Being Justified by Faith, We Have Peace With God (Romans 4:20–5:1)

Rom. 4:20. But he did not waver in faith regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

The Apostle enters into the depths of Abraham’s soul and depicts what took place there when he heard God’s promise. He saw that something impossible for his flesh was being promised, but he did not look upon this and did not allow himself to enter into God’s counsels with critical scrutiny of reason: how so? This is against the laws of nature. εἰς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν — upon the promise, and at the time when God was speaking the promise, οὐ διεκρίθη — he did not doubt, did not apply critical scrutiny to determine the natural possibility of the promise and find rational grounds before believing what he should believe, τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ — by disbelief, or meeting the promise with disbelief as reason suggests, urging: do not believe hastily. Nothing of this was in Abraham; he believed immediately as soon as he heard the word of the promise. “God provided Abraham with no confirmation of His promise, and worked no miracle at that time; on the contrary, it consisted only in words, and nature did not promise the possibility of fulfillment. Nevertheless, Abraham did not doubt, says the Apostle. Note that he did not say: he did not fall into disbelief—but: he did not doubt; that is, he did not waver, did not hesitate in thought, despite so many difficulties. From this we must conclude that if God promises thousands of impossibilities, and the one hearing the promise does not receive it, then the weakness of faith does not proceed from the nature of things but from the small-mindedness of the one receiving the promise” (Saint Chrysostom).

“But was strengthened in faith,” ἐνεδυναμώθη. As if there was a struggle: powerful was the assault of waves, but it did not shatter the cliff; fiercely bent the stormy wind the tree of faith, but it stood firm; impetuously attacked the adversary, but the wrestler came out victorious. Saint Chrysostom says: “and faith requires no small effort. The Jews disparaged faith as something easy and effortless. The Apostle refutes this and proves that not only one advancing in chastity or some other virtue, but also one exhibiting faith needs great strength. For as the first has need of courage to repel unchaste thoughts, so too the believer needs a powerful soul to ward off suggestions of unbelief.”

“By what was Abraham strengthened? By this, the Apostle answers, that he entrusted all to faith rather than to reason; otherwise he too would have fallen. And how did he advance in faith itself? ‘Giving glory to God’—says the Apostle” (Saint Chrysostom). To give glory to God means to render what is due to God, in accordance with the conceptions we have of His boundless perfections. God is truthful, all-knowing, all-good, almighty. Having raised up and maintained in mind this radiant image of Divine perfections that constitutes the glory of the Most High God, Abraham was strengthened in faith, proved mighty in it. Therefore, when it is said of Abraham that he gave glory to God, this means that he “understood His righteousness, His infinite power, and having formed a proper conception of God, was thereby fully convinced of God’s promises” (Saint Chrysostom). “He believed not through human reasoning, but thinking in himself what is worthy of the glory of God” (Blessed Theophylact). From this Saint Chrysostom draws: “therefore, not to be inquisitive means to glorify God; but to be inquisitive means to sin against God. The inquisitive, as those who dishonor God’s glory, bring upon themselves the utmost punishment.”

Rom. 4:21. And being fully convinced that, what He had promised, He was also able to perform.

Fully convinced, πληροφορηθείς,—holding or maintaining persuasion, being convinced. Unwavering conviction is the essence of faith. “The Apostle said not simply: believing—but: ‘being fully convinced.’ For such are the convictions of faith; they are far clearer and stronger than proofs of reason; no contrary reasoning can shake faith. Who believes in proofs of reason can be overpersuaded; but who is established on faith has already shut his ears to suggestions that might weaken faith” (Saint Chrysostom).

Conviction unwavering as a hair’s breadth, conviction as firm as we are convinced of our own existence—this is the first mark of faith; the second, inseparable from it, is confidence in God, “that what He had promised, He was also able to perform.” Not the reception of dogmas—faith is, but that which should sink deep into the heart as the extract and summary of all dogmas—confidence in God. A small likeness of this is the confidence of friends—one in the other. As here they trust each other as themselves, and each is confident in the other’s loyalty and readiness to do all for him not only according to his ability but beyond it—confident as in himself: so too the believer in God is confident in Him and by this confidence rests in the bosom of His almighty love. Such faith is the highest act of the spirit and is the fruit of love, or intimate, living communion with God and the heart’s disappearance in Him. “To believe,” says Saint Chrysostom, “is the mark of an exalted and great soul; while disbelief is the mark of an unreasonable and base soul. Disbelief reveals a weak, petty, meager mind. And if someone tried to reproach us for our faith, we on the contrary would reproach him for disbelief as a man of meager mind, little courage, low intellect, and weakness. Therefore, paying no heed to the unbelieving, let us imitate the patriarch in faith, so that thereby we glorify God, as he gave glory to Him.”

On account of this loftiness of faith it is said: “He believed, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Rom. 4:22. Therefore his faith was accounted to him for righteousness.

Not without reason was it “accounted.” Faith too is a deed—and a deed greater than works; for it embraces all of man’s nature, whereas works, without losing their value, can be limited to the active side alone. Consequently, “all that is characteristic of works—such as having praise with God, requiring effort and labor, and glorifying God—belongs in greater measure to faith” (Saint Chrysostom). Justification is given to faith as a reward. “So precious is faith before God; for it believes against its own knowledge, not doubting that God can do even what by the course of created things cannot be accomplished. Therefore it is just that such a one receives recompense from God, since he trusts in God, his Creator, more than he comprehends with his own mind. That faith believes what seems by worldly measure incredible is the glory of the believer; and the more impossible that is which is believed, the more honorable is the believer. Such belief might be called unreasonable if the believed were thought accomplishable without God” (Ambrosiaster). “Let us also glorify God by faith, so that in reward God may glorify us. For He said: ‘Those who honor Me I will honor’ (1 Sam 2:30)” (Saint Chrysostom).

Rom. 4:23–24. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was accounted to him, but also for us.

Having portrayed Abraham’s faith from all sides, he makes application to those who believe in Christ the Lord. Not only for Abraham is it written that faith was counted to him as righteousness, to announce his faith and glorify him among his descendants, but also for us. The event with him is a prophetic prefiguring of what was to happen with us and what is now being fulfilled. Saint Chrysostom says: “After much having been said in praise of Abraham for his faith, righteousness, and honor with God, the listener could object: What has this to do with us? Abraham alone was justified. Therefore the Apostle again equalizes us with the patriarch. Such is the power of spiritual words! Concerning one who, being a pagan, recently joined the Church and has done nothing good himself, the Apostle confirmed that he lacks nothing not only compared with a believing Jew, but also compared with the patriarch, and, surprisingly, has even superiority over him. Such is our nobility, that the faith of the patriarch was only the image of ours. And the Apostle did not say: if it was counted to him, then perhaps it will be counted to us. This would mean proving through reasoning (making mental suppositions): but he speaks (decisively and legislatively), as one proposing a divine law, and turns his words into an utterance of Scripture. Why, he says, is it written if not to teach us that we also are justified in the same way? We believed in the same God and in the same promises of His, although we are not the same person as Abraham.”

Rom 4:24. But also for us, to whom it will be reckoned, those who believe in Him who raised Jesus Christ our Lord from the dead.

Having said that what happened by faith with Abraham was a figure of what is wrought by faith in us, the Apostle confirms this comparison of that faith and ours. In what did Abraham believe? That God, who raises the dead and calls “things that are not as if they were,” is powerful to quicken the deadness of his own flesh and Sarah’s, and give them a living offspring. And in what do we believe? We too believe in that same God who raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. What did Abraham receive for his faith? – “Faith was reckoned to him as righteousness.” How can you doubt, then, that to us also, believers, our faith is reckoned as righteousness? God spoke so of Abraham in order to foretell in his person what He desired to do with us and does now – namely: whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, to him his faith is reckoned as righteousness. Blessed Theodoret writes: “The patriarch, seeing the deadness of his wife’s womb, believed that it is not hard for God to fulfil His promise; and we, hearing that the Jews call our Master dead, believe that He rose. Therefore, we too perceive the fruit of faith – and shall gain the righteousness begotten by faith. For not in vain was it written what the Master God accomplished with the patriarch Abraham, but that we too, looking upon this, might display faith equal to Abraham’s. By the words, ‘who raised Jesus Christ our Lord,’ the Apostle spoke of the humanity; for what He suffered in, He also rose in; and suffering is proper to the flesh, not to impassible Godhead.”

Rom 4:25. He was delivered up for our sins, and rose for our justification.

What was said above presents only an external likeness of ours to Abraham. But there is also an inner correspondence between us and him. He believed in Him who is able to quicken the deadness of his flesh – and that deadness was quickened and bore fruit. And we are dead in our sins; but being united with the Lord by faith – and our deadness vanishes, and in its place true life dwells. How is this accomplished? We believe in the crucified Lord, who nailed our sins to the cross and by His wounds tore apart the handwriting of our iniquities – and we receive the remission of sins. We believe in Him who rose in the splendor and life-giving power of the God-man life – and we partake of His life, which illumines our sinful darkness with the splendor of righteousness and holiness. Both are accomplished in the holy font, where sins are washed away and true life is granted after the image of the risen Lord, so that from now on we too walk in renewed life. This is what the Apostle expressed, saying: “He was delivered up for our sins, and rose for our justification.” – He was delivered to suffering and death to pay our debt of sin; and He rose for our justification, “to make us righteous” (holy Chrysostom). This righteousness or holiness is seeded by our participation in the life of the risen Lord, and unfolds through the power of action corresponding to such a renewal of life. What was accomplished in the Person of the Lord is repeated spiritually in us as well. And we ourselves must by the resolution of our will deliver ourselves to death to sin, so as to rise to righteous and holy life. All this is accomplished by faith, which, ascending to God and receiving gifts from Him, also brings and places upon us corresponding obligations, for the establishment in us and manifestation of all righteousness.

b) The Treasures of Faith (Rom. 5:1–11)

A second source of persuasion for receiving faith for holy Paul is the spiritual treasures of faith in Christ the Lord. Our inclination follows our heart. The heart is drawn to what is good. Show the good in something, and the heart will already be on its side. And where the heart is, there is also the will. This is what the Apostle Paul now does, depicting the spiritual treasures of faith (Rom. 5:1–11).

Rom 5:1. Being justified therefore by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Above, the Apostle brought his discourse about righteous Abraham to this: that it was not for his sake alone that it was said of him, “faith was reckoned to him as righteousness,” – but also for us, believers in the Lord who died for our sins and rose for our justification – that to us also this faith will be reckoned as righteousness. – But here we believe; therefore, faith is reckoned to us as righteousness, and we are justified. Glory to the boundless mercy of God. Justified! For if we are justified, then we have peace toward God through the Lord Jesus, and that terrible pronouncement: “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” – can no longer fall upon us. The wrath of God, justly and righteously threatening us, has passed by; we are in God’s mercy, reconciled to Him through the Lord. – This is the first good brought into the heart by faith. A sinner, having come to consciousness of his sinfulness before God, sees the sword of righteousness over his head, ready to strike him. From the indication of this the holy Paul began his discourse on the wondrous way of salvation in the Lord, saying: behold, the wrath of God is ready to strike sinners. And it will not spare either those outside the Law or those in the Law. But lo, the merciful God has ordained a way of salvation by the death of His Son – all-powerful and all-encompassing! Whoever takes shelter under His shadow will be sheltered from God’s wrath. His sins are forgiven him, and he is received into God’s peace. We who believe in the Lord who died and rose have been vouchsafed this good. Glory to You, O Lord! – “We have peace toward God!” The examination of the matter of justification is finished – as if some victory were completed. Now the Apostle surveys what this victory has brought. In doing this, on the one hand, he invites those not yet believing under the shelter of faith, speaking as it were: Let us cast off stubbornness; let us all hasten to reconciliation with God through faith in the Lord Saviour; on the other hand, he persuades those who have believed to remain in the granted peace, speaking as it were: Let us therefore be zealous to remain in this peace, living in the spirit of faith. Our commentators all emphasize the latter chiefly; but holy Chrysostom and after him Oecumenius lightly indicate the former as well. Here are the words of blessed Theodoret: “Having shown the power of faith and unfolded the gifts of grace, the Apostle turns his discourse to exhortation, persuading us to care for active virtue. Although faith has granted us remission of sins and by the bath of regeneration made us spotless and righteous, yet you must preserve the peace established with God. For the Only-begotten, having become man, reconciled you who were in enmity with God. This enmity was produced by sin, and the established peace preserves righteousness.”

Here are the words of Holy Chrysostom: “What does it mean: ‘we have peace?’ Some explain that we must not rise up against grace, stubbornly maintaining the Law. But to me it seems that the Apostle gives us instruction in how we ought to conduct ourselves. Since above, after much reasoning about faith and justification through works, he preferred faith, yet another might take such teaching as a pretext for carelessness; therefore he says: ‘we have peace’ (let us have)—that is, let us not from now on sin and return to former ways; because this would mean warring against God. You will ask: how is it possible to reach a state of not sinning? But I ask: how was it possible to be freed, to be redeemed from sins? If we, being so guilty, have been freed by Christ from all sins, then all the more easily with His help shall we remain in the state into which He has brought us. It is one thing to obtain peace that did not exist, and another to keep the peace already given; acquiring is always more difficult than keeping. Yet the most difficult thing has already been accomplished and brought to pass. Consequently, without difficulty shall we succeed in what is easier, if we cleave to Him Who accomplished for us the most difficult. I think also that the Apostle here suggests the thought that not only is success in this (keeping of peace) easy, but that the very act of keeping is necessary on our part (by moral necessity, obligatory). For if Christ reconciled us when we were enemies, then on our part it is necessary to remain reconciled and thereby to repay His benefaction; otherwise it would turn out that He reconciled with the Father those hard-hearted and ungrateful.”