Romans 4

Abraham Justified by Faith

1 What then shall we say was gained by 1 Abraham, t our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but u not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? v "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." 4 Now w to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but x believes in 2 him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

7 y "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not z count his sin."

9 Is this blessing then only for a the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? b We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 c He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was d to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The Promise Realized Through Faith

13 For e the promise to Abraham and his offspring f that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 g For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For h the law brings wrath, but i where there is no law j there is no transgression.

16 That is why it depends on faith, k in order that the promise may rest on grace and l be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, m who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, n "I have made you the father of many nations" - in the presence of the God in whom he believed, o who gives life to the dead and calls into existence p the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, q "So shall your offspring be." 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was r as good as dead ( s since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered t the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that u God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." 23 But v the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us w who believe in x him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 y who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised z for our justification.

  1. Cross References
    Romans 4:16
    That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
  2. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 1:31
    So that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
  3. Cross References
    Romans 4:9
    Is this blessing then only for the circumcised,...
    Romans 4:22
    That is why his faith was "counted to him as ri...
    Galatians 3:6
    Just as Abraham "believed God, and it was count...
    James 2:23
    And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abr...
    Genesis 15:6
    And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to ...
    Titus 3:8
    The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to in...
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 15:6
    And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
  5. Cross References
    Romans 11:6
    But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
    Deuteronomy 9:4 - 5
    Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, 'It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,' whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you.
  6. Cross References
    Romans 3:22
    The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
    John 6:29
    Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.
  7. Cross References
    Psalms 32:1 - 2
    Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
  8. Cross References
    Psalms 32:1 - 2
    Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
  9. Cross References
    2 Corinthians 5:19
    That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
  10. Cross References
    Romans 3:30
    Since God is one - who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
  11. Cross References
    Romans 4:3
    For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.
  12. Cross References
    Genesis 17:10 - 11
    This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
  13. Cross References
    Romans 4:12
    And to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
    Romans 4:16
    That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
    Romans 3:22
    The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
    Luke 19:9
    And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
  14. Cross References
    Galatians 3:16
    Now the promises were made to Abraham and to hi...
    Hebrews 6:15
    And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obta...
    Hebrews 6:17
    So when God desired to show more convincingly t...
    Hebrews 7:6
    But this man who does not have his descent from...
    Hebrews 11:9
    By faith he went to live in the land of promise...
    Hebrews 11:17
    By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered u...
    Romans 9:8
    This means that it is not the children of the f...
    Acts 13:32
    And we bring you the good news that what God pr...
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 17:4 - 6
    Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
  16. Cross References
    Galatians 3:17 - 18
    This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
  17. Cross References
    Romans 7:7
    What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet.
    Romans 7:10 - 25
    The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.
    2 Corinthians 3:7
    Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end.
    2 Corinthians 3:9
    For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.
    Galatians 3:10
    For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.
  18. Cross References
    Romans 3:20
    For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
  19. Cross References
    Galatians 3:19
    Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.
  20. Cross References
    Romans 3:24
    And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
  21. Cross References
    Galatians 3:22
    But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
    Romans 15:8
    For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs.
  22. Cross References
    Romans 9:8
    This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
  23. Cross References
    Genesis 17:5
    No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
    Romans 4:18
    In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be.
  24. Cross References
    Hebrews 11:19
    He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
    John 5:21
    For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
  25. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 1:28
    God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are.
    Hebrews 11:3
    By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
  26. Cross References
    Genesis 17:5
    No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
  27. Cross References
    Genesis 15:5
    And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be.
  28. Cross References
    Genesis 15:5
    And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be.
  29. Cross References
    Hebrews 11:12
    Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
  30. Cross References
    Genesis 17:17
    Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?
  31. Cross References
    Genesis 18:11
    Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.
  32. Cross References
    Genesis 18:14
    Is anything too hard for the Lord ? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.
    Hebrews 11:19
    He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
  33. Cross References
    Romans 15:4
    For whatever was written in former days was wri...
    1 Corinthians 9:9 - 10
    For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You sha...
    1 Corinthians 10:6
    Now these things took place as examples for us,...
    1 Corinthians 10:11
    Now these things happened to them as an example...
    2 Timothy 3:16 - 17
    All Scripture is breathed out by God and profit...
    Psalms 102:18
    Let this be recorded for a generation to come, ...
  34. Cross References
    Romans 10:9
    Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
    1 Peter 1:21
    Who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
  35. Cross References
    Acts 2:24
    God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
  36. Cross References
    Romans 5:6
    For while we were still weak, at the right time...
    Romans 5:8
    But God shows his love for us in that while we ...
    Romans 8:32
    He who did not spare his own Son but gave him u...
    Isaiah 53:5 - 6
    But he was wounded for our transgressions; he w...
    Matthew 20:28
    Even as the Son of Man came not to be served bu...
    Galatians 1:4
    Who gave himself for our sins to deliver us fro...
  37. Cross References
    Romans 5:18
    Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
    1 Corinthians 15:17
    And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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