1 W hat about Abraham, our early father? What did he learn?

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?

2 I f Abraham was made right with God by what he did, he would have had something to be proud of. But he could not be proud before God.

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

3 T he Holy Writings say, “Abraham put his trust in God and that made him right with God.”

For what does the Scripture say? “ Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

4 I f a man works, his pay is not a gift. It is something he has earned.

Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

5 I f a man has not worked to be saved, but has put his trust in God Who saves men from the punishment of their sins, that man is made right with God because of his trust in God.

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

6 D avid tells of this. He spoke of how happy the man is who puts his trust in God without working to be saved from the punishment of sin.

just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7 “ Those people are happy whose sinful acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered.

“ Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered.

8 T hose people are happy whose sins the Lord will not remember.”

“ Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”

9 I s this happiness given to the Jews only? Or is it given also to the people who are not Jews? We say again, “Abraham put his trust in God and that made him right with God.”

Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “ Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.”

10 W hen did this happen? Was it before or after Abraham went through the religious act of becoming a Jew? It was before.

How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;

11 H e went through the religious act after he had put his trust in God. That religious act proved that his trust in God made him right with God even before he went through the religious act of becoming a Jew. In that way, it made him the early father of all those who believe. It showed that those who did not go through the religious act of becoming a Jew could be right with God.

and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,

12 H e is also the early father of all those who have gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew. It is not because they went through the act. It is because they put their trust in God the same as Abraham did before he went through the religious act of becoming a Jew.

and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.

13 G od promised to give the world to him and to all his family after him. He did not make this promise because Abraham obeyed the Law. He promised to give the world to Abraham because he put his trust in God. This made him right with God.

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 I f those who obey the Law are to get the world, then a person putting his trust in God means nothing. God’s promise to Abraham would be worth nothing.

For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;

15 G od’s anger comes on a man when he does not obey the Law. But if there were no Law, then no one could break it.

for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

16 S o God’s promise is given to us because we put our trust in Him. We can be sure of it. It is because of His loving-favor to us. It is for all the family of Abraham. It is for those who obey the Law. It is for those who put their trust in God as Abraham did. In this way, he is the father of all Christians.

For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, 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,

17 T he Holy Writings say, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This promise is good because of Who God is. He makes the dead live again. He speaks, and something is made out of nothing.

(as it is written, “ A father of many nations have I made you ”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

18 A braham believed he would be the father of many nations. He had no reason to hope for this, but he had been told, “Your children will become many nations.”

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “ So shall your descendants be.”

19 A braham was about one hundred years old. His body was about dead, but his faith in God was not weak when he thought of his body. His faith was not weak when he thought of his wife Sarah being past the age of having children.

Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;

20 A braham did not doubt God’s promise. His faith in God was strong, and he gave thanks to God.

yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,

21 H e was sure God was able to do what He had promised.

and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

22 A braham put his trust in God and was made right with Him.

Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness.

23 T he words, “He was made right with God,” were not for Abraham only.

Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him,

24 T hey were for us also. God will make us right with Himself the same way He did Abraham, if we put our trust in God Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

25 J esus died for our sins. He was raised from the dead to make us right with God.

He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.