Romans Chapter 4
Abraham and David Demonstrate Righteousness Apart from Works
A. Abraham is declared righteous through faith.
Romans 4:1-3 – “What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’”
The Apostle Paul, continuing his argument from Romans chapter three, raises a critical question: “What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?” In other words, does the doctrine of justification by faith nullify the example of the Old Testament saints, or was Abraham justified in a different manner? Paul immediately points to Abraham, the greatest patriarch of Israel, revered as the father of the Jewish people and the supreme example of obedience. If anyone could be justified by works, it would have been Abraham. Yet Paul dismantles this assumption, showing that even Abraham was declared righteous not by his works but by his faith.
Paul states plainly, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.” Indeed, if justification were based on human effort, Abraham could claim credit before men, but never before the holy and righteous God. Human boasting collapses in the presence of divine holiness because all fall short of God’s glory, as Paul had already declared in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
The decisive proof is given in verse 3: “For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’” Paul cites Genesis 15:6, where Abraham, in response to God’s promise of descendants as numerous as the stars, simply believed, and God reckoned that faith to him as righteousness. This means that Abraham’s standing before God was not earned but credited. The word “accounted” (Greek logizomai) carries the idea of placing something into one’s account, like a deposit into a ledger. God credited Abraham with righteousness that was not inherently his own. This is the very essence of justification by faith: God imputes righteousness to the believing sinner apart from works.
This truth demolishes the rabbinical traditions of Paul’s day, which taught that Abraham was justified because he kept the law before it was even given. Ancient Jewish writings claimed, “Abraham was perfect in all his deeds with the Lord.” But Paul makes it clear that Scripture itself does not support this tradition. Abraham was not made righteous because of his works, but rather God declared him righteous because of his faith.
This is a vital distinction. Justification is not God making us inherently righteous at the moment of faith, but God declaring us righteous by crediting to our account the righteousness of Christ. Practical righteousness—the transformation of our conduct—follows justification but is not the basis of it. It begins in sanctification and is completed in glorification at the resurrection.
The theological weight of this truth cannot be overstated. Faith is not a meritorious work but the means through which God’s grace is received. It is like a hand that reaches out to accept a gift; the power and value lie not in the hand, but in the gift given. When Abraham believed God’s promise, he trusted in God’s character and His faithfulness to fulfill His word. This is why Paul emphasizes that righteousness was “accounted to him for righteousness.” God alone is the source, and faith is the channel.
Furthermore, righteousness is more than the absence of sin and guilt. It is a positive standing before God, a declaration that one is accepted and in right relationship with Him. When God justified Abraham, He did not merely pardon him but declared him righteous. In the same way, when believers today trust in Jesus Christ, God imputes Christ’s righteousness to them. As Paul later writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
A Distinction Made Between Grace and Works
Romans 4:4-5 – “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”
Paul now makes a sharp distinction between the principle of works and the principle of grace. He writes, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.” In human terms, when someone works for wages, his pay is not considered a gift. It is something earned, an obligation owed by the employer. If salvation were based upon human effort or obedience to the law, then it would not be grace but debt. Grace and works are mutually exclusive systems. Grace is God’s unmerited favor, given freely without expectation of repayment. Works, however, operate on the principle of merit, earning, and obligation.
The Greek word translated “grace” (charis) is rich in meaning. As Wuest explains, in classical Greek literature charis referred to a favor done freely out of the generosity of the heart, but it was always given to one’s friend, never to an enemy. The New Testament elevates charis to a far higher level, for the supreme act of grace was demonstrated at Calvary, where Christ died not for friends but for His enemies. Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Grace is not owed, nor is it earned. It is God’s free and sovereign gift.
Paul continues, “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” Here the Apostle defines the very heart of justification. It is not the one who strives by works who is declared righteous, but the one who believes in the God who justifies the ungodly. This is a radical statement. Human reason would expect that God justifies the godly, those who are worthy. Instead, the gospel proclaims that God justifies the ungodly, not by overlooking their sin, but by imputing the righteousness of Christ to them on the basis of faith.
This is not to be misunderstood as God endorsing ungodliness or being indifferent to sin. Paul is not teaching that God declares the ungodly righteous because of their ungodliness, but rather in spite of it. The ground of justification is the finished work of Christ on the cross. As Paul later explains in Romans 5:9, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
Faith, therefore, is not a meritorious work. It is the channel through which God’s grace flows. Just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, so it is with every believer. Justification is not a special arrangement for Abraham alone, but the universal principle of salvation for all. There has never been two ways of salvation, one in the Old Testament through works and another in the New Testament through faith. From Genesis to Revelation, salvation is always by grace through faith. The object of faith differs in clarity—Abraham looked forward to God’s promises fulfilled, while we look back to the finished work of Christ—but the principle is the same. Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
David and the Blessedness of Justification Through Faith
Romans 4:6-8 – “Just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.’”
To strengthen his argument, Paul now turns to David, Israel’s greatest king and psalmist, who also testifies to the reality of justification apart from works. He quotes Psalm 32:1-2, a psalm of confession and forgiveness. David knew what it was to sin grievously, as seen in his adultery with Bathsheba and his orchestrated murder of Uriah. If God dealt with him strictly on the basis of works, he would have been condemned. Yet David experienced the blessedness of forgiveness and the joy of imputed righteousness.
David writes, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” The repetition of “blessed” underscores the profound joy and relief of the one who is pardoned by God. To have one’s sins forgiven, covered, and not imputed is the greatest blessing a sinner can know. No human effort, no religious ritual, no offering of wealth or sacrifice can remove even a single sin. As Lenski observes, sin clings to the sinner as tightly as his own shadow, unless God Himself carries it away. Only God, through Christ, can remove the guilt and stain of sin.
Notice that David speaks of God imputing righteousness apart from works. The word “impute” (logizomai) means to reckon, to credit, or to place to one’s account. Just as Abraham’s faith was accounted to him for righteousness, David describes the same reality from the perspective of forgiveness. Instead of imputing sin to the sinner’s account, God imputes righteousness. This righteousness is not earned, but given.
This testimony from David is crucial, because it shows that even under the Old Covenant, justification was not by works of the law but by faith and God’s gracious imputation. Abraham and David, the two greatest figures of Israel’s history—one representing the covenant promises and the other the covenant kingship—both testify that salvation is by grace through faith apart from works.
The psalm David quotes emphasizes not what man does for God, but what God does for man. The blessedness comes not from our achievement, but from God’s action in removing sin and granting righteousness. It is centered in the imputed righteousness of Christ, the only ground upon which a sinner can stand accepted before a holy God.
Abraham Was Counted Righteous Before Circumcision
Romans 4:9-12 – “Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.”
Paul now addresses a crucial question: “Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also?” The “blessedness” refers back to verses 7-8, where David declared the happiness of the man whose sins are forgiven and to whom God does not impute sin. If justification and this blessedness were tied to circumcision, then only Jews could claim them. But Paul demonstrates that justification is grounded in faith, not ritual, making it available to Gentiles as well.
He asks, “How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?” The answer is decisive: “Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.” Genesis 15:6 records that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. However, Genesis 17 shows that the covenant of circumcision was given at least fourteen years later. Therefore, Abraham’s justification preceded circumcision, proving that righteousness was credited by faith alone, not by any ritual or outward sign.
Paul emphasizes, “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised.” Circumcision was never the basis of Abraham’s justification, but it was a sign and a seal. As a sign, it symbolized the covenant relationship between Abraham and God. As a seal, it confirmed outwardly the inward reality that Abraham had already been declared righteous by faith. Thus circumcision did not create righteousness but testified to it.
The purpose of this order was intentional: “that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also.” Abraham is not only the father of the Jewish nation, but the father of all believers. Faith, not circumcision, is the link that unites us to Abraham. For Gentiles, this means they can claim Abraham as their spiritual father by walking in his faith, even though they are physically uncircumcised.
At the same time, Paul adds that Abraham is also “the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.” This is a critical distinction. Merely being circumcised does not make one Abraham’s true descendant. To be Abraham’s child in the truest sense is to imitate his faith. Outward ritual without inward faith avails nothing. Galatians 5:3 underscores this: “And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.”
Paul’s language here is striking. He calls Abraham “our father,” a phrase which the Jews of his day jealously guarded. In the synagogue, even a Gentile proselyte who submitted to circumcision could not call Abraham “our father.” He was only permitted to say “your father” when addressing Jews. Paul shatters this distinction by declaring that all who believe, Jew or Gentile, may call Abraham “our father” by virtue of faith. This must have been shocking to Jewish readers, for it meant that Gentiles, without circumcision, stood on equal ground with them in God’s plan of salvation.
The principle Paul presses home is that Abraham’s fatherhood is defined by faith, not by flesh. What matters is not the mark in the body, but the mark of faith in the heart. Circumcision was an outward sign of an inward reality. Without faith, circumcision is meaningless; with faith, even without circumcision, one stands justified before God.
This passage reinforces the continuity of God’s plan of salvation. From Abraham to David to the present, justification is always by faith apart from works. Circumcision pointed to this reality, but never created it. As Paul explains in Philippians 3:3, “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
God’s Promise to Abraham Was Based on Faith, Not Law
Romans 4:13-15 – “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.”
Paul now presses his argument further by explaining the very nature of God’s promise to Abraham. He writes, “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” God’s covenant with Abraham predated the law by centuries. The promise of blessing, land, descendants, and ultimately that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3) was not conditioned on Abraham’s obedience to a codified law but was grounded in faith. When God declared Abraham righteous in Genesis 15:6, the Mosaic Law had not yet been given. Therefore, the principle that governed God’s dealings with Abraham was faith, not law.
This is an important reminder: the law of Moses was never the foundation of God’s covenantal promises. The inheritance of Abraham as “heir of the world” pointed to the larger reality of the coming Messiah, through whom the nations would be blessed. Galatians 3:16 confirms this truth: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” Thus, Abraham’s promise ultimately points to Christ, and through Him, to all who believe.
Paul continues, “For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect.” If inheritance came by the law, then faith would be nullified and God’s promise emptied of power. The entire covenant structure of God’s plan would collapse, because the law, by its very nature, cannot secure the promise. Why? Because the law requires perfect obedience, and fallen man is incapable of rendering it. If the inheritance depended upon keeping the law, no one would qualify, and the promise would be unattainable.
Paul then explains, “because the law brings about wrath.” The law is holy, just, and good, but it exposes sin and pronounces judgment upon the sinner. It does not impart life but reveals guilt. Galatians 3:10 makes this clear: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’” The law, therefore, cannot produce righteousness in fallen man, but instead makes him aware of his sin and liable to the wrath of God. It functions like a mirror that reveals dirt on one’s face, but it has no power to cleanse.
Paul adds, “for where there is no law there is no transgression.” This statement requires careful handling. Paul does not mean that there is no sin where there is no law. Sin existed before the Mosaic Law, as Romans 5:12 teaches: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” What Paul means is that transgression, which is a deliberate overstepping of a clearly marked boundary, requires a law to define the boundary. Where no specific command is given, sin is still present, but it is not reckoned as transgression.
This distinction highlights the deeper reality of sin: its essence is not merely in breaking external commandments, but in breaking trust with God. Before Adam ate the forbidden fruit, he had already sinned by distrusting God’s goodness and doubting His word. Sin begins in unbelief and rebellion of the heart. Therefore, God’s plan of redemption is centered not on law-keeping but on a relationship of trusting love—faith. To attempt to make the law the foundation of justification is to oppose God’s design. His purpose has always been that His people would live by faith, trusting His word and His promise. Habakkuk 2:4 declared this long ago: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.”
Thus, Paul shows that Abraham’s inheritance, the promises of God, and the hope of salvation are not mediated through the law, but through the principle of faith. Faith magnifies grace, secures the promise, and opens the way for all—Jew and Gentile—to partake in the blessings promised in Christ.
Following Abraham’s Example
Justification According to Grace, Through Faith
Romans 4:16 – “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”
Paul now summarizes the principle that has guided his entire argument thus far: justification is by faith, so that it might be according to grace. The Apostle writes, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace.” Here, faith and grace are inseparably linked. Just as works correspond to law, faith corresponds to grace. Works look to human achievement, but faith looks away from self and relies entirely upon God’s promise. Grace is the fountain from which salvation flows, and faith is the means by which it is received.
To speak with precision, believers are not saved because of the quality of their faith, but because of the grace of God which faith apprehends. Faith itself does not save; rather, God saves by His grace, and faith is the empty hand that receives the gift. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this clear: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Paul emphasizes, “It is of faith.” This excludes all other grounds of salvation. Salvation cannot be earned by past obedience, present obedience, or even promised future obedience. By definition, grace is unmerited favor, given without regard to worthiness in the recipient. Works nullify grace because they shift the focus from God’s provision to man’s performance. As Spurgeon observed, “Grace and faith are congruous, and will draw together in the same chariot, but grace and merit are contrary the one to the other and pull opposite ways, and therefore God has not chosen to yoke them together.”
Paul continues, “so that the promise might be sure to all the seed.” If salvation were based upon law, it would never be certain, because no one is able to keep the law perfectly. The promise would be fragile and insecure, always dependent upon man’s performance. But because salvation is grounded in grace, it is secure. Grace guarantees the certainty of the promise, for it rests not upon the instability of human works but upon the unchanging faithfulness of God. Numbers 23:19 affirms this security: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
Paul clarifies that the promise is for “not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham.” This means that salvation is available both to Jews, who received the law, and to Gentiles, who never had the law, as long as they share the same faith as Abraham. The distinguishing mark is not circumcision, heritage, or law-keeping, but faith. A Gentile could rightly say, “I am not of the law, nor of Abraham’s bloodline, but I am of the faith of Abraham.” Such a one is just as truly a child of Abraham as any Jewish believer.
This is why Paul concludes with the powerful statement that Abraham is “the father of us all.” The covenant promise given in Genesis 17:4-5 is fulfilled not only in the physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac, but also in his spiritual descendants through faith. God told Abraham, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.” This promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in the countless believers, from every tribe and tongue, who share the same faith that Abraham displayed when he believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Thus, Abraham’s fatherhood transcends ethnic and national boundaries. He is the prototype of faith, and all who trust in God’s promise through Christ are his children. Galatians 3:7 declares, “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” His true legacy is not found in physical lineage but in the spiritual family of faith.
The Life-Giving Power of the God Abraham Believed In
Romans 4:17-18 – “(As it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations’) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’”
Paul highlights the nature of Abraham’s faith by pointing to the God in whom he believed. He begins with a quotation from Genesis 17:5: “I have made you a father of many nations.” This promise was made when Abraham was still childless, advanced in age, and when Sarah’s womb was barren. Yet Abraham believed God in the very presence of these impossible circumstances. His faith rested in the God “who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”
This description of God captures two essential truths about His nature. First, He is the God who raises the dead. Abraham believed in a God whose power is not limited by death, barrenness, or human weakness. If God could bring life from Sarah’s dead womb, He could also bring spiritual life to those who are dead in trespasses and sins, as Paul later explains in Ephesians 2:1: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” The miracle of Isaac’s birth foreshadows the greater miracle of new birth in Christ.
Second, God is the One who “calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” His word is creative and effectual. From the very beginning, God spoke the universe into existence out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3). In the same way, when God declares a sinner righteous, though the sinner is not inherently righteous, God’s word makes it so. Justification is rooted in this divine power: the God who speaks what is not as though it already were. Believers can take comfort in this reality. As one pastor observed, “I’m greatly comforted when God speaks about me as righteous, justified, glorified, holy, pure, and saintly. God can talk about such things before they exist, because He knows they will exist.” God’s declaration guarantees the reality to come.
Paul goes on to describe Abraham’s faith: “who, contrary to hope, in hope believed.” Humanly speaking, there was no reason to hope. Both Abraham and Sarah were far beyond childbearing years. Yet in the face of hopelessness, Abraham hoped. His hope was not grounded in circumstances but in God’s promise. This illustrates the essence of true faith: it clings to God’s word when reason, sense, and experience all cry out that it is impossible. As Trapp put it, “Sense corrects imagination, reason corrects sense, but faith corrects both. It will not be, saith sense; it cannot be, saith reason; it both can and will be, saith faith, for I have a promise for it.”
Abraham’s faith was not passive. The miracle of Isaac’s birth did not come through an immaculate conception. Abraham and Sarah acted in faith by obeying God and living as husband and wife, trusting Him to bring forth life from their union. This demonstrates that faith does not mean doing nothing. Rather, faith means obeying God, taking steps consistent with His promises, and relying on Him for the results. James 2:22 echoes this truth: “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” Faith is alive, and living faith always expresses itself in obedience. As Spurgeon declared, “All true believers, like Abraham, obey. Obedience is faith in action. That faith which has no works with it is a dead faith, and will justify no one.”
Because Abraham believed, “he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’” His faith not only secured the promise for himself but set the pattern for all who believe after him. Abraham’s faith was life-giving, not because of its strength, but because of the object of his faith—the God of resurrection power and sovereign promise.
The Character of Abraham’s Faith
Romans 4:19-22 – “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.’”
Paul now turns from the object of Abraham’s faith—the God who gives life to the dead—to the quality and character of that faith. He begins, “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” By human reasoning, Abraham had every reason to doubt. His age, nearly one hundred years, rendered him biologically incapable of fathering a child, and Sarah’s womb was long past childbearing years. Yet Abraham did not let circumstances dictate his confidence in God. Faith looks beyond what is humanly possible to what God has promised.
Paul writes, “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.” Abraham’s faith was not perfect, as his earlier attempt to produce an heir through Hagar reveals, yet in the decisive matter of trusting God for Isaac, he did not stagger. His trust in God grew stronger as the impossibility became more apparent. True faith does not mean the absence of struggle, but it means persevering in trust despite the obstacles. Faith that endures glorifies God, for it acknowledges His power and His faithfulness above all human weakness. Calvin observed wisely, “When there is no contest, it is true, no one denies that God can do all things; but as soon as anything comes in the way to impede the course of God’s promise, we cast down God’s power from its eminence.” Abraham’s faith stood firm even when confronted by apparent impossibilities.
Paul adds, “being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” This phrase captures the essence of Abraham’s confidence. Faith is not a vague optimism, nor is it wishful thinking. It is the settled conviction that God is both willing and able to fulfill His word. The God of Abraham is not too small. He is the Almighty who speaks and it is done, who promises and it comes to pass. Many today falter in faith because they doubt God’s power to fulfill His promises in their lives. They may think, “That is fine for others, but it will not work for me.” Such doubt is a satanic assault on faith and must be resisted. The God who performed His promise to Abraham is the same God who fulfills His promises to His children today.
The result of Abraham’s faith is declared in verse 22: “And therefore ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.’” Abraham’s faith was not meritorious in itself, but it was the instrument through which God’s righteousness was credited to him. His unwavering confidence in God’s promise honored the Lord, and God in turn honored Abraham’s faith by reckoning him righteous. This same principle applies to all who believe in Christ. Just as Abraham trusted God for the impossible gift of Isaac, so believers trust God for the impossible gift of righteousness and eternal life through Christ Jesus.
Abraham’s example also teaches that true faith is not passive. His trust was coupled with obedience. He and Sarah acted upon the promise, living as husband and wife and trusting God for the miracle. Faith always expresses itself in action, for as James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Spurgeon, commenting on this passage, emphasized that faith must be strengthened and exercised, particularly by those who teach and preach: “Dear brother, little faith will save thee if it be true faith, but there are many reasons why you should seek an increase of it.” He further exhorted ministers not to indulge unbelief, warning that doubt undermines confidence in God’s promises and hinders the work of the gospel.
Thus, the character of Abraham’s faith is marked by strength, steadfastness, confidence in God’s power, and obedience. It was not blind optimism, but conviction rooted in the faithfulness of God. It brought glory to God and resulted in righteousness being accounted to him. His faith serves as the model for all who trust in Christ today.
Abraham’s Justification and Our Own
Romans 4:23-25 – “Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”
Paul concludes his argument about Abraham’s faith by showing its relevance to all believers. He writes, “Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us.” The record of Abraham’s justification was not merely a historical note about one man’s relationship with God. It was preserved in Scripture for the benefit of every generation, as an invitation to follow Abraham’s example. Just as God credited righteousness to Abraham through faith, so He will credit righteousness to all who believe in Christ. This is the essence of Paul’s confidence: “It shall be imputed to us who believe.”
The object of this saving faith is not vague spirituality or generic belief, but specifically “Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” Faith must rest on the historical and redemptive work of Christ, not merely on admiration for His life or teaching. Many have faith in a Christ of their own imagination, but saving faith trusts in what Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection. Paul specifies: “who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”
First, Paul explains the cross: “who was delivered up because of our offenses.” The verb “delivered up” (paradidomi) was commonly used in the ancient world for handing someone over to judgment or imprisonment. Here it refers to the judicial act of God the Father delivering His Son to bear the penalty for sin. Jesus’ death was not a tragic accident, but a sovereign act of God. Isaiah 53:6 foreshadowed this: “And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus bore the judgment that was rightly ours, being “delivered up” to satisfy the demands of divine justice.
Second, Paul emphasizes the resurrection: “and was raised because of our justification.” The resurrection of Jesus is not an optional addendum to the gospel; it is essential. The cross would mean nothing without the empty tomb. The resurrection proved that Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient and accepted by the Father. If death had held Him, His work would have failed. But because He rose, it is evident that His sacrifice was perfect, and God set His seal of approval on it by raising Him from the grave. Romans 1:4 affirms this truth: “and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
As commentators have noted, the resurrection is the Father’s divine declaration that the debt of sin has been fully paid. Lenski explains, “Jesus’ resurrection always includes his sacrificial death but it brings out the all-sufficiency of his death. If death had held him, he would have failed; since he was raised from death, his sacrifice sufficed, God set his seal upon it by raising him up.” Likewise, Matthew Poole summarizes, “Christ did meritoriously work our justification and salvation by his death and passion, but the efficacy and perfection thereof with respect to us depend on his resurrection... This one verse is an abridgement of the whole gospel.”
Thus, Abraham’s justification by faith was not an isolated event but the pattern for all believers. The Old Testament does not contradict the gospel of salvation by grace through faith; it confirms and foreshadows it. The story of Abraham demonstrates that justification is always by faith, and Paul now applies that truth to the believer’s faith in Jesus Christ crucified and risen. As Abraham believed in the God who gives life to the dead, so we believe in the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. This faith is counted as righteousness, both for Abraham and for us.
