Abraham Justified by Faith

1What then will we say that Abraham, our forefathera according to the flesh, has found?A 2If Abraham was justifiedA by works,a he has something to boast about — but not before God. 3For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.a b 4Now to the one who works,a pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed. 5But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly,a his faith is credited for righteousness.

David Celebrating the Same Truth

6Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven

and whose sins are covered.

8Blessed is the person

the Lord will never charge with sin.a b

Abraham Justified before Circumcision

9Is this blessing only for the circumcised,a then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.b c 10In what way, then, was it credited — while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? It was not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised. 11And he received the sign of circumcisiona as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faitha b while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the fatherc of all who believed but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. 12And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.

The Promise Granted through Faith

13For the promise to Abrahama or to his descendants that he would inherit the worldb was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14If those who are of the law are heirs,a faith is made empty and the promise nullified, 15because the law produces wrath.a And where there is no law,b there is no transgression.

16This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace,a to guarantee it to all the descendantsb — not only to the one who is of the lawA but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all. 17As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations — a b in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the deadc and callsd things into existence that do not exist.e 18He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nationsa b according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.c d 19He did not weaken in faith when he consideredA his own body to be already deada (since he was about a hundred years old)b and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb.c 20He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,a 21because he was fully convinceda that what God had promised, he was also able to do.b 22Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness.a b 23Now it was credited to hima was not written for Abraham alone,b 24but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in hima who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.b 25He was delivered up forA our trespassesa and raised for our justification.b