Read Romans 4:23–25
Questions from the Scripture text: On account of whom was what written (Romans 4:23)? Only on his account? On whom else’s account (Romans 4:24)? To whom else is righteousness imputed? Upon Whom are we believing—what has He done to Whom? What happened to Jesus in Romans 4:25a? On account of what? What happened to Jesus in verse 25b? On account of what?
Whose faith is accounted for righteousness? Romans 4:23–25 looks forward to the devotional in this week’s midweek meeting. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that just as father Abraham’s faith in Jesus was accounted for righteousness, so also all his faith-children’s faith in Jesus is accounted for righteousness.
As you can tell by the way we retranslated the preposition in the questions, Romans 4:23 is telling us on whose account Genesis 15:6 was written—specifically, on whose account it is written that faith was imputed as righteousness.
Yes, it was written because Abraham was accounted righteous by God as a gift of grace, through believing upon God about His promise made that Christ would solve the sin and death problem.
But it was also written because we ware accounted righteous by God as gift of grace, through believing upon God about His promise kept that Christ has solved the sin and death problem.
The entire chapter’s line of thought has been leading up to this: it is by faith that Abraham became the father-in-faith to whom a multitude of believers from many nations would become children-in-faith. So what was written about Abraham’s faith is equally true about our faith.
▪Our faith is a gift from God.
▪Our faith is not rewarded with righteousness as a wage but is that through which we come to be counted as righteous.
▪Our faith is both a believing into Jesus and a believing upon the Triune God. It is a resting entirely upon God as Savior, entirely upon Jesus as Savior, through which resting we are bound to Jesus Christ in an unbreakable union.
▪Our faith believes in the power and intention that God displayed in the resurrection of Jesus. It does not consider the deadness of our souls, but the power of Him Who says that we live. It reasons that He Who has raised Jesus has surely accounted us righteous through Him.
Jesus is the key to this faith. God told Abram that he would have a Descendant (Genesis 15:4) in Whom God would be his shield and exceeding great reward (Genesis 15:1). God further told Abram that in this saving Descendant, Abram would have an innumerable multitude of descendants who inherited along with Abram (Genesis 15:5, cf. Genesis 15:2-3). And the implication of that for Genesis 15:6 is that we are accounted righteous through faith in Jesus, just as Abram was accounted righteous through faith in Jesus.
If that imputation was true in Abram’s case, looking forward, then how much more it is in our case looking backward. On account of our having sinned, Jesus had to be delivered up. But on account of His having accomplished the very justification with which we are accounted justified, Jesus had to be raised up. He couldn’t stay dead if He had finished accomplishing our justification.
Dear reader, you must believe this about the Lord Jesus Christ! Believe that it was for your own, specific transgressions that He was crucified. Believe that it was on account of your own, specific justification that He then rose from the dead. Thus, you will believe into Jesus, believe upon the triune God, and be saved.
For whose transgressions did Jesus die? What has God “written” about this? Why couldn’t He stay dead?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for giving us faith by which You have saved us through Jesus’s death and resurrection. As You have imputed Jesus’s righteousness to us, keep us in Him until we have come in His inheritance with Him, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP117B “What Blessedness” or TPH433 “Amazing Grace”
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