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

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

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 accounted to him for righteousness.”

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

Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. David Celebrates the Same Truth

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 him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for 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 describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes 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 are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;

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

Blessed is the man to whom the L ord shall not impute sin.” Abraham Justified Before Circumcision

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.”

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.

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 accounted? 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 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,

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 walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. The Promise Granted Through Faith

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 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.

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 made of no effect,

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.

because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

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.

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

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, “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;

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

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

and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

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

And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

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

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed 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 also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up 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.

who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.