Romans 4:5-8 ‘David Celebrates The Same Truth’

Text
Rom 4:5
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

• Why does Paul say ‘does not work’ here? Why doesn’t he just say – to him who believes on Him…Why does he add that he doesn’t do any work? Well I think he is trying to make a point to the stubborn Jews. He is trying to make a point that we have to give up the idea that we should be working towards justification. Faith lays aside works completely and says ‘I can’t do it!’
• Note that this does not mean that faith and works do not go hand in hand (as explained in James). It means that our attitude must be one of complete self-denial and turning away from our own self-righteousness. We need to give up working!

Rom 4:6
just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

• Paul brings on another Old Testament example, another of the great men of Judaism. David. David had no reason to believe his works got him anywhere, given his act of adultery and subsequent murder (I mean, who among us can say they’ve physically done that! – I don’t actually want to know…). He knew he had sinned greatly, and so he knew that any righteousness he had was imputed to him by God. This means that it was freely given or set upon him. It was definitely apart form works.

Rom 4:7
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;

• The quote in this verse and the next is from Psa 32:1 and Psa 32:2 – written after his sin with Bathsheba.
• Interesting that he should use the word covered, which is what happened in the Old Testament when the sacrifices were made – God said he covered their sins by the blood of the animal (and so were ready to be completely taken away through the real efficient blood of Jesus). Our sins are no longer covered, they are separated from us as far as the east is from the west. They are completely forgotten. But David was obviously looking forward to the time when God would not merely cover but take away

Rom 4:8
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."

• The LORD does not impute sin to those He has forgiven, but His righteousness. All is from God. Nothing is of ourselves. David knew this intimately. Paul then has concluded that both Abraham and David, two of the most important Jewish fathers, had received justification and righteousness not by their works but from God through faith. And it is a blessing!

 

SUMMARY
Paul moves onto the second of his two Old Testament examples (before going back to the first), David. He shows that David receives righteousness from God alone and not by his own works, since he writes so right after a well-known and terrible sin.

WHAT DO I LEARN?
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin! Thankyou oh my God of wonder and love!