The Obedience of Abraham

One of the problems of division in the body of Christ is how God gave eternal life throughout the ages. There are three separate views on this subject.

There is a teaching out there that declares that salvation was always by grace through faith without works.

There is also a teaching out there that salvation always had works involved.

There is also another teaching out there that declares that at one time works were involved with salvation and now under grace no works are involved and after grace is over works will one day be involved again.

So what we have is three different viewpoints on salvation throughout the ages:

1. Salvation was always by grace through faith without works.
2 Salvation was always by faith with works involved.
3. Salvation at one time had works involved, but now under grace it is with no works and after grace is over works will be involved again.

And they all use scripture to back up what they teach. Let’s look at this chart.

The people that teach salvation was always by grace without works back up their teaching with all the scriptures that teach grace and avoid all the scriptures that teach works were involved.

The people that teach salvation always had works involved use all the scriptures that teach works were involved and avoid the scriptures that teach grace with no works.

The people that teach salvation at one time had works and now it’s grace without works and works will in the future be involved again use all of the scriptures that show works and grace and rightly divided between the two.

Believing the bible means EXACTLY what it says is one of the keys for understanding this topic and all others. If you don’t believe the bible means what it says, then it is not possible to come to a true understanding of the holy scriptures.

If you believe the bible means what it says, as it says it, where it says it, WHETHER YOU UNDERSTAND IT OR NOT, the understanding will come later. If you don’t believe it means what it says, the understanding will never come.

So let’s get started.

Now the big problem is between Romans 4 and James 2. Both of these chapters refer to Abraham being justified and they teach different things.

In Romans 4 it says,

“1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

And in James 2 it says,

“21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

These two sets of verses seem to contradict one another. The people that teach salvation was always by grace without works put emphasis on Romans 4.

The people that teach salvation always had works involved put emphasis on James 2.

The people that believe works were at one time involved and now during the dispensation of grace it’s no works and after grace works will once again be involved, put equal emphasis on Romans 4 and James 2.

Thus this is where the division comes in.

There is an answer to all of this. In 1st Corinthians 2 it says,

“13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

By comparing spiritual things with spiritual the Holy Ghost can teach us the answer.

Let’s start with Romans 4. These verses are taken and used to teach that Abraham’s works were not involved but just his faith, but there are many verses throughout the holy scriptures that show us that works were one time involved in people’s salvation. So what we will do is rightly divide the holy scriptures and believe the bible means EXACTLY what it says and compare spiritual things with spiritual.

Questions:

Did Abraham’s works justify him? NO.

Did Abraham’s faith justify him? Once again, NO.

Your works cannot justify you. Your works cannot produce righteousness. Your faith cannot justify you. Your faith cannot produce righteousness.

Righteousness has to be imputed (applied) unto you. You cannot produce it with your works or your faith. God is the only one that can justify you. (impute righteousness.) In Romans 3 it says,

“26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

In Romans 4 it says,

“5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

In Romans 8 it says,

“33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Paul makes it very clear that it is God who is the one that justifies. Your works cannot justify you nor can your faith justify you. Your justification comes from God and he has to apply it to you.

So once again in Romans 4 it says,

“2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.”

Did Abraham’s works justify him? NO.

Did Abraham’s faith justify him? NO.

God justified Abraham. How? By imputing righteousness unto Abraham. In Romans 4 it says,

“21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;”

So God imputed righteousness unto Abraham and he became justified. Neither Abraham’s works nor his faith produced righteousness. The righteousness had to be applied by God.

Question: When God imputes righteousness unto someone, does he impute it to their works or does he impute it to their faith?

God only imputes righteousness to faith. He has never imputed righteousness to works, only to faith. This does not mean that works were never required. There was a time when works were required but righteousness was still imputed unto faith, not the works.

Because God only imputes righteousness to faith, some people teach that salvation was always by grace through faith without works, which is not so.

In Romans 1 Paul said,

“15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.”

So Paul begins to preach the gospel to the Romans starting in chapter one he starts telling the Romans about man’s sinful condition and how God justified people in time past. In Romans 2 it says,

“5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

So Paul is telling them how God justified men in time past when they were under the law. In verse 6 he said that God would render to every man according to his deeds. In verse 13 he said that the doers of the law would be justified.

Paul is very clear about this. He said the doers of the law would be justified. If people did the law, God would justify them, in other words, he would apply righteousness to them. The actual works of the law did not justify them. The justification had to be applied by God.

Question: When God justified people that did the law, did he apply the righteousness to their works or to their faith?

He applied it to their faith.

Even though God required for them to do the law, when he justified them for doing the law he applied that justification to their faith, not their works. God has never applied justification or righteousness to works even though the works were required at one time.

In Deuteronomy 6 it says,

“24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.

25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.”

Moses taught the people that the Lord commanded them to do the commandments and if they would it would be their righteousness.

So when God imputed this righteousness unto them for doing the commandments, did he apply that righteousness to their works or did he apply it to their faith?

He applied it to their faith.

Once again, God has never ever applied righteousness unto works even though at one time he required the works to be performed. He always applied the righteousness to faith. When the works were performed, he applied the righteousness to their faith.

In doing the works of the law, righteousness was never applied to the works and neither did the law produce righteousness. The righteousness was with God and he applied it to faith when the law was performed. The law never justified anyone nor did the works of the law justify anyone. In Galatians 2 it says,

“16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

In doing the works of the law, the works never justified anyone nor did the law justify anyone. The law cannot produce righteousness, neither doing the works of the law can produce righteousness, it never has and never will. Once again, when they did the law, the righteousness had to be imputed by God and when he applied this righteousness to them, he applied it to their faith because they did the law.

Now as we get back to Romans 2, Paul continues to talk about time past under the law as he goes into chapter 3. But when we get to chapter 3 verse 21, Paul starts talking about something different:

“21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Notice the first two words, “BUT NOW”. This means that Paul is talking about a different time. He is talking about his present day situation during the dispensation of the grace of God. He is not talking about time past anymore. He is not talking about under the law anymore as he did in chapter 2 and the first part of chapter 3. He is talking about something different. He is now talking about a different time period.

He says, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested…” So he is talking about a different time period and he states that God is imputing his righteousness without the law. In chapter 2 Paul said in time past the law was required, but here in chapter 3 verse 21 he says it is not.

Something changed.

Now God is imputing righteousness without the works of the law, but just as always, when he imputes this righteousness he applies it to faith, but now no works are required as they were in time past.

So between chapter 2 and chapter 3 verse 20, Paul is talking about time past under the law. Starting in 3:21 he starts talking about under grace. These are not the same. Let’s look at this chart.

It is of utmost importance here to see what the apostle Paul is doing. He is comparing how it was under the law compared to how it is under grace. He is teaching both.

Some people teach that what Paul said in Romans chapter 2 does not mean what it says. This is incorrect. Paul meant EXACTLY what he said. Paul taught in time past that works were involved with salvation, but now they are not involved with salvation.

Under the law, God applied righteousness to faith. Under grace he applies righteousness to faith. Not under the law, nor under grace did God ever apply righteousness to works, he only applies it to faith.

So once again in Romans 4 it says,

“1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

As stated before, Abraham’s works did not justify him, his works could not produce righteousness, but this does not mean that Abraham’s works were not involved. God imputed righteousness unto Abraham’s faith, but God also required other things of Abraham.

Abraham was a righteous godly man that walked uprightly with God. Even though Abraham lived before the law was given, Abraham was obedient unto God. In Hebrews 11 it says,

“8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, OBEYED; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

Notice here that Abraham OBEYED God. Abraham did what God told him to do. Abraham was obedient unto God.

In Romans 2 it says,

"8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,"

This was not Abraham. Abraham obeyed God. Abraham was a righteous man and did what God told him to do. Abraham walked in the ways of God.

For a moment, let’s turn this around and say that Abraham was DISOBEDIENT unto God. Let’s get into the scripture starting at Genesis 12,

“1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.”

Now instead of Abraham being obedient unto the Lord, let’s say he told the Lord:

“But Lord, I like it here. Can’t you give me this land where I am at? I don’t want to leave. In fact I am staying put right where I am.”

This would have been a disobedient Abraham, but Abraham was not disobedient. Abraham obeyed God.

In Genesis 17 it says,

“9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.”

And Abraham said:

“You want me to do what? You have got to be kidding me! Lord that’s gotta hurt! Can’t you think of something else for the token of the covenant, like sacrificing an animal or something?”

This would have been a disobedient Abraham., but Abraham was not disobedient. Abraham obeyed God.

In Genesis 22 it says,

“1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”

And Abraham said:

“No way God! I waited a hundred years to have my son and now you want me to kill him? That’s not happening!”

This would have been a disobedient Abraham.

But Abraham was not like this. Abraham was obedient unto God. You can “believe in God” believe that he exists but still be disobedient to him. Not only did Abraham “believe in God”, he also “believed God.” When God told him to do something, he did it.

In Romans 4 it says,

“19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;”

Abraham was not weak in faith. Abraham was strong in faith.

But what if Abraham was weak in faith, disobedient unto God, lived an ungodly life, was a whoremonger, a murderer, a thief, and all around bad person? Would God have imputed righteousness unto him?

NO.

In John 5 it says,

“28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

The Lord Jesus Christ clearly states here that those that did evil would come unto the resurrection of damnation. Before the dispensation of grace, God did not justify the ungodly, but rather only those who did good, but today under grace, God is justifying the ungodly. In Romans 5 it says,

“6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Notice it says here, “in due time”. In other words, God was not justifying the ungodly in time past. In Romans 4 it says,

“5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

So during the dispensation of grace, God is justifying the ungodly. He did not do this in time past.

So we can clearly see that Abraham was a righteous man, he was obedient unto God, and walked in the ways of the godly. Abraham was strong in faith, and because of this, his faith was counted for righteousness, God imputed righteousness unto Abraham.

Now let’s talk about Abraham’s fictitious neighbor, “Bubba”. Bubba believed in God but Bubba was a whoremonger, a drunkard, a thief, an adulterer, a murderer, a sodomite, and was just in general a wicked evil person that was very weak in faith and was disobedient to God.

Question: Would God impute righteousness to Bubba’s faith just like he did to Abraham’s faith?

Abraham was a godly person, walked uprightly, was strong in faith and was obedient to God.
Bubba was an ungodly person, walked in wickedness, was weak in faith and was disobedient unto God.

In Ezekiel 33 it says,

“8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?

11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Before the dispensation of grace, God did not save wicked people. He said the wicked would die in their sin.

Abraham was not a wicked person, he was a righteous godly person that was obedient unto God.

Abraham did not live during the dispensation of the grace of God. Abraham was not saved by grace through faith, not of works lest any man should boast. Abraham had works, his obedience and his godly walk was his works.

In James 2 it says,

“14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”

Before we go on, we have to confirm that James is talking about salvation. James is asking can faith alone save someone.

“15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

In verse 21 it tells us about one of Abraham’s acts of obedience unto God about offering Issac upon the altar. This was just one act of obedience, he had many others.

In verse 22 it tells us that Abraham’s faith was made perfect by his works.

In verse 23 once again it tells us that righteousness was imputed to his faith, not his works, even though his works were required.

In verses 17, 20 and 26 he tells us that faith without works is dead. In other words, if you have faith but you don’t have the works, your faith is counted as dead.

Abraham’s faith was not counted as dead. Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness. Why? Because he had the works to go along with his faith.

Now let’s look back at Abraham’s neighbor, Bubba. Did Bubba have the works? No. So how would Bubba’s faith be counted as? Bubbas faith would be counted as dead.

Faith that is counted as dead will not save you. Your faith has to be counted as righteousness just as Abraham’s was.

But today during the dispensation of grace, works are not required at all. You can be saved by faith and faith alone without any works involved. In Ephesians 2 it says,

“8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

In Titus 3 it says,

“4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

Today during the dispensation of grace, works of righteousness are not required for salvation, but not so in time past. Let’s look at this chart.

This chart shows us the time when God is requiring works and when he is not. The only time period that God has not required works is the dispensation of the grace of God, which we are living in today.

During Abraham’s day works were required, but as in any time when works were required, God never imputed righteousness unto the works of the individual but rather imputed it to the faith of the individual. He never imputed righteousness unto the works even though works were required.

In Hebrews 11 it says,

“6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Faith was always required by God. Without faith it is impossible to please him. So not only during the dispensation of grace is faith required, but also during the time of the law and even before the law as was Abraham. Faith is required by God during all ages. When he justifies someone, he always applies the righteousness to faith, therefore faith was always necessary in order to be justified whether it was under the law or under grace or any other time. Let’s look at this chart.

So now let’s get back into the book of Romans. In chapter 3 it says,

“21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

There are several key things in these verses. In verse 21, “But now…”, here Paul is teaching us that we are in a different time period from time past.

In verse 26 it says, “…at this time…” Paul here is referring to the dispensation of grace.

By the way, since we are covering the verse, in verse 30 it says,

“30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.”

Justifying the circumcision by faith is being justified by faith associated with works like it says in James 2 and justifying the uncircumcision through faith is by grace through faith without works as it says in Ephesians 2.

Let’s continue in Romans 4,

“1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Once again, in verse 2, Abraham’s works did not justify him nor did his faith justify him. God justified Abraham by applying righteousness to Abraham’s faith just as it says in verse 3.

In verse 4 Paul is telling us that God does not hand out rewards by grace but rather by debt. Today he hands out salvation by grace to anyone that wants it but he does not hand out rewards that way because if he did he would have to give reward to anyone that wants it. Rewards are based upon works, if you do the work, he owes you the reward.

At first this was a hard pill for me to swallow. How could God owe me anything? Why would God be indebted to me? I owe him my life, I ought to serve regardless of any rewards or not.

But that is not how God works. When you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour the slate is wiped clean. You could not pay God back for what he did for you anyway. God sent is only begotten Son to die and pay for our sins. It is IMPOSSIBLE to pay God back for what he did, so he wiped the slate clean. If you work for him he owes you a reward, if you don’t work for him he does not owe you a reward. Rewards are reckoned of debt, not grace.

In verse 5 we have to understand that Paul is once again talking about the grace period. God did not justify the ungodly in time past, there are many, many scriptures that tell us so. In fact, verse 5 teaches us exactly opposite of what James 2 teaches. Let’s compare:

Romans 4:5

5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

James 2

“17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

James clearly states in 3 verses that faith without works is dead. James is teaching that if you have faith but you don’t have the works your faith is counted as dead.

FAITH + NO WORKS = DEAD

But Paul is teaching that if you have faith but you don’t have works your faith is counted as righteousness.

FAITH + NO WORKS = RIGHTEOUSNESS

James taught us that Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness because he had the works to go with his faith. But Paul is teaching us that during grace you can have faith and not have any works and your faith alone can still be counted for righteousness.

Abraham did not live during the dispensation of grace as we do today. Abraham was not under the dispensation of the grace of God. In Abraham’s day, works were required. Abraham had those works and that is why God imputed righteousness unto his faith. James tells us this very plain and clear.

Let’s continue in Romans 4,

“6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

David is not talking about his present day situation, he is prophesying about the future. In Romans 3 it says,

“21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the PROPHETS;”

Paul is teaching us that now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the PROPHETS.

Not only was David a king, he was a prophet also and he was prophesying about a time when God would impute righteousness without works. In Romans 16 it says,

“25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the PROPHETS, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

Many people teach that the mystery that we live in today cannot be found in the old testament scriptures. This is not what Paul says, he says it was hid in God and now it is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the PROPHETS, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. But that is another bible study.

During David’s day, works were necessary for salvation. David said so many times in the Psalms. In Psalm 1 it says,

"1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

In Psalm 34 it says,

“15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.”

In Psalm 37 it says,

“9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.”

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

As you read all through the Psalms, you will see the same things over and over. David said the wicked would perish and the godly would live forever. This matches exactly what Jesus said in John 5,

“28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

Which matches what Paul said in Romans 2,

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

Which matches what Jesus said in Matthew 19,

“16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

In David’s day, just as in Abraham’s day, the wicked would perish and the godly would have eternal life. Those that did good would come unto the resurrection of life and those that did evil would come unto the resurrection of damnation.

So when Paul tells us what David said,

6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

David was prophesying about a time to come, for during David’s day you can see that David himself said that their works determined whether they were going to have eternal life or not, if they were godly they would have eternal life but if they were wicked they would not have eternal life. David is very clear on this matter in the Psalms.

So we can see now that neither Abraham nor David lived during the dispensation of the grace of God when salvation is by grace through faith without works and God is justifying the ungodly.

Let’s continue in Romans 4,

“10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.”

Once again, in verse 11 we see that righteousness has to be imputed. Your works cannot produce righteousness neither can your faith produce righteousness. The only way you can receive righteousness is to have it imputed unto you by God, and when he does impute it unto you he imputes it to your faith and not your works and you become justified by God.

Paul is telling the Romans here that anyone can be justified by faith whether they be circumcised or uncircumcised.

In Romans 2 Paul tells us about time past when they were under the law. In Romans 3:21 he tells us, “But now” referring to the time of grace. In Romans 6 he says,

“14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

At one time people were under the law, but today we are under grace. The dispensation of grace did not start with Adam, it started with the apostle Paul. In Ephesians 3 it says,

“1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:”

It was not given to Adam to give to the Gentiles, nor was it given to Noah, Abraham, Moses or anybody else. It was given to the apostle Paul.

As you can see here, we have covered many scriptures where works were involved but we have also covered many scriptures where works are not involved. We have put equal emphasis on all these scriptures and there are plenty more for each view.

We did not intentionally avoid scriptures from either view but rather used scriptures from both views. There are actually many, many more scriptures from both views that we could have used here in this article, but to keep this article from turning into a book we’ll just stop at the ones we have used thus far.

I’m tempted to put as many scriptures in here as possible, but I feel that it would get kind of redundant saying the same things over and over.

Now here is the conclusion between Romans 4 and James 2.

James uses Abraham as an example to show that Abraham’s works were involved.

Paul uses Abraham as an example to show that God only imputes righteousness unto faith and he doesn’t impute it unto works.

Paul teaches us very clearly in Romans 2 that in time past God handed out eternal life according to a man’s works. If they did the law, God would justify them, but when he justified them he applied that righteousness unto their faith, not their works. This is why faith was ALWAYS required at all times.

Then the same man, the apostle Paul, explains to us that now we are not under works but under grace, and God STILL applies righteousness to only faith but now he does it without works involved.

Paul teaches both views and so should we. Paul teaches both time periods and so should we. Not only is he the apostle of the Gentiles, but he is also our teacher and we should use his pattern of teaching and show both time periods just as he did.

If you are a teacher and you teach salvation was always by grace through faith, not of works and you avoid all the scriptures that teach works for salvation, I encourage you to tackle these scriptures head on and apply them into your teachings. They are the word of God also. Adjust your teachings to make the scriptures fit. Don’t try to adjust the scriptures to make them fit your teaching.

If you are a teacher and you teach salvation always had works involved, and you avoid all the scriptures that teach grace and not works for salvation, I encourage you to tackle these scriptures head on and apply them into your teachings. They are the word of God also. Adjust your teachings to make the scriptures fit. Don’t try to adjust the scriptures to make them fit your teaching.

There are plenty of scriptures that show salvation by grace without works, but there are also plenty of scriptures that show salvation with works. Use them all, avoid none of them and rightly divide between them putting them into their proper time slots.

As for myself, as other teachers also, I can teach all 3 different positions. In order for me to teach position 1, all I have to do is use all the scriptures that tell us about salvation by grace without works and avoid the scriptures that teach that works were once involved.

In order for me to teach position 2, all I have to do is use all the scriptures that teach works were once involved and avoid the scriptures that teach salvation by grace without works.

But I personally believe position 3 adheres to the scriptures the best. To teach position 3, I do not have to avoid any scriptures at all. I can take all the scriptures that teach salvation by grace without works and I can also take all the scriptures that teach salvation with works involved and teach all of the scriptures by applying each scripture to it’s proper time slot by rightly dividing the word of truth.

When you believe the bible means exactly what it says, as it says it, where it says it, whether you understand it or not, and compare spiritual things with spiritual and rightly divide the word, and most of all, pray for wisdom, the understanding will eventually come.

Just allow the Holy Spirit do his thing, and you will be rewarded with the understanding of the deep things of God. With a greater understanding for all believers, we can get rid of a lot of this division that separates us, and maybe one day be of the same mind and same judgment and speak the same thing.