Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

11. “And he received the sign of circumcision, the seal of the righteousness of the faith which he
had in uncircumcision, that he should be the father of all those believing through uncircumcision,
that righteousness may be imputed to them:
12. “And the father of circumcision not only to them who walk in the tracks of the faith of our
father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.” We see here that the normal attitude of
Abraham’s children is in uncircumcision, as he was converted twenty-four years before he entered
the visible church. Here we have it revealed that salvation is only for those who walk in the steps of
Abraham, i.e., get justified by faith alone. These belong to class number one, i.e., the normal children
of Abraham. In the second place, provision is made for those who belong to the circumcision, i.e.,
the visible church, that they may also come into the covenant by faith and become the children of
Abraham if they will walk in the steps of that faith which he had in uncircumcision. Hence we see
the preeminence in the covenant is given to those who get converted before they join the church. It
is a mistake to receive the unconverted into the visible church, lest they may lean on it and stop short
of experimental salvation, and in that case lose their souls. I joined the church before I was
converted, God showing me mercy and leading me on into an intelligent experience, though Satan
did his utmost to get me to rest in church membership.
MILLENNIUM.
13. “For the promise to Abraham and his seed, that he should be the heir of the world, was not
through the works, but through the righteousness of faith.” The covenant with Abraham was simply
the renovation of the Messianic (Galatians 3:16), by which Christ purchased this world with His
blood. Hence it is here stated that Abraham is to inherit the world. A title made to a man is valid to
his children forever. Hence Abraham’s seed, i.e., Christ, is to inherit the whole earth in the
millennium, in due time renovated, and possess it forever. Hence, if you would be a member of the
glorified Bridehood and reign with Christ a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-6), you must be a child
of Abraham. Hence it is positively specified that this inheritance is not through the law, i.e., you do
not get it by good works, but through faith.
14. “For if the heirs were from the law, faith is made empty and the promise of none effect.” The
great promise which God made to Abraham to redeem the world by the gift of His Son, which was
utterly unnecessary if they could be saved by legal obedience. The law was here four thousand years
before Christ came; there was plenty of water to baptize people, and every other conceivable facility
of legal obedience. Therefore if salvation had been possible through the law, the condescension and
death of Christ were unnecessary, null and void. The utter incompetency of fallen humanity to be
saved in any other way superinduced the absolute necessity for Christ to come and die, thus
redeeming us from sin, death and hell. Hence legalism is so abominable in the sight of God; from
the ostensible fact that it treats with contempt the vicarious atonement which cost the life of His Son.
15. “For the law worketh out wrath; for where is no law, there is no transgression.” While the
law is perfectly pure and holy, yet it is utterly incapable of love and mercy. All it can do is to
condemn the criminal. Hence the silly nonsense of salvation by obedience, which could only turn
over the whole human race to endless punishment. The law is the exponent of the penalty, and must
be prefinite to all transgression.