Romans 4
1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
What can be learned from the life of Abraham?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
As good of a human Abraham was, he was far from perfect. Within The law of God, he would fall short.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Abraham showed his faith in God. Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
What follows us to heaven? Our works do! Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Once you ask for that forgiveness, our Father isn't going to bring it back up.....EVER! To "impute" = take inventory of.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
Is it faith or circumcision that counted as righteousness.
10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Abraham believed in God before he was physically circumcised.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
This seed is The Seed to Christ Jesus. It was through the genealogy of Abraham that Christ would come that gives this phrase "father of all them that believe" just as Eve was called "mother of all living". Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. It's through her genealogy that Christ would come. We can't truly live until we give ourselves to Christ. He makes us alive, Born from above!
12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
Through Abraham came Christ and those in Christ EVERY Christian becomes one.
13 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.
It was Abraham's faith that gave God's promise to him, not The law.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Without The law, we don't know what a sin is and with Christ we have The Way out of our sins. The law could never save us, only the blood of Christ.
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Without law, there is no sin. We had law then and today so there IS sin.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
The end is what counts, reward or punishment and our Father will see we get what we earned while walking in this flesh.
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
God knows what's coming and has given everyone The Way to prepare. Those that have been quickened = died, are made alive in Him now. Not one person is in a hole in the ground. Every soul has gone to The Father the instant they died. Ref. - 1 Cor. 15
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Abraham and Sarah were getting up there in age and were without child but God made a promise and Abraham's faith brought him through it all.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
They knew they were very old and past an age of child baring yet remembered all God had told him and he knew it would happen regardless of their "body now dead" = old in age.
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
He didn't worry about anything. This is what true faith can do for us all. Remember verse 1? Romans 4:1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? What can be learned from the life of Abraham? He set the example, Faith!
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
God keeps all His promises and within your faith you can count on it. He NEVER lets us down.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Abraham was blessed because of his faith.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Abraham's faith being counted for righteousness is showing us ours will be also.
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
"if" = condition and that condition is the belief in Christ Jesus Yahshua and His resurrection †
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
We can be found not guilty by our repentance in Christ Jesus name. It was Christ that was delivered for our evil. It's His blood that washes away our offences. He was the last sacrifice for all time. We are so blessed to have Him and His Words to live by. When we give our sins over to Him, we can rest in Him. We can have true peace in an evil world. This is why Christians have a different way of thinking and why we can smile much more than the world.