Romans Chapter 4 Vs. 3

Abraham Justified by Faith

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Rom 4:3

believed God, and... Before he was circumcised (Gen. 15:6).

Abraham believed God and left Ur of the Chaldees. He was looking for a city whose maker was God. He gave up his big home and wandered where God had sent him. He dwelled in tents waiting for the city of God. This faith Abraham had in God pleased God and Abraham was greatly blessed by God for it.

This is clearly stated in Gen. 15:6: “and he believed I the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

Faith is not a meritorious work. It is never the ground of justification, it is simply the channel through which it is received and it too, is a gift.

Counted or translated “imputed”. Used in both financial and legal setting, this word occurs 9 times in chapter 4 alone, means to take something that belongs to someone and credit to another’s account. It is a one-sided transaction, such as Abraham did nothing to accumulate it; God simply credited it to him. God took His own righteousness and credited it to Abraham as if it were actually his. This God did because Abraham believed in Him.

Gal. 3:6 “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Gal. 3:29: “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

If a person could establish his finite righteousness by works — though that was impossible — he could never boast of it in God’s presence. Paul then turned to an authority his readers would acknowledge and asked, What does the Scripture say? He quoted Gen. 15:6, which states that Abraham’s faith in God and His promise was credited to him as righteousness. Because he believed, God imputed righteousness to his account (“credited,” elogisthē, from logizomai, is an accounting term). Paul had quoted this verse before (Gal. 3:6).