Abraham Believed God- Romans Chapter Four
It Was Counted Unto Him for Righteousness
Central Theme: Justification by Faith, the Righteousness of God, the Promise Given to Abraham, and the Power of God to Give Life to the Dead
Key Scripture — Romans 4:3 (KJV)
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.Introduction — The Righteousness of Faith Apart from the Works of the Law
Romans chapter 4 is one of the most profound teachings of the Apostle Paul concerning justification, righteousness, faith, and the promises of God.
In Romans chapter 3, Paul establishes that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin and that no flesh can be justified before God through the deeds of the law. He declares that the righteousness of God is manifested through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from the works of the law.
Paul now turns to Abraham, the patriarch of Israel, to demonstrate that justification by faith is not a new doctrine introduced after the coming of Jesus Christ. Its foundation can already be seen in the Scriptures concerning Abraham.
Abraham was counted righteous before he received circumcision and centuries before the law was given through Moses.
This is central to Paul's argument.
The righteousness that God credited to Abraham did not originate from his ability to perform religious works. It was counted to him because he believed God.
Paul also introduces David as a second witness, showing that the blessing of righteousness includes the forgiveness of sins and the gracious act of God not imputing sin.
Romans chapter 4 therefore establishes several foundational truths:
Righteousness is credited through faith, not earned as wages through works.
Abraham was justified before he was circumcised.
The promise to Abraham was not dependent upon the Mosaic law.
Abraham believed God's promise despite the apparent impossibility of its fulfillment.
The same principle of justification by faith applies to those who believe in God, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
The spiritual depth of Romans 4 is found in the distinction between what man attempts to establish through his own works and what God graciously accounts to the one who believes Him.
1. Romans 4:1–3 — What Did Abraham Find According to the Flesh?
Romans 4:1–3 (KJV)
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Why Does Paul Begin with Abraham?
Paul begins with Abraham because he was the great patriarch of Israel and the recipient of God's covenant promises.
The Jewish people recognized Abraham as their father according to the flesh. His calling, obedience, and covenant relationship with God were foundational to Israel's history.
If righteousness before God could be earned through human works, Abraham would appear to be an excellent example.
Abraham obeyed God's command to depart from his country, journeyed into an unfamiliar land, built altars, and demonstrated remarkable faithfulness.
Yet Paul does not appeal to Abraham's accomplishments as the foundation of his justification.
Instead, he appeals to Genesis 15:6:
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Abraham Believed God
The significance of this statement must not be overlooked.
Paul does not say Abraham earned righteousness through the perfection of his conduct.
He says Abraham believed God.
The Hebrew word translated believed in Genesis 15:6 comes from aman, conveying the idea of trusting, relying upon, or regarding something as trustworthy.
Abraham placed confidence in the God who had spoken.
The righteousness credited to Abraham was therefore grounded in God's gracious response to faith.
What Does Counted for Righteousness Mean?
The Greek word translated counted, logizomai, means to reckon, account, or credit.
It is an accounting term used to describe something being placed to a person's account.
Paul is teaching that God reckoned Abraham as righteous through faith.
This does not mean Abraham was inherently without sin. Neither does it mean that faith itself was a meritorious work that purchased righteousness.
Rather, Abraham was counted righteous because he trusted God's promise.
Spiritual Insight: Abraham's justification reveals that righteousness before God is not established by human boasting. The foundation is God's grace, received through faith in His word.
2. Romans 4:4–5 — The Difference Between Wages and Grace
Romans 4:4–5 (KJV)
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
The Principle of Wages
Paul introduces an illustration from ordinary labor.
When a person works for wages, the employer owes payment for the labor performed.
The wages are not a gift of grace. They are compensation for work.
Paul uses this distinction to explain why justification cannot be treated as something God owes to human beings because of their religious achievements.
If righteousness could be earned through works, it would become a matter of debt rather than grace.
But no sinful human being can place God under obligation to declare him righteous.
God Justifieth the Ungodly
This is one of the most astonishing statements in Romans chapter 4.
Paul declares that God justifies the ungodly.
The word ungodly refers to those who are not righteous in themselves.
God does not wait for sinners to establish their own perfect righteousness before He offers justification.
He justifies those who believe in Him.
This raises an important question: How can a holy and righteous God justify sinners without compromising His own righteousness?
Paul has already answered this in Romans 3:24–26.
God justifies through the redemption accomplished in Jesus Christ, whose sacrificial death demonstrates God's righteousness.
Therefore, justification is not God pretending that sin does not exist.
It is God graciously declaring sinners righteous on the basis of Christ's redemptive work.
Does "Worketh Not" Mean Obedience Is Unnecessary?
No.
Paul is distinguishing the basis of justification from the conduct that follows genuine faith.
He is not teaching that believers may continue in deliberate sin without concern for obedience.
Romans 6:1–2 directly rejects the idea that grace gives permission to continue in sin.
Faith receives the righteousness that human works cannot earn. Genuine faith then expresses itself through a transformed life.
Compare Ephesians 2:8–10 and Galatians 5:6.
3. Romans 4:6–8 — David Describes the Blessedness of Forgiveness
Romans 4:6–8 (KJV)
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Why Does Paul Introduce David?
Paul now brings forward a second witness from the Old Testament.
Abraham demonstrates righteousness credited through faith.
David demonstrates the blessedness of sins being forgiven and not counted against the sinner.
Paul quotes Psalm 32:1–2.
David knew the seriousness of sin and the mercy of divine forgiveness.
Psalm 32 reveals that forgiveness brings blessedness because guilt is removed through God's gracious action.
The Meaning of Imputed Righteousness
The word impute means to reckon or account.
Paul uses the same underlying Greek verb associated with righteousness being counted to Abraham.
David describes the person whose sins God does not count against him.
This reveals two closely related aspects of justification:
Forgiveness: The guilt of sin is not charged against the forgiven person.
Righteous standing: God accounts the believer as righteous through faith.
These are not merely outward religious privileges.
They concern a person's standing before God.
Blessed Are They Whose Sins Are Covered
The covering of sin does not mean that God is unaware of sin or that wrongdoing is concealed from His knowledge.
It describes the blessed condition of a person whose sin has been forgiven.
Psalm 32:5 shows David acknowledging his sin before the Lord and receiving forgiveness.
The spiritual significance is that genuine blessedness is not measured by wealth, social status, or earthly success.
The blessed person is the one who has received God's mercy and whose sin is no longer held against him.
4. Romans 4:9–12 — Abraham Was Justified Before Circumcision
Romans 4:9–10 (KJV)
Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
The Order of Abraham's Justification
Paul now makes an important chronological argument.
In Genesis 15:6, Abraham believed God, and his faith was counted for righteousness.
Circumcision was not instituted as the covenant sign until Genesis chapter 17.
Therefore, Abraham was counted righteous before he received circumcision.
Genesis 15:6 — Abraham Believed God
Faith was counted to Abraham for righteousness.
Genesis 17 — Circumcision Instituted
Abraham received the covenant sign after being counted righteous.
Romans 4 — Father of All Who Believe
The blessing of justification extends to believing Gentiles and Jews.
Circumcision Was a Sign and Seal
Romans 4:11 (KJV)
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.
Paul identifies circumcision as a sign and seal of righteousness already received through faith.
Circumcision did not create Abraham's righteous standing before God.
It marked the covenant relationship established by God.
This distinction is essential because Paul is demonstrating that covenant identity and the gracious reckoning of righteousness must not be confused.
Father of All Them That Believe
Abraham becomes the father of believing Gentiles as well as believing Jews.
This does not erase his historical identity as the patriarch of Israel.
Rather, it reveals that the blessing of righteousness through faith extends beyond physical descent.
Romans 4:12 also teaches that the circumcised must walk in the footsteps of Abraham's faith.
The outward covenant sign, by itself, is not the basis of justification.
Spiritual Insight: The outward sign of covenant relationship must never be mistaken for the inward reality of faith. Abraham's righteousness preceded circumcision, demonstrating that God's gracious acceptance was not purchased through the performance of the sign.
5. Romans 4:13–15 — The Promise Was Not Through the Law
Romans 4:13 (KJV)
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
The Promise to Abraham
Paul now expands his argument from circumcision to the law.
The promise given to Abraham was not established through the Mosaic covenant.
The law given through Moses came centuries after God's promises to Abraham.
Galatians 3:17 explains that the law, which came afterward, could not annul the covenant previously confirmed by God.
Abraham received promises concerning his descendants, the land, and the blessing that would extend to all families of the earth.
Genesis 12:3 declares:
And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Paul understands the Abrahamic promise in light of God's larger redemptive purpose, fulfilled through Christ.
What Does Heir of the World Mean?
Paul describes Abraham and his seed as heirs of the world.
This language is broader than the immediate geographical promise concerning the land of Canaan.
It points toward the universal scope of the blessing and inheritance associated with God's promise.
Christian interpreters differ concerning the precise relationship between this inheritance, the land promises, the kingdom of God, and the renewed creation.
Nevertheless, Paul's argument is clear: the promised inheritance rests upon God's gracious promise received through faith, not upon the Mosaic law as the means of justification.
If They Which Are of the Law Be Heirs
Romans 4:14 (KJV)
For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.
If inheritance depended upon the law as the means of obtaining righteousness, the promise would cease to function as a gracious promise received through faith.
Paul is not teaching that God's law was evil.
He is showing that the law was not given as the means by which sinful humanity could earn justification.
The Law Worketh Wrath
Romans 4:15 (KJV)
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
The law reveals God's righteous standards and exposes human disobedience.
When a divine command is given, its violation constitutes transgression.
Paul's statement does not mean that sin did not exist before the Mosaic law.
Romans 5:13–14 makes clear that sin and death were present before Moses.
Rather, the law identifies and exposes transgression, bringing the sinner under the judgment associated with disobedience.
The law reveals the seriousness of sin, but it cannot provide the righteousness that sinful humanity needs.
6. Romans 4:16–17 — The Promise Is of Faith, That It Might Be by Grace
Romans 4:16 (KJV)
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.
Why Must the Promise Be Received by Faith?
Paul reveals the relationship between faith and grace.
The promise is received by faith so that its fulfillment may rest upon grace.
Grace places the foundation of salvation in God's generosity and faithfulness rather than in human merit.
If the inheritance depended upon perfect human obedience, no sinner could secure it.
But because the promise rests upon God's grace, it is available to all who share Abraham's faith.
The Father of Many Nations
Romans 4:17 (KJV)
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Paul quotes Genesis 17:5.
God changed Abram's name to Abraham, signifying his appointed role as the father of many nations.
The promise was spoken before its full realization.
Abraham did not yet possess the multitude of descendants described in God's word.
Nevertheless, God spoke of what He had determined to accomplish.
God Who Quickeneth the Dead
The word quickeneth means to make alive.
Paul identifies God as the One who gives life to the dead.
This truth connects Abraham's faith with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which Paul will address at the conclusion of the chapter.
The God who could bring life from Abraham and Sarah's reproductive incapacity is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead.
Calleth Those Things Which Be Not as Though They Were
This statement concerns the sovereign power of God.
It does not teach that human beings possess God's creative authority simply by speaking desired circumstances into existence.
Paul is describing God, whose promises are certain because He possesses the power to accomplish what He declares.
Human faith does not create the promise.
Faith trusts the God who has spoken the promise.
This distinction protects the believer from confusing faith with personal imagination, presumption, or attempts to control circumstances through declarations.
7. Romans 4:18–19 — Abraham Believed Against Hope
Romans 4:18–19 (KJV)
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb.
What Does Against Hope Believed in Hope Mean?
Paul places two kinds of expectation in contrast.
From the standpoint of natural human circumstances, Abraham had little reason to expect that he and Sarah would produce the promised son.
Abraham was approaching one hundred years of age, and Sarah had passed the ordinary age of childbearing.
The circumstances appeared to contradict the possibility of fulfillment.
Yet Abraham possessed another foundation for hope.
He had the word of God.
Therefore, he believed in hope when natural circumstances offered no ordinary basis for hope.
Abraham's Faith Was Not Denial of Reality
An important distinction must be made.
Paul is not teaching that Abraham pretended his body was young or that Sarah possessed ordinary reproductive ability.
Abraham knew their circumstances.
Genesis 17:17 records Abraham considering their advanced ages, and Genesis 18:11 describes Sarah as being beyond the customary age of childbearing.
Romans 4 emphasizes that these realities did not ultimately overthrow Abraham's confidence in God's promise.
Faith does not require a person to deny observable circumstances.
It requires confidence in God's ability to accomplish what He has actually promised.
The Deadness of Sarah's Womb
Sarah's barrenness had been a longstanding reality.
The birth of Isaac would therefore demonstrate that the fulfillment of God's covenant promise depended upon divine power rather than ordinary human ability.
Isaac was not merely a child born to elderly parents.
He was the promised son through whom God would continue His covenant purpose.
Compare Genesis 21:1–3 and Hebrews 11:11–12.
Spiritual Insight: Abraham's faith was not confidence in the strength of his body, the ability of Sarah, or the favorable appearance of his circumstances. His faith rested upon the faithfulness and power of God.
8. Romans 4:20–21 — He Staggered Not at the Promise of God
Romans 4:20–21 (KJV)
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
He Staggered Not Through Unbelief
The Greek verb translated staggered is diakrinō, which can describe doubting, wavering, or being divided in judgment.
Paul presents Abraham as a man whose faith ultimately remained anchored in the divine promise.
This does not mean Abraham's life contained no moments of uncertainty or failure.
Genesis records occasions when Abraham acted out of fear or attempted to understand how God's promise would be fulfilled.
Romans 4 focuses on the defining character of his faith: he continued to trust the God who had made the promise.
Strong in Faith, Giving Glory to God
Abraham's faith glorified God because it acknowledged God's power and faithfulness.
Unbelief questions whether God can be trusted.
Faith honors God by regarding Him as faithful to His word.
The strength of Abraham's faith was not found in his ability to produce the promised result.
It was found in the One he believed.
Fully Persuaded
The expression fully persuaded conveys settled conviction.
Abraham was convinced that God possessed the power to perform what He had promised.
Notice the wording carefully:
What He had promised, He was able also to perform.
The promise originated with God.
The ability to fulfill it belonged to God.
Abraham's responsibility was to believe.
This is the essential nature of biblical faith.
Faith is not the power to compel God to fulfill human desires. It is confidence in God's character and in the promises He has truly given.
9. Romans 4:22 — Therefore It Was Imputed to Him for Righteousness
Romans 4:22 (KJV)
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Paul returns to the foundational statement of Genesis 15:6.
The word therefore connects Abraham's righteousness with the faith Paul has just described.
Abraham trusted the God who gives life to the dead and accomplishes what He promises.
God counted that faith to him for righteousness.
The Difference Between Faith and Righteousness
Faith and righteousness are closely connected in Paul's teaching, but they are not identical concepts.
Faith is the means through which the believer receives God's gracious justification.
Righteousness describes the standing God grants.
Abraham was not justified because his faith was an independent achievement that made him deserving of righteousness.
He was justified because God graciously counted him righteous through faith.
This excludes boasting.
It also preserves the truth that justification originates in God's grace.
10. Romans 4:23–25 — Written for Us Who Believe in the Resurrection of Christ
Romans 4:23–25 (KJV)
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
The Testimony of Abraham Was Written for Us
Paul now reveals why the account of Abraham is essential to the gospel.
The record was not preserved merely as a historical account of one man's relationship with God.
It also reveals the principle by which believers are justified.
The same God who counted Abraham righteous through faith now justifies those who believe in Him through Jesus Christ.
Abraham's Faith and the Believer's Faith
Abraham believed the God who promised to bring forth life where natural circumstances offered no hope.
Christians believe in the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
The objects of God's specific promises differ within redemptive history, but the underlying principle is consistent.
Faith rests upon the power and faithfulness of God.
Delivered for Our Offences
Paul declares that Jesus was delivered for our offences.
This refers to His sacrificial death in relation to human sin.
The word offences refers to transgressions or trespasses.
Jesus Christ was delivered up to death because of our sins and for the accomplishment of redemption.
Isaiah 53:5 declares:
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
The death of Christ addresses the guilt of sin and provides the foundation for justification.
Raised Again for Our Justification
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is inseparable from the gospel of justification.
Paul does not present the resurrection as an optional addition to the message of salvation.
The risen Christ is central to the believer's righteous standing before God.
His resurrection vindicates Him and demonstrates God's victory over sin and death.
Romans 8:34 declares that Christ died, rose again, and makes intercession for believers.
Therefore, justification rests upon the saving work of the crucified and risen Lord.
Spiritual Insight: Abraham believed God concerning the promised life that would come through Isaac. Believers now trust the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, through whom the promise of salvation reaches its fulfillment.
11. The Spiritual Connection Between Abraham, Isaac, and Jesus Christ
The account of Abraham contains themes that anticipate the fuller revelation of redemption through Jesus Christ.
God promised Abraham a son when the fulfillment appeared naturally impossible.
Through Isaac, God continued the covenant line that would eventually lead to the coming of the Messiah.
Galatians 3:16 identifies Christ as the ultimate Seed through whom the Abrahamic promise reaches its redemptive fulfillment.
The relationship may be understood through the following biblical progression:
The Promise to Abraham
God promises descendants and blessing to the nations. (Genesis 12:1–3; 15:5–6)
The Birth of Isaac
God fulfills His word despite Abraham and Sarah's advanced age. (Genesis 21:1–3)
The Coming of Jesus Christ
The promised blessing reaches its fulfillment through Christ. (Galatians 3:13–16)
The Resurrection and Justification
God raised Jesus from the dead, and believers are justified through faith in Him. (Romans 4:23–25)
The promise to Abraham was not isolated from God's greater purpose of redemption.
Through Christ, the blessing promised to Abraham extends to people of all nations who believe.
12. The Difference Between the Works of the Law and the Obedience of Faith
One of the most important distinctions in Romans chapter 4 concerns the relationship between faith and works.
Paul declares that Abraham was justified apart from works.
Yet Scripture also records Abraham's obedience.
How should these teachings be understood together?
Romans 4 — The Basis of Justification
Paul addresses how a sinner is counted righteous before God.
His answer is faith, apart from works as the basis of earning righteousness.
James 2 — The Evidence of Living Faith
James 2:21–23 refers to Abraham's willingness to offer Isaac upon the altar.
James teaches that genuine faith is demonstrated through action.
His concern is with a claim to faith that produces no corresponding obedience.
Paul and James are addressing different aspects of the relationship between faith and works.
Paul rejects the idea that works earn justification before God.
James rejects the idea that an empty profession, lacking the evidence of living faith, is sufficient.
Abraham's faith was counted for righteousness in Genesis 15, and that faith was subsequently demonstrated through obedience, including the events of Genesis 22.
Spiritual Understanding
Faith is the root; obedience is its fruit.
Obedience does not purchase God's grace.
Rather, genuine faith produces a life increasingly responsive to God's commands.
This is consistent with Romans 1:5, where Paul speaks of the obedience to the faith among the nations.
13. The Central Revelation — God Gives Life Where Human Strength Cannot Produce It
There is a profound connection between the beginning and the conclusion of Romans chapter 4.
Abraham believed God concerning the promised son.
Believers now believe in God who raised Jesus from the dead.
In both instances, Paul directs attention to God's power over death.
Abraham and Sarah could not produce the promised child through ordinary human expectation at their advanced ages.
Jesus Christ truly died and was raised by the power of God.
Paul is not equating the birth of Isaac with the resurrection of Jesus in every respect.
Rather, he reveals a common truth about the God in whom faith rests.
God possesses the power to accomplish what human ability cannot accomplish.
This truth also illuminates the doctrine of justification.
Human beings cannot establish perfect righteousness before God through their own strength.
But God has provided righteousness through Jesus Christ.
Just as Abraham depended upon the divine promise, believers depend upon the saving work of Christ.
The righteousness of faith directs glory away from human accomplishment and toward the grace, power, and faithfulness of God.
14. What Romans Chapter 4 Teaches the Church Today
Romans 4 corrects several misunderstandings concerning faith, righteousness, and the promises of God.
Misunderstanding | Biblical Teaching |
|---|---|
Righteousness can be earned through religious works. | God justifies through faith, apart from works as the basis of merit. |
Circumcision made Abraham righteous. | Abraham was counted righteous before circumcision. |
The Mosaic law established the promise to Abraham. | The promise preceded the law and rests upon grace. |
Faith means ignoring difficult circumstances. | Abraham trusted God's promise despite recognizing the circumstances. |
Faith gives human beings power to create any desired outcome. | Faith trusts God's power to accomplish what He has promised. |
The death of Jesus is sufficient to discuss justification without His resurrection. | Paul places both Christ's death and resurrection at the center of justification. |
The chapter calls believers to rest their confidence upon God's grace rather than upon personal achievements, religious status, or outward signs.
It also teaches that biblical faith must be grounded in the word and character of God.
Abraham's faith was not directed toward a promise he invented.
He believed what God had spoken.
That distinction remains essential for the church today.
Conclusion — The Righteousness of God Revealed Through Faith
Romans chapter 4 reveals that justification has always depended upon the grace and faithfulness of God rather than upon the ability of sinful humanity to earn righteousness.
Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God.
David testified to the blessedness of forgiveness and the non-imputation of sin.
Circumcision served as a covenant sign, but Abraham had already been counted righteous before receiving it.
The law did not create or secure the promise.
The promise rested upon God's grace and was received through faith.
Abraham believed the God who gives life to the dead and who possesses the power to perform what He has promised.
Paul then brings this truth to its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
The believer's justification is grounded in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, who was delivered for our offences and raised for our justification.
The central message of Romans chapter 4 is therefore not the greatness of Abraham's personal achievements.
It is the greatness of the God whom Abraham believed.
The same God who faithfully fulfilled His promise to Abraham has revealed His saving righteousness through Jesus Christ.
And those who believe in Him receive the blessing of justification, not as wages earned through human works, but as the gracious gift of God.
Romans 4:20–21 (KJV)
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
The strength of faith is not measured by the greatness of human ability, but by confidence in the faithfulness of God.
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