Romans 4:23-25

The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

V23-24 — Abraham is an example for us all to know that justification is by faith. Now Paul moves on to answer B, the question: “What does the experience of Abraham have to do with me?” Think about it: What does Abraham’s experience, really unlike anything we’ve ever gone through, have to do with us? At this point, the Jews thought, “But we didn’t go through the circumstances that Abraham went through. God didn’t work with us like that. So how does his experience with God relate to mine?” And Paul’s answer may surprise us. He says, “The story of Abraham’s justification by faith was written for us.” This is not the only time Paul says something like that. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Paul says that the events and circumstances surrounding the Exodus happened to serve a purpose greater than themselves. What went on over the 40 year wanderings were for us, not merely for them. Considering that makes me feel small. The Exodus and its circumstances were to serve as warnings for us, not merely to teach and purify the Israelite people! Consider this statement: God’s eternal purpose to enter into an everlasting covenant of grace, of special blessing, with a man named Abram, whom God chose based on nothing in him, was recorded for us, so that we might see the glory of God in the fulfillment of His eternal purposes. Abraham’s justification by faith was to serve as an example for those who would come after him that we might know the glory of God in justification by faith. Does that make sense? Abraham wasn’t blessed just for him. He was blessed for us. The Exodus wasn’t just for those people. It was for all of God’s people. And I would argue that every event in all of history occurred not just randomly, not just by the natural course of the time-space continuum, but by design, for the unchanging eternal purpose of God in glorifying Himself, His Son as Savior, and—consider this—even us as recipients and sharers of His glory.

Now I just said that Abraham’s situation was not really much like ours. But in a way, it is. We have the same faith in God and we believe in His power and His promise just as Abraham did. Our faith is not in faith. We are not saved, because we have faith in our faith. If our faith is in our faith, then our faith is not faith. We have faith in God, in His power to resurrect the dead, and His promise to resurrect the dead. We have faith in Jesus Christ, that His work really did accomplish our redemption; and we have faith in the Holy Spirit, Who quickens us to life in the re-birth. It’s not faith that saves us; it’s God. But it’s by faith that God transfers His salvation, His saving grace, to us.

V25 — Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead for our justification. Finally, Paul moves on to answer C, the question: “Where specifically should my faith focus?” Here the Jews say, “Okay Paul, now I know what faith is, and I know why Abraham’s story is relevant to me, but what ought to be the focus of my faith? Where specifically, Paul, do you want me to look?” And Paul says, “Look to the cross and see the empty tomb.” Faith looks to the promise of God fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection. We don’t say, “It’s because I believe that I’m saved” or “It’s what I believe that saves me.” We say with Job, “My Redeemer lives. I know Whom I believe.” Or rather, “I am known by Him” (Galatians 4:9).