community group discussion guide
introduction
Last week, we explored Romans 1:14-18, where the Apostle Paul explains why sinners need salvation: we stand guilty before a holy God, deserving his righteous wrath because of our sin (v. 18). But in verse 17, Paul introduces the heart of the gospel — the reason it is truly “good news” and powerful for salvation: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.” In other words, God’s own righteousness is made available to us, not by our works, but by faith.
Today’s passage builds on that truth by showing how this revealed righteousness becomes the foundation of true blessedness. Every one of us longs to know that we are accepted, that we matter, and that we belong. The bible calls this standing righteousness — the only way to be fully accepted by God. We desperately need righteousness to stand before God, but because all we have is sin, God, in his mercy, offers the righteousness we lack through Jesus Christ. In him, we are not only forgiven but declared righteous, fully accepted by God — not because of what we’ve done, but because of what Christ has done for us on our behalf.
Share about a time in your life when you felt truly accepted.
read Romans 4:1-8, 4:22-5:2 (NIV)
4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Take a few moments to reflect on the Scripture. Share some insights, questions, or points that strike you. Then read what follows.
righteousness freely received
In Romans 4:1-5, Paul confronts one of the most pressing questions of the human heart: how can we, who are guilty and undeserving, be made right with a perfectly just and holy God? Paul turns to Abraham, the revered patriarch of Israel, not as an example of flawless obedience, but as a testimony of grace. Though Abraham performed great acts of faith, Scripture points us back to the moment God declared him righteous — and that was “a low point of Abraham’s life; not when he could claim that God owed him favor because of his sterling faith.”1 This makes it clear that righteousness is not earned; it is credited by God through faith alone.
This truth shatters our pride and lifts our burdens. If righteousness were something we could earn, it would be a wage — a transaction where God owes us something. But Paul reminds us that justification is not a paycheck — it’s a gift. It comes to those who stop striving to earn God’s acceptance and instead trust wholly in his mercy. This is the heart of the gospel: sinners are counted righteous, not because they have proven themselves, but because they have placed their faith in the God who justifies the ungodly.
Every one of us is searching for righteousness — something to prove to ourselves (and to the world) that we are “good enough.” We long for belonging, validation, and a sense of worth: “As long as I have that, I’m okay.” For some, it’s a career and the status or resources it brings, a romantic relationship, our children, moral achievements, etc. Yet, all these sources are intensely fragile that depend on our performance, and they’re easily lost, shaken, or taken away.
The wonder of the gospel is that God “credits” us with a righteousness that is not based on what we have done but what is freely received through faith. Only this kind of standing can be permanent and secure. Even the most devout person cannot stand before God on the basis of performance. But those who humbly admit their inability, and rest on God’s mercy — they can be counted righteous.
“There are two different ways in which money can be credited to our account, namely as wages (which are earned) or as a gift (which is free and unearned), and the two are necessarily incompatible.”2
—John Stott
- Why do you think there is such a deep human instinct where we all feel that we must earn our acceptance?
- What does it mean that Abraham was declared righteous at a “low point” in his life? Why do you think Paul chooses Abraham to prove that righteousness comes by faith and not by works?
- What are practical ways we can help each other fight the temptation to trust in fragile righteousness and instead rest in Christ’s righteousness?
justification and its fruits
How exactly do we receive this righteousness from God? The key word that Paul uses here to describe this process is “justification.” To be justified is to receive the legal verdict in a courtroom that we are “declared righteous.” It is not merely the removal of guilt but the receiving of a new status — the very status of acceptance that Jesus Christ had with God. It is more than forgiveness, for forgiveness is a negative (freedom from punishment), but justification is a positive: being clothed in the perfect record of Christ. It is a legal declaration with eternal consequences: not guilty, but righteous; not merely tolerated, but delighted in. To be justified is to be accepted in the deepest sense: you belong, you are worthy, and nothing can revoke that status.
Starting in chapter 5, Paul then speaks of the results of justification. To have “peace with God” (v. 1) is more than an emotional state of inner calm; it is relational reconciliation, whereby the hostility between us and God caused by sin has ended. We are now at peace with the one whose verdict matters most. We are no longer enemies but sons and daughters. And given this permanent and secure standing with God, we can have a confident, unshakeable hope in the future glory that God has for us (v. 2). To grasp the depths of justification completely rewires how we live: we are no longer striving for acceptance, but living from it.
“Pardon is negative, the remission of a penalty or a debt; justification is positive, the bestowal of a righteous status, the sinner’s reinstatement in the favour and fellowship of God. Sir Marcus Loane has written: ‘The voice that spells forgiveness will say: “You may go; you have been let off the penalty which your sin deserves.” But the verdict which means acceptance will say: “You may come. You are welcome to all my love and presence.”’”3
—John Stott
- Why do you think it’s important to understand that justification is more than just forgiveness? How does this apply to you personally?
- Is justification largely a theological concept in your mind or is it a reality that brings peace, acceptance, and hope in your everyday life (Romans 5:2)? How do you experience the benefits of justification in your daily life? Where might those truths still need to sink in?
- Paul says we now have “peace with God” (Romans 5:1). In what ways does this kind of peace affect how you pray, worship, or face difficulties?
- Consider John Stott’s quote above: how do you tend to view your relationship with God – more in terms of pardon (being let off) or justification (being welcomed in)?
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1 Doriani, Daniel, Romans: Reformed Expository Commentary, P&R Publishing, 2021.
2 Stott, John R. W., The Message of Romans, Intervarsity Press, 1994.
3 ibid.
announcements
- Thursday, June 12 | Sharing Our Faith in This Cultural Moment, 7-9 pm
Pastor Bijan will present on the deep questions and longings that people have today and in light of them, consider practical tools for effectively talking with others about Jesus. - Saturday, June 14 | Pack Sandwiches for Food Insecure Neighbors, 9-11 am
Lend your hands in assembling sandwiches at W83 for our community neighbors. You can also stick around longer if you want to help distribute the food.
© 2025 Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Th
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