Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, ^(A)our forefather according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but ^(B)not before God. ³ For what does the Scripture say? ^(C)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

⁶ just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

The Promise Realized Through Faith

¹³ For ^(A)the promise to Abraham and his offspring ^(B)that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ^14 (C)For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵ For ^(D)the law brings wrath, but ^(E)where there is no law ^(F)there is no transgression.

¹⁶ That is why it depends on faith, ^(G)in order that the promise may rest on grace and ^(H)be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, ^(I)who is the father of us all,

¹⁸ In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ^(A)“So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was ^(B)as good as dead (^(C)since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered ^(D)the barrenness^[a] of Sarah's womb. ²⁰ No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹ fully convinced that ^(E)God was able to do what he had promised. ²² That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” ²³ But ^(F)the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, ²⁴ but for ours also. It will be counted to us ^(G)who believe in ^(H)him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, ^25 (I)who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised ^(J)for our justification.