Romans 4:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

NIV: It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

NASB: For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

CSB: For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

NLT: Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.

KJV: For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

NKJV: For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Abraham's relationship with God began with a command and a set of promises. First, God told Abraham to "go" from his country into another land. God promised to make Abraham a great nation, to bless him, to make his name great, to bless those who blessed him and curse those who dishonored him, and to bless all of the families of the earth through Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3). Did Abraham believe all these promises from God? He clearly did, because the verse after this list of promises says, "So Abram went" (Genesis 12:4).

Paul seems to be referring to these promises when he mentions that God told Abraham that he and his descendants would be heirs of the world. Paul's point is that the promises had nothing to do with the giving of or Israel's keeping of the law. God made the promises centuries before giving the law to Moses. Instead, these promises were given through the righteousness of Abraham's faith.

Romans 4:13–25 continues to focus on the faith of Abraham. God made promises to Abraham and his descendants, promises which Abraham believed. Those promises can't be received by keeping the law, but only by faith. God promised Abraham a son with Sarah, and Abraham continued to believe that promise would be kept even as it became less and less likely in human terms. We, too, can be counted as righteous by faith in Jesus' death for our sins and God's resurrection of Him for our justification.

Romans 4 is all about the faith of Abraham. God declared Abraham righteous because of his faith, not because of his works. A declaration of righteousness was God's gift, not a payment. This righteousness is available to everyone, circumcised or not. God declared Abraham righteous many years before he was circumcised, making him the spiritual father of all who believe, whether circumcised or not, whether Jew or Gentile. God's promises to Abraham and his offspring can't be received by keeping the law, only by faith. Abraham's faith in God's promise of a son with Sarah did not waver even as he grew older. God will declare us righteous, as well, if by faith we believe in the God who delivered Jesus to die for our sins and raised Him back to life for our justification.

So far, this letter has established that every single person is guilty of sin and does not deserve God's forgiveness. Whether we know God's law explicitly, or not, we still fail to obey. Only faith in Christ can rescue us from the penalty we deserve for that sin. Romans 4 explores the example of Abraham, and God's amazing gift of declaring Abraham righteous solely on the basis of his faith. This declaration was given many years before Abraham was circumcised, causing Abraham to become the father of all who believe God by faith. Abraham's continued faith in God is a model for us. Romans will continue by exploring how Christ brings us peace with God.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.