I. The Relationship Between the Law and the Gospel, and the Realm of Grace Opened by Faith
Before commenting on Romans chapter 4, Pastor David Jang stresses the importance of paying attention to Romans 3:31. When Paul says, “Do we then nullify the law by this faith? Not at all!” it serves as a premise to resolve the controversy surrounding the relationship between the Law and the Gospel. According to Pastor David Jang, the Law does not become entirely meaningless because of the Gospel; rather, the Gospel “fulfills” and “completes” the Law. Only with this understanding can one see Romans 4 in its proper light. Pastor David Jang points out that Paul worked hard to clarify this very point. If the Law were likened to a small triangle, the Gospel would be a larger triangle that includes the smaller one; if the Law were a small circle, the Gospel would be a larger circle that encompasses the smaller one. In other words, the Law is never invalidated; instead, its essential meaning is fulfilled within a larger framework of grace, which is the concept of the Gospel.
From this perspective that the Gospel encompasses the Law, Pastor David Jang emphasizes that the Old Testament and the New Testament should both be understood as two forms of God’s grace for salvation. Even in the Old Testament, there are continual records of salvation by “faith” and events guided by God’s grace, and we must not overlook the fact that the same God was at work consistently throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Paul also makes use of Abraham and David in Romans 4 precisely to explain this point. However, many who teach Romans tend to gloss over chapter 4 quickly or dismiss it as “a chapter for the Jews,” preferring to jump to chapter 5. Yet Pastor David Jang insists we need to examine why Paul devotes an entire chapter, at length, to discussing Abraham, David, circumcision, and the Law. We should consider the context that Paul was filled with a deep concern and passion for his own people, the Jews, and that he desperately wanted to correct their misunderstanding of the Law and the Gospel of grace.
Pastor David Jang pays special attention to the misunderstanding some Jews held, namely, that “if we accept the Gospel, the Law becomes void.” But Paul emphasizes that the Law and the Gospel are not mutually contradictory. He teaches that the moment the Law’s purpose reaches completion, the Gospel of grace appears in its fullness. The Gospel does not exclude the Law; rather, it perfectly carries out the Law’s original purpose (making people aware of their sin, revealing that humanity cannot achieve God’s righteousness on its own, and ultimately guiding them to Christ). Therefore, being justified by faith is not a doctrine that appears abruptly in the New Testament; rather, it has been God’s consistent means of salvation from the Old Testament onward. Romans 4 strongly highlights that very point.
Two figures of immense importance in Jewish history are Abraham and David. Pastor David Jang explains that Paul chose them very strategically. Abraham is like the “father” of the Jews in both lineage and faith, while David is the pinnacle of Israel’s monarchy, representing royal authority and serving as a type of the Messiah. In Luke 16, we read a parable saying “when Lazarus died, he was carried to Abraham’s side,” revealing the high honor Jews accorded to Abraham as their esteemed ancestor. Moreover, David wrote many of the Psalms and served as a representative of the royal lineage that pointed forward to Jesus the Messiah. In Matthew 1:1, we also find the phrase “The record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham,” making Abraham and David the key reference points in the genealogy. Consequently, the structure in Romans 4 where Paul mentions Abraham (verses 13, 9–12) and David (verses 6–8) is what Pastor David Jang calls “explaining Gospel truths through the two spiritual giants who carry the most authority for the Jews.”
Paul poses a question: “How were Abraham and David chosen before God, and how did they become justified?” The answer is purely by God’s grace and by faith. Paul demonstrates that this is not some new paradigm suddenly introduced by the Gospel but the same consistent work of God’s salvation from Old Testament times. Pastor David Jang explains Paul’s logic this way: “If Abraham was counted righteous by faith even before the Law, and David recorded in the Psalms that ‘Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,’ having repented of his sin, does that not form the very basis of the Gospel?”
In Romans 4:1–3, Paul underscores Abraham’s example. He notes that “Abraham had nothing to boast about in the flesh,” reminding us that Abraham was the son of Terah, an idol merchant, and that from a human or genealogical perspective, he had no grounds for pride before God. Pastor David Jang explains that this is a forceful way of conveying “humans are essentially sinners who cannot be saved without God’s grace.” Indeed, in Genesis 12, when Abraham left his homeland, relatives, and father’s house to obey God’s command, it was not a meritorious act but rather an action of faith in God. Thus, Scripture says, “Abraham believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). This shows that even before the era of the Law, “righteousness by grace” was already at work.
Furthermore, Pastor David Jang adds that “to the one who works, wages are credited not as a gift but as an obligation; however, the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly has true blessedness.” This theme resonates with the parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20) and the story of Matthew the tax collector becoming a disciple (Matthew 9). Those who long believed they were righteous by keeping the Law (the Pharisees) failed to experience God’s “complete grace” and even resisted it, while the sinner who repented, like a tax collector, received God’s grace in an instant—an ironic truth. Pastor David Jang states that these narratives highlight both the danger of a “works-based salvation” and the blessedness of “salvation that comes by grace.”
Going deeper, Romans 4:6–8 references David’s confession from Psalm 32. Although David committed a grave sin by taking Bathsheba and killing Uriah, when he repented, God covered his sin. David declared, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered,” not because he was righteous in himself, but because God in His mercy covered David’s sin. By citing Psalm 32, Paul effectively says, “Did not David already experience this grace? Setting aside adherence to the Law, worship in the Old Testament system, or keeping statutes, wasn’t the real essence of the Gospel made visible when David confessed his sin and received God’s forgiveness? And do the Jews themselves not already know this?”
Moreover, the critical moment when Abraham was declared righteous was not after he received circumcision (at ninety-nine years old), but previously (when he was around seventy-five). Pastor David Jang explains that this fact decisively challenges the Jewish mindset of viewing circumcision as a “precondition for salvation.” Abraham became the father of faith, not because of lineage, human merit, or ritual observance, but purely because he believed God and was declared righteous. Therefore, in Romans 4, Paul powerfully argues to the Jews (and to us today) that salvation is never based on one’s works under the Law or any ethnic superiority; rather, it hinges upon the grace of God given through Jesus Christ, received by faith. Pastor David Jang adds that this point is central to Paul’s logic, bringing together his deep knowledge of the Jewish legal tradition and his experience of messianic faith into a cohesive teaching.
Ultimately, the Law reveals sin and makes it clear that sinners can never stand righteous before God on their own. But the Gospel takes that burden of sin upon Christ’s cross and resurrection, offering us “righteousness that is given freely.” Hence Paul says, “The law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15). Pastor David Jang explains that the Law causes people to become more aware of their sin and be bound under the weight of its demands, resulting in inescapable “curse” and “condemnation.” But when Jesus Christ bore this curse, we were finally set free. Throughout Romans 4, Paul unpacks the relationship between the Law and the Gospel, ultimately presenting righteousness by faith as the open door of grace for all people.
II. The Faith Demonstrated by Abraham and David: Pastor David Jang’s View of Old Testament Evidence for “Grace”
Pastor David Jang emphasizes that Romans 4 does not merely list theological concepts but reveals “the evidence of God’s grace already at work,” illustrated through two iconic Old Testament figures, Abraham and David. Both are deeply revered in Israel’s tradition—Abraham as the founding father and David as Israel’s most glorious king—and both were justified not by works but by faith. That truth constitutes a central teaching that bridges the Old and New Testaments.
First, Abraham’s core faith can be summed up as a “firm conviction in God who gives life to the dead.” In Genesis 15, when God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, Abraham was nearly one hundred years old, and his wife Sarah had long since passed childbearing age. By all accounts, it was an impossible, hopeless situation. Yet Abraham continued to hold fast to God’s promise, and Pastor David Jang interprets this as a “foreshadowing of resurrection faith.” As Romans 4:17–19 states, Abraham hoped against hope and believed. Eventually, Sarah conceived and gave birth to Isaac, and from that point onward, Abraham’s descendants multiplied like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Paul cites this as evidence that “God calls into being things that were not,” and “gives life to the dead.”
Furthermore, even when God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham demonstrated his faith that “God Himself would provide.” The story in Genesis 22 essentially highlights Abraham’s profound confession that “God’s absolute power can turn even death into life.” Thus, Romans 4:20 and onward—stating that Abraham “did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God”—underscores that Abraham held onto God’s word, even when it seemed logically or rationally impossible. Pastor David Jang explains that Abraham’s full trust exemplifies the very faith proclaimed in the Gospel (actively embracing God’s love and saving promise).
The second figure mentioned is David. Pastor David Jang points to David’s statement in Psalm 32: “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered,” noting that David wrote this after he committed the grave sin of taking Bathsheba and orchestrating Uriah’s death. Even so, when the prophet Nathan confronted him, David repented and was spared—purely by God’s mercy. Under the Law, David deserved death for adultery and murder. Yet God forgave him, turning him into someone whose sin was not counted against him. Pastor David Jang interprets this as evidence that grace was certainly at work in the Old Testament, despite what might otherwise be a hopeless situation under the Law.
Paul’s central argument is that both Abraham and David—the two great spiritual pillars of the Old Testament—were justified by “grace” and “faith.” Thus, when Jews questioned, “How can the Gentiles be saved without the Law?” Paul responded by pointing to Abraham, who was justified without the Law, and even before circumcision, and to David, who likewise experienced the grace of forgiveness for sin. “If so,” Paul reasons, “why should it be strange that the Gospel is open to both Jews and Gentiles alike, by faith?” Pastor David Jang notes that Paul, as both a Jew deeply immersed in Old Testament theology and an apostle of Christ, was uniquely equipped to explain the new covenant “for all nations” in a compelling way. From this perspective, Pastor David Jang views Paul not merely as a theoretician squabbling over theological concepts but as a genuine pastor and preacher reinterpreting the history of his own people in light of Jesus Christ, leading “all peoples to the path of salvation.”
Thus, salvation does not follow ethnic lineage. Likewise, the Church today must not transmit faith “according to the flesh,” but rather “according to faith.” Pastor David Jang points out that if churches today treat spiritual offices as something inherited like secular power or wealth, that is akin to the very problem Romans 4 addresses. From verse 13 onward, Paul states, “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise… but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” This proclaims that the true descendants of Abraham are not determined by physical criteria or legal merits but are those who believe God’s promise and live in that covenant.
III. Justification Perfected by the Cross and the Resurrection
Pastor David Jang focuses on the final portion of Romans 4 (especially verses 23–25). Here, Paul declares that “the words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for Abraham alone, but also for us.” And the basis for this is: “To whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” In other words, as Pastor David Jang explains, Paul is linking the Old Testament event of Abraham’s justification to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Just as Abraham believed in the “resurrection-like miracle” that life would emerge from Sarah’s barren womb, so in the New Testament era, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the same eternal life and righteousness are given to us.
Paul continues with these words: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). Pastor David Jang summarizes this as “His atoning death, confirmed by the resurrection.” That Jesus took upon Himself the punishment for our sins satisfies both “God’s justice” and “God’s love.” Through this, humanity receives a verdict of “not guilty,” known as justification. Yet it does not end there—His resurrection reveals the completeness of His redemptive work, proving that Jesus conquered even death. Pastor David Jang remarks that while the atoning death of Jesus would not be diminished in power even without the resurrection, the resurrection publicly manifests the finality of salvation before the world, allowing believers to participate in that resurrected life and thereby enter a clear freedom and glory.
Hence, the cross signifies “forgiveness of sins,” and the resurrection signifies “new life.” Pastor David Jang identifies these as the twin pillars of Paul’s theology of salvation. That is precisely what Paul aims to proclaim through Romans 4. After explaining how God’s grace has operated in the lives of Abraham and David in the Old Testament, Paul declares that its perfect fulfillment has now been made available to all nations through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The statement “He was delivered over to death for our sins” means that Jesus took the place of sinners who deserved punishment—what Paul often referred to as the “representative principle,” adds Pastor David Jang. If Adam was the representative who spread sin to all humanity, Jesus has now become the new representative who pays the price for sin and imparts righteousness.
This idea of a “double imputation” or “great exchange” conveys that all our sins are transferred to Jesus, while His righteousness is transferred to us—a marvelous core of the Gospel. Pastor David Jang asserts that if we truly accept this exchange with our whole heart, we will not only have unwavering assurance that we have been fully delivered from the Law’s curse, but we will also experience the power of the resurrection day by day. Moreover, within the church community, there will be no boasting in legalistic regulations, ethnic traditions, human achievements, or status; instead, the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ will be our only boast, uniting all believers on the common confession that we have received the same grace.
In summary, Pastor David Jang views Romans 4 as “a chapter that uses Abraham’s faith and David’s experience of repentance to demonstrate that the principle of salvation by grace through faith was already functioning in the Old Testament, and that God’s saving plan was perfectly accomplished through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” This is the heart of Paul’s main argument and, furthermore, one of the central messages of the Christian Gospel. The Law exposes sin and proclaims humanity’s helplessness, but Christ’s death and resurrection resolve that sin entirely, granting us the status of righteousness. And the way to partake in Christ’s glorious resurrection is by faith. Just as Abraham believed in hope against hope, those who live in the New Testament era believe in Christ’s victory over death, and by that faith are declared righteous, ultimately sharing in resurrection life.
Therefore, Pastor David Jang presents several lessons the modern Church should glean from Romans 4. First, the essence of faith is not about observing the Law but about “embracing grace by faith.” Second, believers in the Old Testament era already experienced this principle, showing continuity rather than a break between the Old and New Testaments. Third, the cross of Jesus Christ is the completion of atonement, and the resurrection is the confirmation of our justification and the inauguration of new life. Fourth, “faith” means holding on to God’s promise even when hope seems lost, at which point God’s power is revealed. Finally, a community of salvation built on such faith does not rely on personal merit, lineage, status, or human authority, but instead exalts only God’s grace. This teaching from Paul must be firmly embraced by any church susceptible to legalism or, conversely, any community liable to neglect the responsibilities of the Gospel by overlooking the Law.
In conclusion, Pastor David Jang considers Romans 4:25 a powerful summary of the salvation message: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Contained within this verse are the core theological truths of the cross, resurrection, forgiveness of sins, and justification. Humanity’s unpayable debt of sin is fully borne by Jesus, and the resurrection confirms the completeness of His atoning work. Faith is the acceptance of that invitation of love—like Abraham, who staked his life on God’s promise, we wholly trust in the risen Jesus, laying down self-centered living, and daily abiding in the grace of the cross and the power of the resurrection. According to Pastor David Jang, this is the very essence of Christian faith, and it is the eternal Gospel that Paul, through Romans 4, proclaimed to Jews and Gentiles alike in every generation.
Thus, the main point of Romans 4 is that “salvation, based not on human merit but entirely on grace and received through faith,” was continuous from the Old Testament era, culminating in perfection through the cross and resurrection of Christ. This overarching theme of Romans 4 remains a vital truth for believers of every era, including the church today, and deserves our renewed emphasis.