Romans 4-5

GOD’S WORD Translation

We Have God’s Approval by Faith

4 What can we say that we have discovered about our ancestor Abraham? ² If Abraham had God’s approval because of something he did, he would have had a reason to brag. But he could not brag to God about it. ³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded as the basis of Abraham’s approval by God.”

⁴ When people work, their pay is not regarded as a gift but something they have earned. ⁵ However, when people don’t work but believe God, the one who approves ungodly people, their faith is regarded as the basis of God’s approval. ⁶ David says the same thing about those who are blessed: God approves of people without their earning it. David said,

⁹ Are only the circumcised people blessed, or are uncircumcised people blessed as well? We say, “Abraham’s faith was regarded as the basis of God’s approval.” ¹⁰ How was his faith regarded as the basis of God’s approval? Was he circumcised or was he uncircumcised at that time? He had not been circumcised. ¹¹ Abraham’s faith was the basis of his approval by God while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as the basis of their approval by God. ¹² He is also the father of those who not only are circumcised but also are following in the footsteps of his faith. Our father Abraham had that faith before he was circumcised.

¹³ So it was not by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings that Abraham or his descendants received the promise that he would inherit the world. Rather, he received this promise through God’s approval that comes by faith. ¹⁴ If those who obey Moses’ Teachings are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless. ¹⁵ The laws in Moses’ Teachings bring about anger. But where those laws don’t exist, they can’t be broken. ¹⁶ Therefore, the promise is based on faith so that it can be a gift.^[a] Consequently, the promise is guaranteed for every descendant, not only for those who are descendants by obeying Moses’ Teachings but also for those who are descendants by believing as Abraham did. He is the father of all of us, ¹⁷ as Scripture says: “I have made you a father of many nations.”

Abraham believed when he stood in the presence of the God who gives life to dead people and calls into existence things that don’t even exist. ¹⁸ When there was nothing left to hope for, Abraham still hoped and believed. As a result, he became a father of many nations, as he had been told: “That is how many descendants you will have.” ¹⁹ Abraham didn’t weaken. Through faith he regarded the facts: His body was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was unable to have children. ²⁰ He didn’t doubt God’s promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, giving honor to God ⌞for the promise⌟, he became strong because of faith ²¹ and was absolutely confident that God would do what he promised. ²² That is why Abraham’s faith was regarded as the basis of his approval by God.

²³ But the words “his faith was regarded as the basis of his approval by God” were written not only for him ²⁴ but also for us. Our faith will be regarded as the basis of our approval by God—each of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life. ²⁵ Jesus, our Lord, was handed over to death because of our failures and was brought back to life so that we could receive God’s approval.

We Are at Peace with God because of Jesus

5 Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. ² Through Christ we can approach God ^[b] and stand in his favor.^[c] So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God. ³ But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, ⁴ endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. ⁵ We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

⁶ Look at it this way: At the right time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for ungodly people. ⁷ Finding someone who would die for a godly person is rare. Maybe someone would have the courage to die for a good person. ⁸ Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us.

⁹ Since Christ’s blood has now given us God’s approval, we are even more certain that Christ will save us from God’s anger. ¹⁰ If the death of his Son restored our relationship with God while we were still his enemies, we are even more certain that, because of this restored relationship, the life of his Son will save us. ¹¹ In addition, our Lord Jesus Christ lets us continue to brag about God. After all, it is through Christ that we now have this restored relationship with God.

A Comparison between Adam and Christ

¹² Sin came into the world through one person, and death came through sin. So death spread to everyone, because everyone sinned. ¹³ Sin was in the world before there were any laws. But no record of sin can be kept when there are no laws. ¹⁴ Yet, death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin in the same way Adam did when he disobeyed. Adam is an image of the one who would come.

¹⁵ There is no comparison between ⌞God’s⌟ gift and ⌞Adam’s⌟ failure. If humanity died as the result of one person’s failure, it is certainly true that God’s kindness ^[d] and the gift given through the kindness of one person, Jesus Christ, have been showered on humanity.

¹⁶ There is also no comparison between ⌞God’s⌟ gift and the one who sinned. The verdict which followed one person’s failure condemned everyone. But, even after many failures, the gift brought God’s approval. ¹⁷ It is certain that death ruled because of one person’s failure. It’s even more certain that those who receive God’s overflowing kindness and the gift of his approval will rule in life because of one person, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ Therefore, everyone was condemned through one failure, and everyone received God’s life-giving approval through one verdict. ¹⁹ Clearly, through one person’s disobedience humanity became sinful, and through one person’s obedience humanity will receive God’s approval. ²⁰ The laws in Moses’ Teachings were added to increase the failure. But where sin increased, God’s kindness increased even more. ²¹ As sin ruled by bringing death, God’s kindness would rule by bringing us his approval. This results in our living forever because of Jesus Christ our Lord.