Romans 4:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,

NIV: but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

NASB: but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

CSB: but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

NLT: for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

KJV: But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

NKJV: but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,

Abraham's unwavering, rock solid faith in God to keep His promises was "counted to him" by God as righteousness. The words "counted to him" mean something like "credited to his account." In other words, Abraham's faith in God was the reason God declared Abraham justified and acceptable to Himself despite Abraham's sinfulness. Paul has stated, already, that righteousness cannot be earned, like a paycheck (Romans 3:23–24; 4:4–5). Nobody is good enough to deserve this redemption (Romans 3:20).

Now Paul writes that the same thing can happen for us when we believe in God. For the first time, though, Paul gets more specific about what it is God wants us to believe. He is not asking us to believe that we will all have children when we are 100 years old, but He is asking us to believe Him. Specifically, God asks us to believe in Himself as the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He asks us to believe not just in the resurrection of Jesus, but that He, God, is the one who raised Him.

Paul expands on this thought in the following verse.

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.

Accessed 11/21/2024 3:26:26 PM