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What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?
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If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before God.
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What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 1
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Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.
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However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
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David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
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"Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
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Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them." 2
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, 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 have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.