‘What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ‘
Romans 4:1-5
The World Needs Jesus Christ – Share the Story of Abraham with the Lost
- Abraham was justified by faith, not by works (Romans 4:2).
- Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised (Romans 4:9-10).
- Abraham received the promise of righteousness through faith (Romans 4:13).
- Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:22).
- Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness because he believed in the God who raises the dead (Romans 4:24).
The apostle Paul is using Abraham’s faith as an example to demonstrate that salvation is not based on works but on faith alone. The Holy Spirit makes it clear that Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised, and that this justification was credited to him as righteousness. In other words, Abraham’s faith in what God said was seen as righteous in God’s sight, and he was saved by his faith and not by his works or his circumcision.
The admonition for us is that salvation is not based on anything we do but on our faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul is using Abraham’s faith as an example to show that this principle of faith-based salvation applies to Gentile believers as well.
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