4 So what did our physical ancestor, Avraham, discover about all this? 2 Because if Avraham was declared guiltless because of his actions, maybe he could boast? But not towards God, 3 because the scriptures say: ‘Avraham believed in God, so he was considered guiltless.’[ref] 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, 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 ‘Those who’ve been forgiven for their lawlessness will be happy,

whose sins have been covered over.

8 Anyone who Yahweh declares to have no sin will be happy.’[ref]

9 Is this favour shown only to circumcised Yehudim (Jews), or is it also for non-Jews? After all, we were saying that Avraham 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 He received circumcision as a sign[ref]—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 Avraham is the ancestor of us as a circumcised people group, not just because we’re circumcised, but also as we follow the steps of faith he took while uncircumcised.