Open English Translation ROM Chapter 4

4 So what did our physical ancestor, Abraham discover about all this? 2 Because if Abraham was declared guiltless because of his actions, maybe he could boast? But not towards God 3 [ref]because the scriptures say: ‘Abraham believed in God so he was considered guiltless.’ 4 Now for someone who’s working, their wages are considered ‘owed’, not a gift. 5 However someone who’s not working but having faith that God will declare disobedient people as guiltless, then that person’s faith is considered to make them guiltless. 6 It’s just like what David said about blessing a person who God declares as guiltless despite their actions:

7 [ref]‘Those who’ve been forgiven for their lawlessness will be happy,

and whose sins have been covered over.

8 Anyone who the master declares to have no sin will be happy.’

9 Is this favour shown to circumcised Jews or is it also for non-Jews? Because we were saying that Abraham was considered guiltless because of his faith. 10 So how did that happen? Because he was circumcised or when he was still uncircumcised? No, it was before he was circumcised. 11 [ref]He received circumcision as a sign—proof of the righteousness that he gained from his faith while he was still uncircumcised—becoming the father of everyone who’s uncircumcised but believes so that they’ll be declared guiltless. 12 So our ancestor Abraham is the ancestor of us as a circumcised people, not just because we’re circumcised, but also as we follow his steps of faith while uncircumcised.

13 [ref]It wasn’t because of his obeying the law that it was promised that Abraham or his descendants would inherit the world, but because of his righteousness that came from his faith, 14 [ref]because if the ones obeying the law can become heirs, then faith would be declared as useless and the promise would be invalidated, 15 because the law produces severe anger, and where there’s no law, then there’s nothing to break.

16 [ref]Because of this, the promise to the descendants is by faith—given not only to the ‘descendants of the law’ but also to the ‘descendants of Abraham’s faith’. This promise is given by grace and has been confirmed, 17 [ref]as it’s been written, ‘I’ve appointed you as a father of many nations.’ He was appointed in front of the God he believed in—the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates by speaking things into being that didn’t previously exist. 18 [ref]Without any other evidence, he believed in hope itself and thus he became the father of many nations according to what he had been told: ‘Your descendants will be like the sand and the stars.’ 19 [ref]He didn’t falter in his faith, seeing that his body was already infertile being about a hundred years old and with Sarah being past menopause, 20 but he didn’t show unbelief and doubt God’s promise when it was given, but rather he was strengthened in his faith and praised God, 21 being quite certain that what God promises, he’s also able to do. 22 Therefore his faith was credited to him and he was declared guiltless. 23 However that statement wasn’t written about Abraham only, 24 but for us also who are also going to receive the same credit because of our faith in the God who brought our master Yeshua back to life from the dead 25 [ref]after he was handed over to the executioners because of our sins, and he was brought back to life to make us guiltless.