Romans4

Romans 4 establishes that Abraham was justified by faith, not by works, a principle affirmed by scripture. His faith was counted for righteousness before he was circumcised, making him the father of all who believe, whether circumcised or uncircumcised. The chapter concludes by linking this imputation of righteousness to believers in God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead for our justification.
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Abraham Justified by Faith, Not Works

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What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered? ​
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If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
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For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ​
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Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
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However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. ​
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And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
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“Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered. ​
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Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

Faith Precedes Circumcision

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Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. ​
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In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before. ​
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And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ​
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And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The Promise Is Through Faith, Not Law

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For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ​
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For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
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because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression. ​
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Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ​
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As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist. ​

The Example of Abraham's Faith

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Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” ​
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Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.
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Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
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being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
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This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” ​

Application to All Believers

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Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham, ​
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but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ​
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He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification. ​

Study Notes for Romans 4

Verse 1

Paul anticipates the objection that Abraham earned his status, immediately refuting the idea that works could justify him before God.

Verse 3

This citation from Genesis 15:6 is the linchpin of Paul’s argument: belief/faith (trusting God’s promise) is the sole mechanism for receiving righteousness.

Verse 5

Righteousness is given to the 'ungodly' (those incapable of fulfilling the law), demonstrating that justification is a gift of grace, not a deserved wage or debt.

Verse 7

Paul uses Psalm 32 to show that David also understood blessedness as involving the removal (forgiveness and covering) of sin, independent of meritorious works.

Verse 9

Paul addresses the Jewish claim that righteousness belongs only to the circumcised, using Abraham's timeline to refute this restriction.

Verse 10

This chronological detail is crucial: Abraham was declared righteous in Genesis 15 (uncircumcised) and received circumcision in Genesis 17. Faith came first.

Verse 11

Circumcision served as a 'seal'—an outward sign confirming the prior, inward reality of righteousness received through faith, making Abraham the father of all believers (Jew and Gentile).

Verse 13

The promise that Abraham would inherit the world refers to the universal scope of the gospel and demonstrates that the covenant was based on faith, existing centuries before the Mosaic Law.

Verse 15

The Law defines transgression, meaning it exposes sin and leads to condemnation ('wrath'). Since the Law cannot eliminate sin, it cannot provide a path to righteousness.

Verse 16

God established the promise on faith so that it would be guaranteed by grace, extending securely to all who share Abraham’s faith, regardless of ethnicity or legal status.

Verse 17

Paul emphasizes that Abraham’s faith was directed toward God, who possesses the power of resurrection ('quickeneth the dead') and creation ex nihilo ('calling things which be not').

Verse 18

Abraham’s faith was characterized by 'hope against hope,' demonstrating a profound trust in God’s promise even when natural circumstances made fulfillment humanly impossible.

Verse 22

This verse repeats the conclusion of Genesis 15:6, summarizing the principle that faith, not merit, resulted in God imputing righteousness.

Verse 23

Paul asserts that the Abrahamic account was preserved not merely as history but as a pattern for how God justifies all people.

Verse 24

The object of our justifying faith is defined: belief in the sovereign God who demonstrated his saving power by raising Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Verse 25

This verse succinctly summarizes the theological purpose of Christ's work: His death deals with our guilt ('offences'), and His resurrection validates and secures our status of righteousness ('justification').

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