Romans 4:9-12 GOD’S WORD Translation
9 Are only the circumcised people blessed, or are uncircumcised people blessed as well? We say, “Abraham’s faith was regarded as the basis of God’s approval.” 10 How was his faith regarded as the basis of God’s approval? Was he circumcised or was he uncircumcised at that time? He had not been circumcised. 11 Abraham’s faith was the basis of his approval by God while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as the basis of their approval by God. 12 He is also the father of those who not only are circumcised but also are following in the footsteps of his faith. Our father Abraham had that faith before he was circumcised.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Paul’s letter to the followers at Rome gives each reader a step by step logical sequence to show that salvation is by grace only through faith in Christ Jesus.
It tells us that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus (to those that are born again), because they are positioned in Christ, imputed with His righteousness, baptized into the Body of Christ (which is the Church) and accepted in the Beloved – and it is all strictly by grace through faith in Him.
Paul uses the great historical figures of Abraham and David to demonstrate that it is not through righteous living or good works that we are declared righteous, but that it is by faith in the Son of God Who died for the sin of the whole world.
And it is not by being born a Jew or by being circumcised on the 8th day as the Law required, that qualifies sinners to be declared righteousness – but by faith alone in the Son of Man Who came to earth, loved us and gave Himself for us.
As a Hebrew of the Hebrews and a highly educated Pharisee who held the most advantageous Jewish pedigree, Paul took pains to emphasize that although the Jewish nation was God’s chosen people, they do not hold a monopoly on God’s justification and redemption, for justification and redemption is only by grace alone strictly through faith in Savior Christ Jesus to both Jew and Gentile alike.
To continuously hammer this truth home, Paul the Pharisee of all Pharisees, reminds all those who seek to elevate their physical genealogy of Jewish people to their forefather Abraham above the rest the nations and to magnify their importance in God’s redemptive program, that they are all badly misguided.
Paul reminds them that Abraham was an uncircumcised Gentile when God called him out of the Ur of the Chaldees, and Abraham believed God and was therefore credited with righteousness, due to his faith in God’s promise.
It was by grace though faith in the coming Messiah that Abraham and David were credited with their righteousness, and it is by grace through faith in the finished work of the Messiah that you and I are credited with righteousness.
Praise God that He is no respecter of persons and all He requires of you and me is to unequivocally trust in His Word and also believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Should we not, even in these most faithless of times seek to only glorify His holy name in all we say and do, for without Him we would have remained dead in our trespasses and separated from God forever, but ultimately IN Christ we are imputed with His righteousness – by God’s grace through faith in Him.
Romans 4 is Paul’s proof that faith has always been the means for justification.
Paul reflects back to the Old Testament patriarchs who were justified by faith, not works, to illustrate his theological point.
Paul uses this ancient illustration from Genesis, an illustration very familiar to every Jew, to prove all the Gentiles were part of this promise given to Abraham.
The whole world was blessed through Abraham because he chose to believe God rather than the high stressors of his present ever changing circumstances and, because of this “circumcision,” his faith was credited to him as righteousness.
Our Baptism: Our Own Sign for Our Today’s Like Our Father Abraham’s Sign of Circumcision for His Days
Romans 4:9-12 New International Version
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
The water of baptism is a physical “sign” that points us symbolically to the washing away of sin, death to sin, through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
It is also a spiritual “sign” of the renewing work of God’s Spirit in all our lives.
So in the way we live, think, speak, and act it should be clear that, only but by the grace of God, we are different, set apart (“holy”) – as a song puts it clearly, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love”—of our Father God and all people.
Water baptism, then, is really important.
The sacrament of baptism is public and experiential, and it awakens, it engages our imaginations.
When an adult or baby is baptized, the congregation is asked to make promises to nurture that person in the faith, to help them as they follow God’s calling.
Making these vows and seeing the ritual reminds us of the promises that were made over us at our own baptism, and the entire sacrament reminds us of the ancient covenant promises of God going all of the way back to the Patriarchs.
Abraham’s circumcision, our Baptism, all road signs of the day, something that points the participant beyond “self” to a destination, guiding all those who see.
Baptism is like that, life lived beyond baptism, pointing the community of faith to the reality of God’s grace found in the saving work of Christ for us – It guides us ever forward in the life of faith until the day Jesus returns to renew all things.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Our Heavenly Father, thank You that You are no respecter of persons, and that You stooped down to save the whole world, Jew and Gentile alike, from our sins, by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You for all of the wonderful examples throughout Your Word, that repeatedly demonstrate that salvation is through faith in the death and Resurrection of Christ, and that I am imputed with His righteousness and indwelt by His Spirit, by grace through faith. May the new resurrection life of Christ in me glorify You, in thought, word, and deed. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me
Song by CityAlight
Lyrics
What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh how strange and divine, I can sing, “All is mine”
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh the chains are released, I can sing, “I am free”
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
With every breath I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Michael Farren / Rich Thompson / Jonny Robinson
Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me lyrics © Farren Love And War Publishing, Integrity’s Alleluia! Music, Cityalight Music
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 