Bullet Point Bible

Abraham Justified by Faith, Not Works

¹ What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter?² For if Abraham was declared righteous by works, he has something to boast about-but not before God.³ For what does the scripture say? " Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness ."⁴ Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation.⁵ But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.⁶ So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:⁷ " Blessedare those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;⁸ blessed is the oneagainst whom the Lord will never count sin ."

Paul uses Abraham, the revered father of the Jewish people, to demonstrate that justification has always been by faith.
If justification were by works (obedience to the Law), Abraham would have grounds for boasting, but Paul asserts this is impossible before God (Romans 4:2).
The core argument rests on Genesis 15:6: Abraham's belief in God's promise was the basis for his righteous standing, not his actions.
The term "credited" (Greek: *logizomai*) is an accounting term meaning to reckon, impute, or count something to someone's account. Here, faith is counted *as* righteousness.
Paul contrasts faith-based righteousness (grace) with works-based reward (obligation/debt) (Romans 4:4-5).
Justification is shown to be for the "ungodly" who believe, highlighting God's grace in declaring righteous those who are not inherently so.
David's testimony from Psalm 32:1-2 reinforces the concept of blessedness through forgiveness and the non-imputation of sin, achieved apart from works.
This section establishes the foundational principle that righteousness acceptable to God comes through faith, setting the stage for Gentile inclusion.
The argument directly challenges any reliance on works or heritage for right standing with God.

Justification Precedes Circumcision

⁹ Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision? For we say, " faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness ."¹⁰ How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised!¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he would become the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, that they too could have righteousness credited to them.¹² And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.

Paul anticipates the objection that Abraham's blessing might be tied to circumcision, a key marker of Jewish identity.
He decisively argues that Abraham was declared righteous (Genesis 15:6) *before* he was circumcised (Genesis 17).
Circumcision is presented not as the *means* of righteousness, but as a "sign" (outward mark) and "seal" (confirmation) of the righteousness Abraham *already possessed* by faith.
This timing is crucial: it establishes Abraham as the spiritual father of *all* who believe, whether circumcised (Jews) or uncircumcised (Gentiles).
Righteousness is credited to uncircumcised believers on the same basis as Abraham: faith.
Abraham is also the father of circumcised believers, but only those who share his pre-circumcision faith, not merely those who rely on the physical act.
This argument dismantles the idea that physical descent or adherence to covenant signs like circumcision guarantees right standing with God.
True spiritual lineage is defined by shared faith, not ethnicity or ritual observance.
Paul strategically uses the chronology of Abraham's life to support the inclusion of Gentiles in God's salvation plan.

The Promise Through Faith, Not Law

¹³ For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.¹⁴ For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified.¹⁵ For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either.¹⁶ For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants-not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all¹⁷ (as it is written, " I have made you the father of many nations "). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed-the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.

Paul shifts focus from justification to the promise given to Abraham (inheriting the world), arguing it too is accessed through faith, not law.
"Inherit the world" likely refers to the ultimate fulfillment of God's covenant promises, encompassing blessings, land, and a vast progeny, potentially with cosmic scope.
If inheritance depended on law-keeping, the promise would be nullified because no one perfectly keeps the law, and faith would become irrelevant (Romans 4:14).
The Law's primary function in this context is not to justify but to reveal sin and consequently bring God's wrath upon transgressors (cf. Romans 3:20).
Where there is no specific divine law given, actions cannot be technically defined as "transgressions" of that law, though sin itself still exists.
The promise is based on faith specifically *so that* it can be based on grace (God's unmerited favor).
A grace-based promise through faith ensures its certainty for *all* of Abraham's spiritual descendants (both Jewish and Gentile believers).
Paul quotes Genesis 17:5 (`"{{I have made you the father of many nations.}}"`) to support Abraham's role as father to a diverse, international family of faith.
This section firmly links God's promise, grace, faith, and the inclusion of all nations, contrasting it sharply with reliance on the Law.

The Nature of Abraham's Faith

¹⁷ (as it is written, " I have made you the father of many nations "). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed-the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.

Abraham's faith was placed in God characterized by two immense powers: giving life to the dead and creating reality through His word ("summons the things that do not yet exist").
This description of God is directly relevant to Abraham's situation (his aged body, Sarah's barrenness) and foreshadows the resurrection of Jesus.
Abraham's faith was exercised "against hope," meaning contrary to all human expectation and empirical evidence. He believed God's promise despite the apparent impossibility.
He realistically acknowledged the physical obstacles ("decrepitness," "deadness") but did not let them cause him to waver in his trust in God's promise (Romans 4:19-20).
Instead of weakening, his faith was strengthened, leading him to give glory to God even before the promise's fulfillment.
The essence of his faith was being "fully convinced" (*plērophoreō*) of God's absolute power and faithfulness to fulfill His word.
This robust, unwavering faith, focused on God's character and ability, was what God "credited to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:22, echoing 4:3, 9).
Abraham's faith serves as a model: trusting God's power over death and impossibility.
This description highlights that saving faith is not mere intellectual assent but a deep conviction and trust in God's promises and power.

Our Justification Through Faith in Christ

²³ But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham's sake,²⁴ but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.²⁵ He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.

Paul explicitly applies the principle of Abraham's justification by faith to contemporary believers. Scripture was written for instruction and encouragement (cf. Romans 15:4).
Justification ("it will be credited") is available to all who share a similar faith, specifically faith in the God demonstrated His power by raising Jesus from the dead.
The object of faith for Christians is parallel to Abraham's: belief in the God who brings life from death. For Abraham, it was the promise of a son; for Christians, it is the resurrection of Jesus.
Verse 25 provides a concise summary of the gospel's core: Jesus' death and resurrection are purposeful and interconnected.
Jesus was "delivered over" (a term often implying betrayal but also divine purpose) specifically *because of* or *for* our transgressions – His death was substitutionary atonement for sin.
Jesus "was raised" *because of* or *for* our justification – His resurrection demonstrates God's acceptance of His sacrifice, confirms His victory over sin and death, and secures our righteous standing.
The resurrection is therefore not just proof of Jesus' identity but the foundation upon which our justification rests.
This final section powerfully connects the Old Testament example of Abraham's faith with the New Testament reality of salvation through Christ's work.
It concludes the argument of chapter 4 by showing the continuity of God's plan of salvation through faith, culminating in Jesus Christ.

Additional Content

¹⁸ Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, " so will your descendants be ."¹⁹ Without being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about 100 years old) and the deadness of Sarah's womb.²⁰ He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.²¹ He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do.²² So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness.

The Bullet Point Bible

Romans 4