Romans 4:11: Why Do Good?

Romans 4:11a.. "He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised."

Yesterday we loooked at the beautiful truth of how God saves us not by works but by faith. However, that raises a question: Why do good? In other words, if we are not saved by our works, why should we do good works? This question already has been raised by Paul three seperate times within the book (Romans 2:4, 3:8, 3:30). Although he gives a full answer to this question in chapter 6, he touches on it before then in various places throughout his letter. Ultimately, we learn that this is a foolish question. But let us look deeply into Paul's words in the first part of Romans 4:11.

"He [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised" (Romans 4:11a). In this section, Paul is speaking of the circumcision of Abraham. Now, once again...don't get startled here. Circumcision is simply Paul's way of refering to obeying the external, moral law of the Old Covenant. Circumcision was one of the main commandments that God gave to the Isrealites, that they might circumcize each male on the eighth day as a sign of God's covenant to his people (Genesis 17:11, Leviticus 12:3). But what Paul is directly saying here in context is that Abraham was saved before he was circumsized. Therefore, what was the point in Abraham's circumcision, or in other words, why did Abraham have to obey the law? Paul puts it this way: "Abraham received...circumcision as a seal of the righteousness he had by faith."

In short, obeying the law does not make us saved, but it does confirm the saving work that has happened within us. We are not saved by works (or even by faith and works as Roman Catholicism teaches), but simply by faith alone. However, "we are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saved is never alone" (the Reformers). We are justified by our faith, but that faith changes us. In Paul's terms here, the Abraham's adherance to the law sealed his righteousness. For Abaham's "faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works" (James 2:27). Saving faith must be accompanied by adherance to the law, or it is not true, saving faith at all.

In application, we must not believe that since we are justified by faith alone we can go on sinning. For we were not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works (Ephesians 2:10). I always put it this way..

"We do not obey God so that he can save us; we obey God because he has saved us."