Romans 4:7-8 -Blessed Is the Man | Speak His Word Only

Romans 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Romans 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Romans 4:8 speaks of the blessedness of forgiveness. Paul is drawing from David's words in Psalm 32:1–2, where David describes the joy of the person whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is not counted against him.

The word “impute” carries the idea of reckoning, counting, or charging something to someone's account. In the surrounding passage, Paul explains that God imputes righteousness apart from works and does not impute sin to the forgiven person. 

This does not teach that sin is unimportant. Rather, it emphasizes the greatness of God's forgiveness and justification. The blessing is not that a person has never sinned, but that God has provided a way for the guilty to be forgiven and counted righteous through faith.

Romans 4 therefore presents a beautiful contrast:

• Sin forgiven.
• Sin not charged.
• Righteousness counted.
• The sinner declared blessed.

Key Thought

Blessed is the person who does not have to stand before God trusting in personal works, but receives the forgiveness and righteousness that God provides through faith.