Romans 4

Abraham Justified by Faith

¹What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?²³If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about — but not before God.⁴⁵For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.⁶⁷Now to the one who works, pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed.⁸⁹But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.¹⁰

David Celebrating the Same Truth

¹¹Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:¹²

¹³Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered.¹⁴

¹⁵Blessed is the person the Lord will never charge with sin.¹⁶

Abraham Justified before Circumcision

¹⁷Is this blessing only for the circumcised, then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.¹⁸¹⁹In what way, then, was it credited — while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? It was not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised.²⁰²¹And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also.²²²³And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.²⁴

The Promise Granted through Faith

²⁵For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.²⁶²⁷If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise nullified,²⁸²⁹because the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.³⁰

³¹This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants — not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all.³²³³As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations — in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.³⁴³⁵He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.³⁶³⁷He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb.³⁸³⁹He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,⁴⁰⁴¹because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to do.⁴²⁴³Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness.⁴⁴⁴⁵Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone,⁴⁶⁴⁷but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.⁴⁸⁴⁹He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.⁵⁰