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In our verse by verse study of Romans last time we finished Rom 4:4; with our Expanded Translation: "But to him who works for salvation his compensation (reimbursement) is not credited according to grace, but according to obligation."
We see from this that the harder one works for salvation the deeper they go in debt. Deeper in debt and no closer to salvation but no farther away either because anyone can believe in Jesus any time they choose to.
Salvation adjustment to God's justice functions on the principle of grace and the principle of grace excludes human merit, human works, and human ability.
To approach God's integrity and demand adjustment through works is blasphemy. It implies in effect that God has no integrity. In fact, it alleges that God does not even exist because God cannot exist without His integrity.
Trying to be saved by works it is like trying to pay off debt by borrowing.
Christ was judged for our sins on the cross, He cancelled the IOU that was against us- Col 2:14. Therefore it is only Christ's work that can provide salvation adjustment to God's justice, not ours. In effect, salvation by works is competition with Christ as an enemy of the cross.
We can only accept the work that God does for us in a non-meritorious manner; therefore the issue is believing the doctrine about Jesus Christ is in accord with the pattern of Abraham. Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3;
That means that anything added to faith in Christ results in maladjustment to God's justice and no salvation.
Rom 4:5; describes the antithesis: the result of justification by faith. "But to the one who does not work" - the postpositive conjunctive particle "de" (but), used to emphasize the contrast between faith and works.
Here a contrast between God's grace system of believing in verse 5 is described in opposition to satan's legalistic system of working in verse 4. Grace and works are always in opposition and mutually exclusive.
Plus the articular present active participle of "ergazomai" (work) plus "me' (not). The definite article is a singular dative of advantage that is used as a personal pronoun "but to the one."
This refers to someone who has a great advantage. The present tense is the aoristic present for punctiliar action in present time. (The aorist refers to punctiliar action in past time).
The active voice plus the negative that refers to the individual who does not work for salvation. The participle is circumstantial. Translation: "But to the one who does not work."
"but believes in Him" the postpositive conjunctive particle "de" (but) that separates the two antithetical clauses and the present active participle of "pisteuo" (believes).
The aoristic present of "pisteuo" (believes) describes instant adjustment to God's justice for salvation. It refers to believing in Jesus Christ for an instant. The active voice describes positive volition at the point of Gospel hearing that produces the non-meritorious action of believing on Jesus.
Then a prepositional phrase "epi" (on) and the definite article "ton" (Him). The definite article is used as the personal pronoun "Him" referring to Jesus Christ who justifies the ungodly"
Then "epi" (on) plus the accusative of the definite article "o" (who), plus the present active participle of "dikaioo" (to make or declare righteous). The present tense of the participle is the static present that describes justification as perpetually existing as a result of believing in Jesus Christ and in no other way.
The active voice: God the Father provides justification from His justice in conjunction with the imputation of His righteousness at the moment that anyone believes in His Son Jesus Christ.
With this is an accusative singular direct object from the noun "asebes" (godless, ungodly or impious) a technical word that is used to describe unbelievers.
"his faith is credited for righteousness" the nominative singular from "o pistis" (his faith). The definite article in the Greek is not used the way it is used in the English. The absence of the Greek definite article is like the use of the definite article in English. Generally the definite article in the Greek is used, as a pronoun so what we have here is the possessive pronoun, "his faith."
With it is a possessive genitive singular from the intensive pronoun "autos" (Him) emphasizing the importance of believing in Jesus Christ followed by the present passive indicative of "dikaioo" (righteousness).
The present tense is a customary present tense that refers to what always happens when anyone believes in Jesus Christ. The passive voice: the one who believes in Jesus Christ receives the action of the verb at the moment of salvation when God's righteousness is imputed to the new believer resulting in justification.
The indicative mood describes a historical reality because in happens every time a person believes in Jesus Christ from the time of Adam to the end of the Millennium. Plus the prepositional phrase, "eis" (for) plus the accusative of dikaiosune (righteousness), used for the righteousness that belongs to God's integrity "for righteousness."
Expanded Translation Rom 4:5; "But to him who does not work for salvation but believes on him who justifies the unbeliever, his faith receives the imputed credit of God's righteousness."
We see from this verse that faith in Jesus Christ is non-meritorious therefore faith in Christ is the only way to receive credit imputed from God's integrity. We have to have credit from God's integrity before God's justice can bless us.
God supplies the imputed credit in the form God's perfect righteousness that is one half of His perfect integrity. Logically that is the first thing that we receive from God's justice after believing in Jesus Christ. The other grace gifts received at salvation are also received instantaneously
Righteousness is the principle of God's integrity; justice is the function of God's integrity. At the moment of faith in Christ the justice of God gives the believer God's righteousness.
Having received God's righteousness from God's justice on the basis if believing in Jesus Christ God's justice follows up by pronouncing the believer righteous. This is a judicial act that we call justification.
God's grace accounting is perfect. The result is eternal salvation along with potential for additional blessings from God.
Rom 4:6-8; are citations from the Psalms that provide documentation for this process.
Rom 4: 6; "Just as David also describes the blessing on the man." This phrase is not quotation it is citation for documentation. The word translated "David" here is "Dauid"(David) is not referring to David as a person, it is referring to the entire book of Psalms.
Since David is the principle writer but not the only writer his name was often used to describe the entire book of Psalms. We have to go by the Jewish system of citation. For example, when the Jews were talking about the entire Old Testament canon they called it the law and the prophets, after the first two parts
The law is the first five books also called the Torah and the prophets comprise the second section of the Old Testament canon. Sometimes they called the Old Testament "the law," sometimes to the first five books and sometimes to anywhere in the Old Testament.
"Moses has said" refers to some documentation in the first five books; "David has said," refers to the Psalms. Therefore it is the book of Psalms that is being cited and "David" is the reference to the book.
This begins with the adverb "kathaper"(just as) that is sometimes used as a conjunction, and when it is it means "just as." But with the adjunctive use of "kai" (also or and) that as also here, it means "even as."
Plus the present active indicative of "lego" (to speak, to say, to communicate, to confirm, or to confirm in writing). We could say, "as David confirms" or "Even as David also confirms."
The perfective present tense refers to the continuation of existing results. The Psalms are always there and always will be there, because as part of the canon of Scripture God will never permit them to be destroyed.
It emphasizes the fact that has come to be in the past but also stresses the fact it still exists at the present time. The active voice: David the human author produces the action. The indicative mood is declarative for the dogmatic assertion of a fact.
Plus the accusative singular direct object from the noun "makarismos"(blessing or happiness). It is used here for salvation blessing from God's justice imputing God's righteousness along with the objective genitive "anthropos (man).
"to whom God credits righteousness without works" the dative masculine singular indirect object from the relative pronoun "hos" (to whom). The dative of indirect object specifies the one in whose interest the act is performed.
It is always the in the interest of any member of the human race to receive God's righteousness. It is in our personal, temporal, and eternal interest. Plus the nominative singular subject "o Theos" "the God," so the phrase is translated "to whom the God."
Then the present active indicative from the verb "logizomai " (impute or credit). The static present is used for a perpetually existing fact, that when anyone believes in Jesus Christ, no matter who or where they are is instantly credited with God's perfect righteousness forever.
Believers immediately have credit with God because of this. The active voice: God produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative for the dogmatic assertion of the imputation of God's righteousness at the moment of salvation.
The word "righteousness" is the accusative singular direct object, "dikaiosune" (righteousness). That is God's righteousness, and it can never have any human righteousness associated with it.
Then comes the adverb "choris" (apart from or without) used as an improper preposition, plus the genitive plural of "ergon" (works) "apart from works."
Expanded Translation Rom 4:6; "Even as David also communicates the blessing to the man to whom the God credits righteousness apart from works."