Romans 3:21-4:25

New American Standard Bible

Justification by Faith

²¹ But now apart ^[a]from the Law ^(A)the righteousness of God has been revealed, being ^(B)witnessed by the ^[b]Law and the Prophets, ²² but it is the ^(C)righteousness of God through ^(D)faith ^(E)in Jesus Christ for ^(F)all those ^[c]who believe; for ^(G)there is no distinction, ²³ for all ^[d](H)have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified as a gift ^(I)by His grace through ^(J)the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God displayed publicly as ^(K)a ^[e]propitiation ^[f](L)in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, ^[g]because in God’s merciful ^(M)restraint He ^(N)let the sins previously committed go unpunished; ²⁶ for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who ^[h]has faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where then is ^(O)boasting? It has been excluded. By ^(P)what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. ^28 [i]For ^(Q)we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works ^[j]of the Law. ²⁹ Or ^(R)is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰ since indeed ^(S)God ^(T)who will justify the ^[k]circumcised ^[l]by faith and the ^[m]uncircumcised through faith ^(U)is one.

³¹ Do we then nullify ^[n]the Law through faith? ^(V)Far from it! On the contrary, we ^(W)establish the Law.

Abraham’s Justification by Faith

4 What then shall we say that Abraham, ^[o]our forefather ^(X)according to the flesh, has found? ² For if Abraham was justified ^[p]by works, he has something to boast about; but ^(Y)not ^[q]before God. ³ For what does the Scripture say? “^(Z)Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now to the one who ^(AA)works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. ⁵ But to the one who does not work, but ^(AB)believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, ⁶ just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessing then on ^[r](AF)the circumcised, or on ^[s]the uncircumcised also? For ^(AG)we say, “^(AH)Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” ¹⁰ How then was it credited? While he was ^[t]circumcised, or ^[u]uncircumcised? Not while ^[v]circumcised, but while ^[w]uncircumcised; ¹¹ and he ^(AI)received the sign of circumcision, ^(AJ)a seal of the righteousness of the faith which ^[x]he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be ^(AK)the father of ^(AL)all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, ¹² and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which ^[y]he had while uncircumcised.

¹³ For ^(AM)the promise to Abraham or to his ^[z]descendants ^(AN)that he would be heir of the world was not ^[aa]through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For ^(AO)if those who are ^[ab]of the Law are heirs, then faith is made void and the promise is nullified; ¹⁵ for ^(AP)the Law brings about wrath, but ^(AQ)where there is no law, there also is no violation.

¹⁶ For this reason it is ^[ac]by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with ^(AR)grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to ^(AS)all the ^[ad]descendants, not only to ^[ae]those who are of the Law, but also to ^[af](AT)those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is ^(AU)the father of us all, ¹⁷ (as it is written: “I have made you ^(AV)a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, that is, God, ^(AW)who gives life to the dead and ^(AX)calls into being ^(AY)things that do not exist. ¹⁸ In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become ^(AZ)a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “^(BA)So shall your ^[ag]descendants be.” ¹⁹ Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now ^(BB)as good as dead since ^(BC)he was about a hundred years old, and ^(BD)the deadness of Sarah’s womb; ²⁰ yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, ^(BE)giving glory to God, ²¹ and ^(BF)being fully assured that ^(BG)what God had promised, He was able also to perform. ²² Therefore ^(BH)it was also credited to him as righteousness. ²³ Now ^(BI)not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, ²⁴ but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, to us ^(BJ)who believe in Him who ^(BK)raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ He who was ^(BL)delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was ^(BM)raised because of our justification.