Romans 4:5-9

Living Bible

^4-5But didn’t he earn his right to heaven by all the good things he did? No, for being saved is a gift; if a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn’t be free—but it is! It is given to those who do not work for it. For God declares sinners to be good in his sight if they have faith in Christ to save them from God’s wrath.^[a]

⁶King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared “not guilty”^[b] by God. ⁷“Blessed and to be envied,” he said, “are those whose sins are forgiven and put out of sight. ⁸Yes, what joy there is for anyone whose sins are no longer counted against him by the Lord.”^[c]

⁹Now then, the question: Is this blessing given only to those who have faith in Christ but also keep the Jewish laws, or is the blessing also given to those who do not keep the Jewish rules but only trust in Christ? Well, what about Abraham? We say that he received these blessings through his faith. Was it by faith alone, or because he also kept the Jewish rules?

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Footnotes

Romans 4:4 if they have faith in Christ to save them from God’s wrath, literally, “faith is reckoned for righteousness.”
Romans 4:6 “not guilty,” literally “righteous.”
Romans 4:8 See Psalm 32:1-2.