Romans 4:1-8

Romans 4:1-8 (WEB) What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God. For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. But to him who doesn't work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.

🔑 Key Points

1. Abraham: Exhibit A of Justification by Faith

Paul calls Abraham as the supreme Old Testament example of justification by faith alone. If Abraham - the father of the faithful - was not justified by works, no one can be. This settles the question for all who claim merit before God.

2. Righteousness Imputed, Not Earned

Genesis 15:6 is the foundation: Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. The Greek word for accounted (logizomai) means to reckon or impute - a forensic declaration, not a moral transformation. God counts righteousness to the believer's account as a gift.

3. Grace and Works Are Mutually Exclusive

Sproul emphasizes that to the worker, wages are owed - a debt. But to the one who does not work, righteousness is grace. If justification involved even a partial basis of our own merit, it would be debt, not grace. The gospel admits no boasting.

4. God Justifies the Ungodly

Verse 5 is staggering: God justifies the ungodly. He does not wait for us to become godly; He declares the ungodly righteous through faith in Christ. This is the scandal and glory of the gospel - God makes sinners right while they are still sinners.

5. David Confirms the Same Truth

Paul calls David as a second witness: blessedness belongs not to the morally perfect, but to those whose sins are forgiven and not counted against them. Justification means God will by no means charge us with sin - the very sins Christ bore on the cross.

💬 Discussion Questions

Why does Paul choose Abraham as his primary example of justification by faith? What does Abraham's story teach us about our own standing before God?
Sproul says justification is forensic - a legal declaration, not a process of inner improvement. How does this distinction shape your understanding of assurance?
Verse 5 says God justifies the ungodly. How does this truth confront both pride (we contribute nothing) and despair (God accepts us as we are)?

📖 The Passage