Romans 4
4
We Have God’s Approval by Faith
1What can we say that we have discovered about our ancestor Abraham? 2If Abraham had God’s approval because of something he did, he would have had a reason to brag. But he could not brag to God about it. 3What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded as the basis of Abraham’s approval by God.”
4When people work, their pay is not regarded as a gift but something they have earned. 5However, when people don’t work but believe God, the one who approves ungodly people, their faith is regarded as the basis of God’s approval. 6David says the same thing about those who are blessed: God approves of people without their earning it. David said,
7“Blessed are those whose disobedience is forgiven
and whose sins are pardoned.
8Blessed is the person whom the Lord no longer considers sinful.”
9Are only the circumcised people blessed, or are uncircumcised people blessed as well? We say, “Abraham’s faith was regarded as the basis of God’s approval.” 10How was his faith regarded as the basis of God’s approval? Was he circumcised or was he uncircumcised at that time? He had not been circumcised. 11Abraham’s faith was the basis of his approval by God while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as the basis of their approval by God. 12He is also the father of those who not only are circumcised but also are following in the footsteps of his faith. Our father Abraham had that faith before he was circumcised.
13So it was not by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings that Abraham or his descendants received the promise that he would inherit the world. Rather, he received this promise through God’s approval that comes by faith. 14If those who obey Moses’ Teachings are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless. 15The laws in Moses’ Teachings bring about anger. But where those laws don’t exist, they can’t be broken. 16Therefore, the promise is based on faith so that it can be a gift.#4:16 Or “grace.” Consequently, the promise is guaranteed for every descendant, not only for those who are descendants by obeying Moses’ Teachings but also for those who are descendants by believing as Abraham did. He is the father of all of us, 17as Scripture says: “I have made you a father of many nations.”
Abraham believed when he stood in the presence of the God who gives life to dead people and calls into existence things that don’t even exist. 18When there was nothing left to hope for, Abraham still hoped and believed. As a result, he became a father of many nations, as he had been told: “That is how many descendants you will have.” 19Abraham didn’t weaken. Through faith he regarded the facts: His body was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was unable to have children. 20He didn’t doubt God’s promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, giving honor to God ⌞for the promise⌟, he became strong because of faith 21and was absolutely confident that God would do what he promised. 22That is why Abraham’s faith was regarded as the basis of his approval by God.
23But the words “his faith was regarded as the basis of his approval by God” were written not only for him 24but also for us. Our faith will be regarded as the basis of our approval by God—each of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life. 25Jesus, our Lord, was handed over to death because of our failures and was brought back to life so that we could receive God’s approval.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Romans 4
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.
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