06/05/2026
ABRAHAM WAS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH ALONE BEFORE GOD
And so are we.
Romans 4 is one of the clearest chapters in Scripture on how a sinner is made right with God.
“For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.” (Romans 4:2)
If Abraham was justified by works, he could boast. But before God, he had nothing to boast in. This is why James can speak of justification by works, but not before God, while Paul speaks of justification before God. Abraham was counted righteous in Genesis 15 when he believed God. His later obedience did not earn that righteousness; it came after God had already credited it to him.
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3)
Abraham was not declared righteous because of what he did. He was declared righteous because he believed God.
“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” (Romans 4:4)
If salvation is earned, it is not grace. It becomes a debt God owes.
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)
God does not justify the righteous. He justifies the ungodly who believe by faith. Their works are not the basis of their justification.
“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.” (Romans 4:6)
David agreed: God credits righteousness apart from works.
“How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.” (Romans 4:10)
Abraham was counted righteous before circumcision. The sign came after the justification.
“And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised…” (Romans 4:11)
Circumcision did not make Abraham righteous. It testified to a righteousness he already possessed by faith.
“For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” (Romans 4:13)
The promise came through faith, not law-keeping.
Why? Because faith and works are two different principles.
Faith relies on God's promise. Works rely on your performance.
These two approaches cannot be mixed. If you are trusting your works, you are not resting in God's promise. Faith looks away from self and relies entirely upon what God has said He will do.
When Abraham believed God, he stopped looking at himself and trusted what God said He would do. If the promise depended on Abraham's obedience, then the promise would no longer rest on God's grace. It would rest on Abraham's ability to perform.
That is why Paul says:
“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace…” (Romans 4:16)
Faith is the means because grace is the source. God designed salvation this way so that the promise would depend entirely upon Him and not upon us.
Abraham's faith was not merely believing that God exists. His faith was taking God at His word.
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;” (Romans 4:20)
“And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:21)
That is biblical faith. Abraham believed that God would do exactly what God promised to do.
Abraham's faith was not faith in faith. It was faith in the Promiser.
“And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:22)
God counted Abraham righteous because he believed God's promise.
Now Paul applies this directly to us:
“Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;” (Romans 4:23)
“But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;” (Romans 4:24)
Abraham's story was written for us.
The same principle by which Abraham was justified is the principle by which we are justified. Abraham believed God's promise and righteousness was credited to him.
We believe God's testimony concerning His Son, that Christ died for our sins and rose again, and righteousness is credited to us.
Saving faith is not trusting our obedience, our repentance, our commitment, our law-keeping, or our religious performance. Saving faith is taking God at His word.
God promises eternal life to everyone who believes on His Son. Faith does not look to itself. Faith looks to Christ and says, “God said it, Christ accomplished it, and I believe Him.”
Abraham was justified by faith in God's promise. We are justified by faith in Christ and the promise of eternal life found in Him.
The object of saving faith has always been God's promise, not man's performance.
