I think it is much easier to explain if you read Romans 4:4-5 within the whole context of the text surrounding it rather than just looking at those two verses then jumping all over the Bible.
First in Romans 3 we read...
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Key words being...
Propitiation - Mercy Seat
Faith in his blood - Believing in the means of cleansing/purging which is via the blood (ie. 1Joh 1:7, Heb 9:14)
The text above then states...
"...to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; o declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
Compare to...
Heb 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
Heb 9:21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
1. The blood enjoins us into covenant with God.
2. The blood cleanses/purges the vessels of the ministry.
3. The purging is according to the law.
4. This cleansing of a sinner is conditional on walking in the light (1Joh 1:7).
Thus God is declared righteous (see Rom 3:26) in justifying those who believe in Jesus because the righteousness of God is declared through this means of forgiving past transgression.
While it is difficult to comprehend the wisdom behind this means of justifying sinners we do know that it works in bringing an individual from a state of rebellion to a state of obedience and thus the willingness of God to forgive sin cannot be perceived as a license to sin. It is interesting to note that this is something that those who adhere to Moral Government theology have picked up on and through that have gone on to philosophise an entire explanation which is not alluded to in the text (which is one reason why I don't agree with Moral Government).
In Hebrews we read...
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
The New Covenant involves a transformed heart and mind which directly addresses the root of why people sin. Thus the cleansing that we receive in approaching God through the means designated is meant to be permanent and thus no more offering for sin is required. Our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience and we are washed clean.
We can see this evidenced in...
Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
This all has to do with being quickened (made alive) together with Christ when our sins are forgiven. It is in "trusting" in the means that we submit ourselves to this mechanic. So we approach God in full assurance of faith with a true heart, or in other words, we open ourselves up to the working of God no longer resisting for our hearts are being truly honest.
I was wrong, God is right, thus I yield to that which is right then BANG the power of God effectually transforms me.
So to go on sinning after this takes place is to trample its purpose hence the warning in Hebrews...
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
There is simply no sacrifice for ongoing rebellion. God does not forgive ongoing rebellion. The purpose of the blood is to purge rebellion and thus destroy it. To go on sinning is to deny this purpose and treat the blood of Christ as animal blood which could not purge sin.
Anyway I digress a little so as to put things in context. Back to Romans...
"Working not" has to do with "law keeping apart from faith."
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
One cannot be justified by God by the works of the law. Rather it is by faith. Faith in the means God has ordained which we then submit ourselves to (read again Rom 3:25-26). So there is no boasting...
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Jews and Gentiles are justified the same way, by faith. Faith deals with the root of sin (ie. the heart), whilst simply obeying rules and regulations does not. God does not justify people who have only dealt with the external, the internal must be cleansed.
The law is but a shadow of love. "Thou shalt not kill" is but a shadow of "love thy neighbour." Thus...
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
The law is not voided or cancelled through faith, it is ESTABLISHED IN THE HEART (ie. the New Covenant, see Heb 10:16).
Now Paul goes into Romans 4 and speaks about Abraham...
Rom 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
God reckoned Abraham's FAITH as righteousness because the faith of Abraham deals with the root of unrighteousness. Abraham's heart was clean before God. Not because of "deeds of the flesh" or "works" but rather FAITH which works by love. Check this out...
Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Gal 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
The false gospel at work in the world has destroyed all this in the minds of those who have bought into it. These people see themselves as perpetual sinners and due to this the means of deliverance is via the work of Christ effecting a legal transaction whereby God declares them righteous while they are still manifestly wicked. Their doctrine has NOTHING to do with a once and for all cleansing of the heart.
The faith of Abraham which God reckoned as righteousness has an associated walk...
Rom 4:10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Rom 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
Rom 4:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
A transformed heart is reflected by transformed deeds (hence faith without works is dead).
Jesus spoke that Abraham did works...
Joh 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
In Hebrews is speaks of the "obedience" of the faith of Abraham...
Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
So what has happened in the church system? Well "not of works" has been redefined as "not of doing" when truthfully "not of works" simply means "not of works done apart from faith."
Faith is a work (see 1The 1:3) because faith is ACTIVE. Faith is the active dynamic of yielding to God. We trust God and therefore give ourselves over to His will. Thus we have faith in the energy of God by which we are made alive within.
All the false Christians receive a "notion" os salvation by trusting in a "perceived" legal transaction they call "Christ's Finished Work" when in reality their hearts remain filthy. In truth they have received a lie in their minds and in their hands and end up serving the image of the beast, which is simply the lusts of the flesh over obedience to God from the heart.
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