hotels in a board game.

There are good works that we are created and saved to do, but the point is that when it comes to being right with God – to being saved, OUR WORKS don’t count for anything because:

Works are not the currency of heaven.

Our works have no backing in heaven for salvation. It is not the currency that it takes to pay off the debt that we owe, just like my monopoly money could not pay of a mortgage on my house, or even lunch after the service.

Our works, the things that we do, don’t count towards our getting into heaven. Even the good deeds that we do, the right things that we do, have no value when it comes to receiving our forgiveness or gaining entry into heaven:

Isaiah 64:6 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…”

While we might think our good deeds are something to boast about, and something God will accept, they are like dirty rags. They have the value of Monopoly money in God’s economy. No matter how much monopoly money I have, it will all equal zero at Walmart. No matter how many good works I have, they will all just be a pile of dirty rags in heaven.

Works is the currency of every other religion known to man – past and present.  In every other religion known to man, it is the actions of a person that might save them. If they think the right things, act the right way, say the right words, or sacrifice their lives for the right cause, they hope to be “good enough” to reach heaven, the afterlife, godhood, or peace.

No major religion, past or present, teaches salvation solely by faith in the way Christianity does.

Christianity (especially Protestant Christianity)

Unique emphasis:

• Salvation is a received by , not earned by works. gift faith alone
• Good works follow as evidence, not cause, of salvation.

This “faith alone” doctrine is historically distinctive.

Religions That Emphasize Faith + Something

These religions value faith or trust, but still require works, rituals, moral effort, or spiritual practice to achieve salvation, liberation, or a good afterlife.

Zoroastrianism (historical)

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered How to Get to Heaven—What Are the Ideas from the Different Religions?

Zoroastrianism: Zoroastrianism may be the first religion that stated that the afterlife was dependent one’s actions in life. There is no reincarnation, just a simple judgment four days after death. After a sufficient amount of time in hell, however, even the condemned can go to heaven. To be judged righteous, one can use knowledge or devotion, but the most effective way is through action.

Islam

• Faith (iman) is essential, but on Judgment Day. works are weighed. Paradise requires both belief and righteous deeds.

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered How to Get to Heaven—What Are the Ideas from the Different Religions?

Muslims believe salvation comes to those who obey Allah sufficiently that good deeds outweigh the bad. Muslims hope that repeating what Muhammad did and said will be enough to get to heaven, but they also recite extra prayers, fast, go on pilgrimages, and perform good works in hope of tipping the scales. Martyrdom in service to Allah is the only work guaranteed to send a worshiper to paradise.

Hinduism

• Bhakti (devotion/faith) can be a path to liberation.

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered How to Get to Heaven—What Are the Ideas from the Different Religions?

Salvation (or Moksha) is reached when the worshiper is freed from the cycle of reincarnation, and his spirit becomes one with god. One becomes free by ridding oneself of bad karma—the effect of evil action or evil intent. This can be done in three different ways: through selfless devotion to and service of a particular god, through understanding the nature of the universe, or by mastering the actions needed to fully appease the gods.

Buddhism

• Faith in the Buddha’s teachings matters. But liberation requires ethical living, meditation, and wisdom.

Sikhism

• Faith in God is central. But liberation requires righteous living, humility, and remembrance of God.

Confucianism:

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered How to Get to Heaven—What Are the Ideas from the Different Religions?

Confucianism concentrates on appropriate behavior in life, not a future heaven. The afterlife is unknowable, so all effort should be made to make this life the best it can be, to honor ancestors, and to respect elders.

Christianity is unique in teaching salvation by faith alone.

Other religions may emphasize:

• faith,
• devotion,
• trust,
• or divine grace,

…but all of them combine faith with works, rituals, moral effort, or spiritual practice as necessary components of salvation or liberation.

Sadly, even some Christian denominations have appendage works onto the salvation equation. At the Council of Trent, the Catholic church make the declaration that salvation only comes by faith AND baptism, and that one has to work in hopes of attaining it salvation. This is a works based salvation, and is not what the Bible teaches.

What makes Christianity different?

1. First, it recognizes a perfect Creator.
2. Second, it sets the standard of entrance into heaven as perfection.
3. Third, it is the only religion were this same God paid a price to provide a way for people to be with Him.

Romans 4:23–25 CSB

²³ Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone, ²⁴ but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

The price that was paid for us to have peace with God, was the life of Jesus.

And RATHER than asking people to pay it back, he simply asks for trust – to believe him. Why?

The currency of heaven is faith.

While works and good deeds can help strengthen a relationship, relationships are born out of trust. Our God is not a distant God.

›     ask: are you aware that God know everything about you?

He knows everything about us:

Psalm 139:13–16 NLT

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. ¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. ¹⁶ You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

God did not create us just to ignore us. He knows what we need before we ask. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows our thoughts. He knows.… us.

And his great desire to be in relationship with you.

But we cannot be at peace with God until our debt is settled. Until our sins are paid for. I am going to jump 1 verse ahead of our passage:

Romans 5:1 CSB

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have peace with God. We are reconciled to God. That is what God wanted, and he wanted it so badly that he did for us what we could not do for ourselves – he purchased it.

I am proud to be an citizen of the USA. If you want to become a citizen it costs between $700-$900 US dollars.

The President has a program where someone can pay to become a citizen faster. The Trump gold Card. I couldn’t make this stuff up. “For a $15,000 DHS processing fee and, after background approval, a contribution of $1 million, receive U.S. residency in record time with the Trump Gold Card.”  So for a mere $1,015,000 you can fast track your US citizenship.

While you may think that is arrogant, or even extreme, the US does not even come close to making the top 10 list for most expensive countries to become a citizen of. What do you think is the MOST expensive country to become a citizen of:

Malta: USD 6.2 million for EU citizenship, offering visa-free travel to 190+ countries, voting rights, and access to European healthcare and education.

The average American earns approximately $1.5 to $1.7 million over their lifetime, depending on various factors such as gender, education, and occupation. ~ Knowles Group

A U.S. Army officer serving 30 years, progressing moderately to O-5, and receiving typical allowances can expect total career earnings of approximately $3.8 to $4 million before taxes. This estimate captures base pay plus standard allowances and conservative bonuses. ~ Copilot

So I guess not many in this room are going to become citizens of Malta, eh?

If that is the most expensive place on earth to become a citizen…

›     ask: What would be a appropriate price to become a citizen of heaven?

I can tell you. Honestly. The price that was paid was the life of the perfect Son of God.

1 Corinthians 6:20 “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

So, even if you COULD do enough works to earn God’s favor, and you can’t, it is not going to help. Because it could never be enough to compensate for he life of the Son of God. Because we could never pay off the debt. The price that was paid was the life of the perfect Son of God.

Salvation is a Gift

INSTEAD God offers salvation as a gift. You do not work for a gift.

Romans 4:4–5 CSB

⁴ Now to the one who works, pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed. ⁵ But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.

Paul says this in the negative and implies it. It you work, it is not a gift. But it is meant to be a gift, not something you work for. And just in case that is too subtle, he will later just flat out say it:

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When someone gives you a gift there is no payment on your part.  You also do not earn a gift, not do you get part of a gift and hope to get the rest of it.

Speaking of gits… did anyone have a birthday this past week? Give the GIFT to that person. To experience that gift the receiver has to open it. HOWEVER: I kept about 100 of the 178 pieces of that Lego set. I wanted you to have the box so you can see what is coming, but I only gave you enough pieces to get started. Each year, on your birthday I will assess if you have been good enough to receive a few more of the pieces, and I am hopeful that you will be good enough to get all the pieces in your lifetime.

Absurd, right? That is certainly no any definition of a gift that I have ever had. Salvation is not that way, either. It is something received.

What God has done for us.

There is a big difference between wages and gifts. That is something Paul wanted to get across to us. But he also wants us to see what really matters to God and what God has done for us.

Chapter 4 has 2 repeated words we should notice.

• 15 TIMES – Faith/Believe (remember, they are the noun/verb forms of the same root word)
• 10 TIME – Counted/Credited

Believe

I think in the US we struggle with accepting that faith/belief is what it takes to be saved. Perhaps that is because we have cheapened the word “believe”.  The Biblical understanding of “believe” is not the American belief like, I believe in the tooth fairy or Santa Clause. It is I believe in God, the one who speaks things into existence and raises the dead, (4:17) and my life is meant to be his.

It is Romans 4:21 “being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

And in light of that we chose to give our life back to him because of who he is and what he has done for us. Belief in the Biblical sense is something that changes the way we live.

Counted

Count. Credit. Consider.

The word “credited” 10 times in this passage. 19 Times in Romans, 40 Times in the NT

λογίζομαι (logizomai). vb. calculate; consider; think about; believe. Refers to the process of reasoning or calculation, or to the logical result arrived at by such a process.

The Greek word is λογίζομαι and it comes from the root word λεγω – which is pronounced lego.

What are the things that are “counted”?

• faith -> credited as righteousness (3)
• wages -> credited as something due (4)
• faith -> credited as righteousness (5)
• NOT WORKS -> credited as righteousness (6)
• faith -> credited as righteousness (9)
• faith -> credited as righteousness (11 twice)
• faith -> credited as righteousness (13)
• faith -> credited as righteousness 22)

Paul gives us two examples of divine accounting in this letter: Abraham and David. With Abraham we see what God counts for us. With David we see what God chooses not to count against us.

When someone places their faith in Jesus, God chooses TO count them as accepted.

Romans 4:3 CSB

³ For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.

Abraham’s FAITH was CREDITED as being RIGHT WITH GOD.

And because of faith God chooses NOT to count our sins against us.

Romans 4:6–8 NIV

⁶ David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ⁷ “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. ⁸ Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

David’s SINS were NOT CREDITED to his Account.

If we were keeping score, or counting, God chooses to credit our account with being right, and at the same time subtract from our account the sins we have done wrong.

When we place our faith in God, he makes a deposit in our account -> a tremendous deposit! He pays for our debt (sins) and does not count them as part of our account any longer.

That is what it means when we read salvation is a GIFT from God and it is by the GRACE of God.

I mentioned this is one of those passages that reminds us of God, who he is. This is not an US passage. Our works are useless. Our efforts fall short. Our best is not enough.

But we see God’s character, power and compassion:

• God credits sinners with righteousness
• God chooses not credit those who believe with their sins
• God gives life to the dead
• God calls (speaks) things into existence that do not exist
• God makes promises and keeps them
• God sacrificed Jesus for us and raised Jesus from the dead

God is the one you and I have sinned against.  So God is the only one who can truly pardon that offense and who gets to establish the terms of that pardon. So, he gave his Son for us, so we could be forgiven. The God who spoke things into being declares that you can be right with him if you will trust Him.

The God whose words created all that we see out of nothing, has declared that if you trust him – if you look to Jesus and believe that he is the Son of God who died for your sins – he will declare you right in his eyes.

Friends,

• We cannot work our way into heaven. God did not make that contract with mankind.
• We cannot do enough good things that God would owe us a place in heaven.
• We cannot do enough good things to payback the price that was paid for us.

The good news is that we do not have to. God offers forgiveness and peace with Him if we will just believe him.

Titus 3:4–8 NIV

⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸ This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Praise God for his mercy – that he chooses to provide a way for us to be reconciled to him, and all it costs is our pride – we simply need to believe and trust in the work that HE has done for us.