Through My Bible Yr 03 – October 22

Romans 4:1-15

Through My Bible – October 22

Romans 4:1-15 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Romans 4

Abraham, an Example of Justification by Faith

1 What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered according to the flesh? If indeed Abraham had been justified by works, he would have had a reason to boast—but not before God. For what does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” [1]

Now to a person who works, his pay is not counted as a gift but as something owed. But to the person who does not work but believes in the God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness.

This is exactly what David says about the blessed state of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven
and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him. [2]

Abraham Was Justified Before His Circumcision

Now then, does this blessing apply only to the circumcised or also to the uncircumcised? To be sure, we maintain that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness. 10 So then, under what circumstances was it credited to him? Was he circumcised or uncircumcised at that time? He was not circumcised but uncircumcised, 11 and he received the mark of circumcision as the seal of the righteousness by faith that was already his while he was uncircumcised. So Abraham is the father of all the uncircumcised people who believe, so that righteousness would also be credited to them. 12 He is also the father of the circumcised people who are not merely circumcised but also walk in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Abraham Received What God Promised by Faith, Not by Law

13 Indeed, the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not given to Abraham or his descendants through the law, but through the righteousness that is by faith. 14 To be sure, if people are heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified. 15 For law brings wrath. (Where there is no law, there is no transgression.)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 4:3 Genesis 15:6
  2. Romans 4:8 Psalm 32:1-2

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.