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Romans 4:5
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3 For what does the Scripture say? a“Abraham believed God, and it was1 accounted to him for righteousness.”  
4 Now ato him who works, the wages are not counted1 as grace but as debt.  

David Celebrates the Same Truth

5 But to him who adoes not work but believes on Him who justifies bthe ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,  
6 just as David also adescribes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 
7 “Blesseda are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered; 
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

Abraham Justified Before Circumcision

9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.
11 And ahe received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that bhe might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,  
Commentaries:
Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?
<< Romans 4:4   Romans 4:6 >>

What Does Romans 4:5 Mean?



Romans 4:5-8

God simply accounts righteousness, the righteousness of Christ, where righteousness does not in reality exist. When we are justified, He looks upon us as though we were sinless like His Son. That is awesome! Do we deserve that? Have we earned it? It is incredible that He should deal with us as though we were righteous and without sin!

In "account," we are obviously dealing with an accounting term. The picture is as if a person were looking at a ledger, and every figure is in the debit column. He is hopelessly in debt; he cannot figure out how to bring things into balance. He could never earn enough because His income is not great enough. He has no real assets. Nothing can balance the account. In his despair, he cries out to God. Then he looks at his ledger, and suddenly a figure appears on the credit side that completely balances the account. The debt is gone!

Justification is not something that we can earn. God, for His own reasons, determines to favor us with it. As Paul puts it in Ephesians 2:8-9, it is by grace through faith, not of works.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Grace Upon Grace

Related Topics: Accounted as Righteousness | Debt as Metaphor | Indebtedness to Christ | Indebtedness to God | Justification | Ledger Metaphor | Metaphor of Debt



Romans 4:5-13

Before all else, God requires a person to have faith in order to be justified. Then, he must repent of his sins (Psalm 51; Matthew 3:1-2; Acts 2:37-38; 3:19) and upon baptism, be born from above (or made spiritually alive) by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8). Much more than a simple human decision, justification is God's recognition and acceptance of an individual's repentance and decision to be baptized. At that time, a faithful individual becomes a part of the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13) through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:10; Galatians 2:20; I John 3:24).

Martin G. Collins
Are You Justified?

Related Topics: Baptism | Becoming Born Again | Born from Above | Justification | Justification and Spirit of God | Justification as Alignment with God | Justification as the Declaration of Righteousness | Repentance




Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Romans 4:5:

Romans 5:1-2
Romans 6:23
Romans 7:13-25
Romans 8:33
2 Corinthians 13:5
Hebrews 10:14


 
<< Romans 4:4   Romans 4:6 >>

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