Romans 4:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.

NIV: Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.

NASB: Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

CSB: Now to the one who works, pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed.

NLT: When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned.

KJV: Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

NKJV: Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Was Abraham justified before God because he earned it by his good works or because he believed what God told him? That's the question Paul is tackling. His opponents, the Jewish religious leaders, taught that Abraham was especially good. Or, at least, that he was obedient to God's law. Abraham's works, in other words, made him acceptable to God. By their logic, then, all people wanting to be called Abraham's children must follow the same path.

Paul has disagreed, pointing to Genesis 15:6, quoted in the previous verse, to make his case. Abraham was declared righteous by God, in spite of his own personal sin, because he believed God. All of Abraham's acts of faith came after, and were driven by, his faith in God.

Paul begins here to illustrate the difference between salvation by works and salvation by God's grace through faith in Christ. When we have a job, we get paid. That paycheck is not a gift. It is what our employer owes us in exchange for our work. Clearly, we can't demand that God "owes" us salvation on the basis of our works. First and foremost, as Paul has already demonstrated, none of us can earn being declared righteous by God. No matter how hard we try—which is not as hard as we could try (Romans 3:10)—we can't get the job done. God still owes us nothing.

In the following verse, Paul shows the difference of being declared righteous as a gift, as opposed to as a payment for services rendered to God.

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.