Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Abraham » Faith of
But if so, what can we say about Abraham, our forefather by natural descent? This, that if 'Abraham was justified on the score of what he did,' he has something to be proud of. But not to be proud of before God. For what does scripture say? Abraham believed God and this was counted to him as righteousness. read more.
Now a worker has his wage counted to him as a due, not as a favour; but a man who instead of 'working' believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, has his faith counted as righteousness. Just as David himself describes the bliss of the man who has righteousness counted to him by God apart from what he does ??7 Blessed are they whose breaches of the Law are forgiven, whose sins are covered! Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not count to him. Now is that description of bliss meant for the circumcised, or for the uncircumcised as well? Abraham's faith, I repeat, was counted to him as righteousness. In what way? When he was a circumcised man or an uncircumcised man? Not when he was circumcised, but when he was uncircumcised. He only got circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which belonged to his faith as an uncircumcised man. The object of this was to make him the father of all who believe as uncircumcised persons and thus have righteousness counted to them, as well as a father of those circumcised persons who not only share circumcision but walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had as an uncircumcised man. The promise made to Abraham and his offspring that he should inherit the world, did not reach him through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is adherents of the Law who are heirs, then faith is empty of all meaning and the promise is void. (What the Law produces is the Wrath, not the promise of God; where there is no law, there is no transgression either.) That is why all turns upon faith; it is to make the promise a matter of favour, to make it secure for all the offspring, not simply for those who are adherents of the Law but also for those who share the faith of Abraham ??of Abraham who is the father of us all (as it is written, I have made you a father of many nations). Such a faith implies the presence of the God in whom he believed, a God who makes the dead live and calls into being what does not exist. For Abraham, when hope was gone, hoped on in faith, and thus became the father of many nations ??even as he was told, So numberless shall your offspring be. His faith never quailed, even when he noted the utter impotence of his own body (for he was about a hundred years old) or the impotence of Sara's womb; no unbelief made him waver about God's promise; his faith won strength as he gave glory to God and felt convinced that He was able to do what He had promised. Hence his faith was counted to him as righteousness.
Now a worker has his wage counted to him as a due, not as a favour; but a man who instead of 'working' believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, has his faith counted as righteousness. Just as David himself describes the bliss of the man who has righteousness counted to him by God apart from what he does ??7 Blessed are they whose breaches of the Law are forgiven, whose sins are covered! Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not count to him. Now is that description of bliss meant for the circumcised, or for the uncircumcised as well? Abraham's faith, I repeat, was counted to him as righteousness. In what way? When he was a circumcised man or an uncircumcised man? Not when he was circumcised, but when he was uncircumcised. He only got circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which belonged to his faith as an uncircumcised man. The object of this was to make him the father of all who believe as uncircumcised persons and thus have righteousness counted to them, as well as a father of those circumcised persons who not only share circumcision but walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had as an uncircumcised man. The promise made to Abraham and his offspring that he should inherit the world, did not reach him through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is adherents of the Law who are heirs, then faith is empty of all meaning and the promise is void. (What the Law produces is the Wrath, not the promise of God; where there is no law, there is no transgression either.) That is why all turns upon faith; it is to make the promise a matter of favour, to make it secure for all the offspring, not simply for those who are adherents of the Law but also for those who share the faith of Abraham ??of Abraham who is the father of us all (as it is written, I have made you a father of many nations). Such a faith implies the presence of the God in whom he believed, a God who makes the dead live and calls into being what does not exist. For Abraham, when hope was gone, hoped on in faith, and thus became the father of many nations ??even as he was told, So numberless shall your offspring be. His faith never quailed, even when he noted the utter impotence of his own body (for he was about a hundred years old) or the impotence of Sara's womb; no unbelief made him waver about God's promise; his faith won strength as he gave glory to God and felt convinced that He was able to do what He had promised. Hence his faith was counted to him as righteousness.
Why, it is as with Abraham, he had faith in God and that was counted to him as righteousness. Well then, you see that the real sons of Abraham are those who rely on faith. Besides, Scripture anticipated God's justification of the Gentiles by faith when it announced the gospel beforehand to Abraham in these terms: All nations shall be blessed in thee. read more.
So that those who rely on faith are blessed along with believing Abraham.
So that those who rely on faith are blessed along with believing Abraham.
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed his call to go forth to a place which he would receive as an inheritance; he went forth, although he did not know where he was to go. It was by faith that he sojourned in the promised land, as in a foreign country, residing in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob who were co-heirs with him of the same promise; he was waiting for the City with its fixed foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
It was by faith, when Abraham was put to the test, that he sacrificed Isaac, he was ready to sacrifice his only son, although he had received the promises and had been told that it is through Isaac that your offspring shall be reckoned ??19 for he considered that God was able even to raise men from the dead. Hence he did get him back, by what was a parable of the resurrection.
When our father Abraham offered his son Isaac on the altar, was he not justified by what he did? In his case, you see, faith co-operated with deeds, faith was completed by deeds, and the scripture was fulfilled: Abraham believed God, and this was counted to him as righteousness ??he was called God's friend. read more.
You observe it is by what he does that a man is justified, not simply by what he believes.
You observe it is by what he does that a man is justified, not simply by what he believes.
Faith » Instances of » Believing the promise of many descendants
Justification » By faith
As we are justified by faith, then, let us enjoy the peace we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse Concepts
the Law thus held us as wards in discipline, till such time as Christ came, that we might be justified by faith.
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Some of you were once like that; but you washed yourselves clean, you were consecrated, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
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Well then, as one man's trespass issued in doom for all, so one man's act of redress issues in acquittal and life for all.
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and that by him everyone who believes is absolved from all that the law of Moses never could absolve you from.
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We hold a man is justified by faith apart from deeds of the Law altogether.
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What are we to conclude, then? That Gentiles who never aimed at righteousness have attained righteousness, that is, righteousness by faith;
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Justification before God » Exemplified » Abraham
Righteousness » Death of seed of » Secured by faith
As we are justified by faith, then, let us enjoy the peace we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse Concepts
the Law thus held us as wards in discipline, till such time as Christ came, that we might be justified by faith.
Verse Concepts
Some of you were once like that; but you washed yourselves clean, you were consecrated, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Verse Concepts
Well then, as one man's trespass issued in doom for all, so one man's act of redress issues in acquittal and life for all.
Verse Concepts
and that by him everyone who believes is absolved from all that the law of Moses never could absolve you from.
Verse Concepts
We hold a man is justified by faith apart from deeds of the Law altogether.
Verse Concepts
What are we to conclude, then? That Gentiles who never aimed at righteousness have attained righteousness, that is, righteousness by faith;
Verse Concepts
Righteousness » By faith
The promise made to Abraham and his offspring that he should inherit the world, did not reach him through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Verse Concepts
Now is that description of bliss meant for the circumcised, or for the uncircumcised as well? Abraham's faith, I repeat, was counted to him as righteousness.
Verse Concepts
He only got circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which belonged to his faith as an uncircumcised man. The object of this was to make him the father of all who believe as uncircumcised persons and thus have righteousness counted to them,
Verse Concepts
no unbelief made him waver about God's promise; his faith won strength as he gave glory to God
Verse Concepts
For what does scripture say? Abraham believed God and this was counted to him as righteousness.
Verse Concepts
but a man who instead of 'working' believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, has his faith counted as righteousness.
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Hence his faith was counted to him as righteousness.
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but for our sakes as well; faith will be counted to us as we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
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