Romans 4

Abraham’s Faith

1Let me use Abraham as an example. It is clear that humanly speaking, he was the founder of Judaism. What was his experience of being made right with God? 2Was it by his good works of keeping the law? No. For if it was by the things he did, he would have something to boast about, but no one boasts before God. 3Listen to what the Scriptures say:

Because Abraham believed God’s words, his faith transferred God’s righteousness into his account. # 4:3 See Gen. 15:6.

4When people work, they earn wages. It can’t be considered a free gift, because they earned it. 5But no one earns God’s righteousness. It can only be transferred when we no longer rely on our own works, but believe in the one who powerfully declares the ungodly to be righteous # 4:5 Or “calculated [reckoned] to be righteous.” The Greek word logizomai is used eleven times in this chapter. This teaches us that our faith is considered or calculated as righteousness before God. in his eyes. It is faith that transfers God’s righteousness into your account!

David’s Faith

6Even King David himself speaks to us regarding the complete wholeness that comes inside a person when God’s powerful declaration of righteousness is heard over our life. Apart from our works, God’s work is enough. 7Here’s what David says:

What happy fulfillment is ahead for those # 4:7 See Ps. 32:1. The Hebrew word for “blessed” or “happy” is asher, which carries the meaning of “a happy progress.” See also v. 8.

whose rebellion has been forgiven

and whose sins are covered by blood. # 4:7 When David wrote this Psalm, it was during the days of covering sin by the blood of sacrifice. Today our sins are no longer simply covered, but removed forever.

8What happy progress comes to them

when they hear the Lord speak over them,

“I will never hold your sins against you!” # 4:8 The Greek uses the word logizomai, which means to take an inventory and settle accounts. God has taken inventory of the virtue of Christ, and through our faith in him, his perfect righteousness is now deposited in our account. It is settled; we are declared righteous by faith.

9Now, think about it. Does this happiness come only to the Jews, or is it available to all who believe? # 4:9 Or “Is this happiness then for those who are the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision?” Our answer is this: faith was credited to Abraham as God’s righteousness! # 4:9 See Gen. 15:6.

10How did he receive this gift of righteousness? Was he circumcised at the time God accepted him, or was he still uncircumcised? Clearly, he was an uncircumcised gentile when God said this of him! 11It was later that he received the external sign of circumcision as a seal to confirm that God had already transferred his righteousness to him by faith, while he was still uncircumcised. So now this qualifies him to become the father of all who believe among the non-Jewish people. And like their “father of faith,” Abraham, God also transfers his righteousness to them by faith. 12Yes, Abraham is obviously the true father of faith for the Jewish people who are not only circumcised but who walk in the way of faith that our father Abraham displayed before his circumcision.

The Promise of Faith versus Keeping the Law

13God promised Abraham and his descendants that they would have an heir who would reign over the world. # 4:13 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “for the promise made to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world,” and is somewhat confusing since there is no promise in Scripture that Abraham would inherit “the whole world.” This is an obvious statement about Abraham’s heir Jesus Christ, who is given the dominion over the whole world. This royal promise was not fulfilled because Abraham kept all the law, but through the righteousness that was transferred by faith. 14For if keeping the law earns the inheritance, then faith is robbed of its power and the promise becomes useless. 15For the law provokes punishment, and where no law exists there cannot be a violation of the law.

16The promise depends on faith so that it can be experienced as a grace-gift, and now it extends to all the descendants of Abraham. This promise is not only meant for those who obey the law, but also to those who enter into the faith of Abraham, the father of us all. 17That’s what the Scripture means when it says:

“I have made you the father of many nations.” # 4:17 See Gen. 17:5.

He is our example and father, for in God’s presence he believed that God can raise the dead and call into being things that don’t even exist yet. # 4:17 This is perfectly illustrated with God speaking to Abraham about nations coming from him and his wife even though they had no children and were beyond the age of childbearing. The God who creates out of nothing could give children, and eventually nations, to Abraham and Sarah. 18Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. # 4:18 Or “who beyond hope in hope believed.” He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations. God’s declaration over him came to pass:

“Your descendants will be so many

that they will be impossible to count!” # 4:18 Although only a portion of Gen. 15:5 is quoted here, the entire text is supplied to bring clarity to the English narrative.

19In spite of being nearly one hundred years old when the promise of having a son was made, his faith was so strong that it could not be undermined by the fact that he and Sarah # 4:19 Or “and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” were incapable of conceiving a child. 20-21He never stopped believing God’s promise, for he was made strong in his faith # 4:20–21 Or “he was empowered in faith.” to father a child. And because he was mighty in faith and convinced that God had all the power needed to fulfill his promises, Abraham glorified God!

22So now you can see why Abraham’s faith was credited to his account as righteousness before God. # 4:22 See Gen. 15:6. 23And this declaration was not just spoken over Abraham, 24but also over us. For when we believe and embrace the one who brought our Lord Jesus back to life, perfect righteousness will be credited to our account as well. 25Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and was raised back to life to prove that he had made us right with God! # 4:25 In this poetic verse we discover that the blood of the cross is the means of our justification and the resurrection is the proof that God now sees believers as righteous in his eyes.

Currently Selected:

Romans 4: TPT

Highlight

Copy

Compare

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

Learn More About The Passion Translation

Romans 4

The Example of Abraham

1So what can we say about Abraham, the father of our people? What did he learn about faith? 2If Abraham was made right by the things he did, he had a reason to boast about himself. But God knew different. 3That’s why the Scriptures say, “Abraham believed God, and because of this he was accepted as one who is right with God.”#Quote from Gen. 15:6.

4When people work, their pay is not given to them as a gift. They earn the pay they get. 5But people cannot do any work that will make them right with God. So they must trust in him. Then he accepts their faith, and that makes them right with him. He is the one who makes even evil people right. 6David said the same thing when he was talking about the blessing people have when God accepts them as good without looking at what they have done:

7“It is a great blessing

when people are forgiven for the wrongs they have done,

when their sins are erased!

8It is a great blessing when the Lord accepts people

as if they are without sin!” Psalm 32:1-2

9Is this blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who are not circumcised? We have already said that it was because of Abraham’s faith that he was accepted as one who is right with God. 10So how did this happen? Did God accept Abraham before or after he was circumcised? God accepted him before his circumcision. 11Abraham was circumcised later to show that God accepted him. His circumcision was proof that he was right with God through faith before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all those who believe but are not circumcised. They believe and are accepted as people who are right with God. 12And Abraham is also the father of those who have been circumcised. But it is not their circumcision that makes him their father. He is their father only if they live following the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

God’s Promise Received Through Faith

13Abraham and his descendants received the promise that they would get the whole world. But Abraham did not receive that promise because he followed the law. He received that promise because he was right with God through his faith. 14If people could get God’s promise by following the law, then faith is worthless. And God’s promise to Abraham is worthless, 15because the law can only bring God’s anger on those who disobey it. But if there is no law, then there is nothing to disobey.

16So people get what God promised by having faith. This happens so that the promise can be a free gift. And if the promise is a free gift, then all of Abraham’s people will get that promise. The promise is not just for those who live under the Law of Moses. It is for all who live with faith as Abraham did. He is the father of us all. 17As the Scriptures say, “I have made you a father of many nations.”#Quote from Gen. 17:5. This is true before God, the one Abraham believed—the God who gives life to the dead and speaks of things that don’t yet exist as if they are real.

18There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, “You will have many descendants.”#Quote from Gen. 15:5. 19Abraham was almost a hundred years old, so he was past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham was well aware of this, but his faith in God never became weak. 20He never doubted that God would do what he promised. He never stopped believing. In fact, he grew stronger in his faith and just praised God. 21Abraham felt sure that God was able to do what he promised. 22So that’s why “he was accepted as one who is right with God.”#Quote from Gen. 15:6. 23These words (“he was accepted”) were written not only for Abraham. 24They were also written for us. God will also accept us because we believe. We believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from death. 25Jesus was handed over to die for our sins, and he was raised from death to make us right with God.

Currently Selected:

Highlight

Copy

Compare

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

Learn More About Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version