Romans 4:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

NIV: This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.'

NASB: Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

CSB: Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness.

NLT: And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.

KJV: And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

NKJV: And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Paul has described Abraham's amazing faith. God had promised to give Abraham a son with Sarah, and to make Abraham the father of many nations. Then the clock started. The years passed. Abraham did some good things, and he made some mistakes. He stood for what was right, and he sinned. Time went on and on, and no baby arrived. Even though Abraham was elderly when first called by God (Genesis 12:1–4), he had to wait another 25 years to see the promise completed!

Through all of this, Paul has written, Abraham's faith in God did not waver. In fact, Abraham's faith grew stronger, and he continued to give glory to God (Romans 4:20). He continued to be fully convinced that God was able to keep His promise (Romans 4:21), even as he watched his body age and lose function until he was 100 years old and "as good as dead" (Romans 4:19).

Now Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 once more, exclaiming that this was why Abraham's faith was counted to him by God as righteousness. Abraham believed God. God received his faith and declared him justified. Paul will show in the following verses that the same can happen for us when the focus of our faith is on what God did for us through Christ.

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.