Romans 4

Abraham Justified by Faith

1 Listen, so what is Abraham, our OG ancestor, got to say about all this,

2 If Abe was put on because of what he did, then he could flex on everybody, but not on God.

3 What does the Word say, “Abe believed God, and God counted him as righteous.” That is how he got put on.

4 When you work for something, you earn it, it is a paycheck, not a gift.

5 But when you are not working for it and just believe that God makes people right, even though they messed up, God credits your belief as righteousness.

6 David also talks about how blessed it is when God hooks people up without them earning it, like:

7 “Blessed are those whose bad stuff is forgiven, and whose sins are covered up.

8 Blessed is the one the Lord does not count as guilty.”

9 So is this blessing just for those who are circumcised (aka following the rules), or is it for everybody, We already said that Abe’s belief was counted as righteous.

10 So, when did God count him righteous, before or after he got circumcised, It was before!

11 Circumcision was just a sign, like a badge, showing that God already hooked Abe up with righteousness because of his faith. That way, he could be the father of everyone who believes but is not circumcised, and they can be counted righteous too.

12 He is also the father of the circumcised, but not just any circumcised folks, those who follow the footsteps of Abe’s faith that he had before he was circumcised.

13 God’s promise to Abe and his descendants was not based on him keeping some law. It was based on righteousness that came through faith.

14 If people could get the promise by keeping the law, then faith would not matter, and the promise would not mean anything.

15 The law brings punishment, but where there is no law, there is no breaking the law.

16 That is why the promise is by faith, so it can be a free gift. It is guaranteed for all Abe’s kids, not just those who follow the law, but also those who have faith like Abe. He is the father of all of us.

17 Just like the Scriptures say, “I made you the father of many nations.” Abe believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and calls things into existence that did not exist before.

18 Against all odds, Abe believed the promise that he would be the father of many nations, just like God said, “That is how many descendants you will have.”

19 Even though Abe was pushing 100 and his body was as good as dead (and so was Sarah’s womb), his faith did not trip.

20 He did not doubt God’s promise but stayed solid in his faith and gave God the glory.

21 He was fully convinced that God was able to do what He promised.

22 That is why God counted him as righteous.

23 But that was not just for Abe; it is for us too.

24 God will count us righteous if we believe in Him, the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

25 Jesus was handed over to death for our wrongs and raised to life so we could be made right with God.