Romans 4

(Genesis 15:1–7; Psalm 32:1–11; Hebrews 11:8–19)

1WhatG5101 thenG3767 shall we sayG2046 that AbrahamG11, ourG1473 forefatherG3962 according toG2596 the fleshG4561, has discoveredG2147? 2IfG1487 AbrahamG11 was indeed justifiedG1063G1344 byG1537 worksG2041, he hadG2192 something to boast aboutG2745, butG235 notG3756 beforeG4314 GodG2316. 3ForG1063 whatG5101 does theG3588 ScriptureG1124 sayG3004? “AbrahamG11 believedG4100 GodG2316, andG2532 it was creditedG3049 to himG846 asG1519 righteousnessG1343.”1

4NowG1161 theG3588 wagesG3408 ofG3588 the workerG2038 are not creditedG3756G3049 asG2596 a giftG5485, butG235 asG2596 an obligationG3783. 5HoweverG1161, to theG3588 one who does not workG3361G2038, butG1161 believesG4100 inG1909 Him whoG3588 justifiesG1344 theG3588 ungodlyG765, hisG846 faithG4102 is creditedG3049 asG1519 righteousnessG1343. 6AndG2532 DavidG1138 speaksG3004 likewiseG2509 of theG3588 blessednessG3108 of theG3588 manG444 to whomG3739 GodG2316 creditsG3049 righteousnessG1343 apart fromG5565 worksG2041:

9Is thisG3778 blessingG3108 only onG1909 theG3588 circumcisedG4061, orG2228 alsoG2532 onG1909 theG3588 uncircumcisedG203? We have been sayingG3004 thatG3588 Abraham’sG11 faithG4102 was creditedG3049 to him asG1519 righteousnessG1343. 10In what contextG4459G3767 was it creditedG3049? Was it after his circumcisionG4061, orG2228 before? It was notG3756 after, butG235 before.3

11AndG2532 he receivedG2983 the signG4592 of circumcisionG4061 as a sealG4973 of theG3588 righteousnessG1343 thatG3588 he had byG3588 faithG4102 while he was still uncircumcisedG203. So thenG1519, heG846 isG1510 the fatherG3962 of allG3956 whoG3588 believeG4100 but are not circumcisedG1223G203, in order thatG1519 righteousnessG1343 might be creditedG3049 to themG846. 12AndG2532 he is also the fatherG3962 of the circumcisedG4061 whoG3588 notG3756 onlyG3440 are circumcisedG4061, butG235 whoG3588 alsoG2532 walkG4748 in theG3588 footstepsG2487 of theG3588 faithG4102 that ourG1473 fatherG3962 AbrahamG11 had before he was circumcisedG1722G203.

Abraham Receives the Promise

(Genesis 15:8–21)

13ForG1063 theG3588 promiseG1860 to AbrahamG11 and hisG846 offspringG4690 thatG3588 heG846 would beG1510 heirG2818 of the worldG2889 was notG3756 given throughG1223 the lawG3551, butG235 throughG1223 the righteousnessG1343 that comes by faithG4102. 14ForG1063 ifG1487 thoseG3588 who live by the lawG3551 are heirsG2818, faithG4102 is uselessG2758 andG2532 theG3588 promiseG1860 is worthlessG2673, 15becauseG1063 theG3588 lawG3551 bringsG2716 wrathG3709. AndG1161 whereG3757 there isG1510 noG3756 lawG3551, there is noG3761 transgressionG3847.

16ThereforeG1223, the promise comes byG1537 faithG4102, so thatG2443G1519 it may rest onG2596 graceG5485 and may beG1510 guaranteedG949 to allG3956 Abraham’s offspringG4690—notG3756 onlyG3440 to those who areG3588 ofG1537 theG3588 lawG3551, butG235 alsoG2532 to those who areG3588 ofG1537 the faithG4102 of AbrahamG11. He isG1510 the fatherG3962 of usG1473 allG3956. 17AsG2531 it is writtenG1125: “I have madeG5087 youG4771 a fatherG3962 of manyG4183 nationsG1484.”4 He is our father in the presence ofG2713 GodG2316, in whomG3739 he believedG4100, theG3588 God who gives lifeG2227 to theG3588 deadG3498 andG2532 callsG2564 into beingG1510 whatG3588 does notG3361 yetG5613 existG1510.

18AgainstG3844 all hopeG1680, Abraham inG1909 hopeG1680 believedG4100 and soG1519 becameG1096 the fatherG3962 of manyG4183 nationsG1484, just asG2596 he had been toldG2046, “SoG3779 shall yourG4771 offspringG4690 beG1510.”5 19WithoutG3361 weakeningG770 inG3588 his faithG4102, he acknowledgedG2657 theG3588 decrepitnessG2235G3499 of hisG1438 bodyG4983 (since he wasG5225 aboutG4225 a hundred years oldG1541) andG2532 theG3588 lifelessnessG3500 of Sarah’sG4564 wombG3388. 20YetG1161 he did not waverG3756G1252 through disbeliefG570 inG1519 theG3588 promiseG1860 of GodG2316, butG235 was strengthenedG1743 in hisG3588 faithG4102 and gaveG1325 gloryG1391 to GodG2316, 21being fully persuaded thatG4135 God wasG1510 ableG1415 to doG4160 whatG3739 He had promisedG1861. 22This is whyG1352 “it was creditedG3049 to himG846 asG1519 righteousnessG1343.”6

23NowG1161 the words “it was creditedG3049 to himG846” were writtenG1125 notG3756 onlyG3440 forG1223 Abraham, 24butG235 alsoG2532 forG1223 usG1473, to whomG3739 righteousness will be creditedG3195G3049—for us whoG3588 believeG4100 inG1909 Him whoG3588 raisedG1453 JesusG2424 ourG1473 LordG2962 fromG1537 the deadG3498. 25He was delivered over to deathG3860 forG1223 ourG1473 trespassesG3900 andG2532 was raised to lifeG1453 forG1223 ourG1473 justificationG1347.