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The Letter to the Romans 4

4 You Jews might say, “If what you have said is true, then surely our physical ancestor Abraham found out about it. 2 This must be true because if Abraham became righteous based on doing the things that God commanded in his laws, then he could brag about it.” On the contrary, I would say that Abraham could not possibly boast about it to God! 3 I say this because, Moses surely tells us in the Scriptures, “Abraham trusted in God, and God considered Abraham to be righteous because he trusted in him.” 4 Indeed, when a person works, he does not consider the wage he earns to be a gracious gift. On the contrary, that person considers the wage he earns to be what his employer owes him. 5 By contrast, when a person does not obey the laws God gave the Jews, but trusts in the God who can make unrighteous people righteous, God considers him to be righteous because he trusted in him. 6 This is also the same thing that David wrote in the Scriptures about how blessed people are when God considers them to be righteous, even though they do not do those things that God commanded. David wrote:

7 “People are so happy when God forgives their lawless acts! People are so happy when God no longer acknowledges their sinful acts! 8 Any person whom the Lord never again considers to be sinful is so happy!”

9 Therefore, these happy people are not only circumcised Jews but even uncircumcised people who are not Jews! This must be true because we Jews quote the scripture that states, “God considers Abraham to be righteous because he trusted in him.” 10 So then, you surely know when Abraham trusted in God and God considered him to be righteous! You surely know whether this happened before he was circumcised or afterward! Indeed, it was not while Abraham was circumcised, but while he was still uncircumcised that God considered him to be righteous. 11 Abraham was circumcised as a mark in his body to prove that God had made him righteous because Abraham trusted in him before he was circumcised. This happened in order for him to become the spiritual ancestor for every non-Jewish person who trusts in God in order that God would consider them to be righteous because they trust in him. 12 This also happened in order for Abraham to become the spiritual ancestor of those people who are circumcised, that is, those circumcised Jews who are not only circumcised in their bodies, but who also trust in God the same way that our ancestor Abraham did even before he was circumcised.

13 This is true because when God promised Abraham and those who descend from him that the whole world would belong to him, God did not promise this because Abraham obeyed the laws God gave the Jews. Rather, God promised this because God had made Abraham righteous because Abraham trusted in him. 14 This is true because, if people could inherit what God promised Abraham by obeying the laws he gave the Jews, then trusting in God would become useless! What God promised would also become invalid. 15 This is because the laws God gave the Jews are intended to punish those who disobey them. However, where God’s laws do not exist, no one can disobey them. 16 This is why what God promised comes by trusting in him in order to show how kind he is. God was so kind in order that he could secure what he promised to everyone who has spiritually descended from Abraham. Those who have spiritually descended from Abraham are not only those Jews who obey the laws God gave them, but also those who trust in God as Abraham did. Abraham is the spiritual ancestor of all of us who trust in God. 17 (This is exactly what God said in the Scriptures about Abraham: “I have chosen you to be a spiritual ancestor for numerous people groups.”) God considers Abraham to be our spiritual ancestor. Abraham trusted God. God is the one who causes dead people to become alive again. He also commands things that do not exist to exist, then they exist. 18 Abraham trusted in God by hoping in God despite what seemed hopeless. As a result, he became the spiritual ancestor for numerous people groups. This happened just as God had promised him in the Scriptures: “The people who descend from you will become as numerous as the stars in the sky.” 19 Abraham thought that his body was too old to produce children. (He was almost 100 years old!) He also thought that his wife Sarah was unable to become pregnant because she never had been able to do so before. Nevertheless, Abraham kept on trusting God. 20 Indeed, Abraham did not faithlessly doubt what God had promised. On the contrary, God empowered Abraham to continue trusting in him while Abraham was glorifying God. 21 God also totally assured Abraham that he is able to do what he had promised to do. 22 And this is why, “God considered Abraham to be righteous because he trusted in him.”

23 Yet, when Moses wrote in the Scriptures, “God considered how Abraham trusted him,” these words not only refer to Abraham. 24 On the contrary, these words also refer to us who trust in Jesus. God is going to consider how we believers trust him. We are the people who trust him. He is the one who caused our Lord Jesus to become alive again after he had died. 25 God allowed people to kill Jesus because we sinned against God. God also caused Jesus to become alive again in order to make us righteous.

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