THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE ROMANS
CHAPTER 4
Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteousnessMan is justified by faith, righteous works, and grace.
WHAT shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
aFor if Abraham were justified by works, he hath bwhereof to glory; but not before God.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham abelieved God, and it was counted unto him for brighteousness.
Now to him that worketh is the areward not breckoned 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.
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Saying, aBlessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
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.
And he received the asign of bcircumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the cfather of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also awalk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
For the promise, that he should be the aheir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his bseed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no alaw is, there is no btransgression.
aTherefore it is of faith, that it might be by bgrace; 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 cfaith of Abraham; who is the dfather of us all,
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who aquickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Who against hope believed in ahope, that he might become the father of many bnations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy cseed be.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years aold, neither yet the deadness of Saras womb:
He astaggered 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 apromised, he was able also to perform.
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
But for aus 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 aoffences, and was raised again for our bjustification.
|