A Better Sacrifice
Romans 4:2-3
“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.”” -Romans 4:2–3
In verse 2, Paul offers something like an enthymeme—an argument with an implied premise (because it should be obvious based on what has already been established by Paul’s argument)—to set up his next train of arguments: that Abraham’s example proves righteousness is obtained by faith.
If the enthymeme in verse 2 were expanded into a complete syllogism, it could be understood to say:
Premise 1: If Abraham was justified by works, he would have something to boast about (or glory in) before the throne of God.
Premise 2: But he does not have any works to bring before God which would merit his own righteousness
Conclusion: therefore, he was not justified by works.
With this, Paul immediately moves to his real point. By testimony of the Scripture, he demonstrates that Abraham was justified by faith. Here he quotes from Genesis 15:6: “And he [Abraham] believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”
God’s righteousness was imputed to Abraham because he simply believed what God promised him. Some contend that Paul stretches the use of this scenario to apply it to eternal salvation by faith in Christ. But it’s no stretch. God’s promise to Abraham was a covenant of grace, like ours:
“And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”” -Genesis 15:4–5
Whereby having taken possession of the covenant by faith, it was counted (added to his income ledger as it were) to Abraham as righteousness, which is the same thing as saying he was counted justified before the throne of God.
John Calvin commenting on this verse says,
Abraham, by believing, embraced nothing but the favour offered to him, being persuaded that it would not be void. Since this was imputed to him for righteousness, it follows, that he was not otherwise just, than as one trusting in God’s goodness, and venturing to hope for all things from him.
Like Abraham, we today who are under the new covenant (really, the same covenant of faith but with a better sacrifice Cf. Hebrews 6:13-8:13) are also not justified by our own works. (If Abraham couldn’t be, we certainly couldn’t be.) Rather, the promise of the gospel is brought to us—that is the good news of Christ’s work on our behalf—and we can only take possession of the promise by the instrument of faith.
If we believe God about ministry of Jesus, it is counted to us as righteousness before the throne of God.
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