Romans 4:13-22

International Standard Version

The Promise Comes through Faith

¹³ For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the Law, but through the righteousness produced by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who were given the Law^[a] are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless, ¹⁵ for the Law produces wrath. Now where there is no Law, neither can there be any violation of it.

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise^[b] is based on faith, so that it may be a matter of grace and may be guaranteed for all of Abraham’s^[c] descendants—not only for those who were given the Law,^[d] but also for those who share the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations.”^[e] Abraham^[f] acted in faith when he stood in the presence of God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that don’t yet exist. ¹⁸ Hoping in spite of hopeless circumstances, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,”^[g] just as he had been told:^[h] “This is how many descendants you will have.”^{[i] 19} His faith did not weaken when he thought about his own body (which was already^[j] as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old) or about Sarah’s inability to have children, ²⁰ nor did he doubt God’s promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, his faith became stronger and he gave glory to God, ²¹ being absolutely convinced that God would do what he had promised. ²² This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[k]