Romans 4:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

NIV: If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.

NASB: For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God.

CSB: If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God.

NLT: If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way.

KJV: For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

NKJV: For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Paul has spent much of this letter to the Romans making the point that nobody can be justified—shown to be righteous—before God by following the works of the law. Nobody can escape God's angry judgment for their personal sin, since all have sinned (Romans 3:10).

Now Paul has turned to Israel's primary ancestor, "father" Abraham. He is the ultimate example proving that being made right with God comes through faith and not through works. Hypothetically, Paul says, if Abraham had been justified before God by his works, he would have something to brag about. Of course, nobody can be justified by their works. Even if Abraham were justified in this way, though, meaning that he had never sinned and had only done good works, Abraham would not be able to boast about that to God. God, who is holy and sinless and perfect, would not be impressed with a human being's good works.

Human beings simply cannot be justified before God based on our own efforts.

Romans 4:1–12 focuses on the faith of Abraham, referenced by Paul to further his case about faith. God only declares people righteous based on their faith in Him. David, as well, describes those against whom God will not count their sin as ''blessed.'' Paul insists that this blessing of being declared righteous by God is available to both the circumcised and the uncircumcised. After all, God declared Abraham righteous long before he was circumcised. In that way, he became the spiritual father of both the believing Gentiles and the believing Jews.

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.

Accessed 12/4/2024 3:43:21 AM