Romans 4:16-17 | Grace Gives God Glory

Preacher: Joel Fair
Romans 4:16-17

John Flavel
The free grace of God in Christ, is that which gives immutability to this covenant. It is not built upon works, but grace... This covenant is not founded as the first was, upon the variable and inconstant obedience
of man, but upon grace, which is a steady and firm foundation of it.

John 1:16-17
16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Timothy Keller
Complete assurance. The promise of inheriting the earth-of enjoying eternal life in a renewed world- is of grace, and relies on God's promise-keeping power, not our performance (v 16). This enables us to
live without fear of the future, and without despair at our failings.

John R. W. Stott
It reads literally: 'therefore by faith in order that according to grace'. The fixed point is that God is gracious, and that salvation originates in his sheer grace alone. But in order that this may be so, our human response can only be faith. For grace gives and faith takes. Faith's exclusive function is humbly to receive what grace offers. Otherwise 'grace would no longer be grace' (11:6).

Romans 11:6
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. "There is nothing for man to boast of, not even his faith. If you boast about your faith, if you boast about the fact that you have believed while someone else has not, it is no longer grace; and it is no longer to God's glory, but the credit goes to your belief. It has to be either of works or of grace; and if you claim merit even for your faith, you are turning your faith into works, and you are taking from the glory of God,