The Example of Abraham
1So what can we say about Abraham,
2If Abraham was made right by the things he did, then he had a reason to boast. But Abraham could not boast before God.
3The Scripture
4When a person works, his pay is not given to him as a gift. He earns the pay he gets.
5But a person cannot do any work that will make him right with God. So that person must trust in God. Then God accepts that person’s faith (trust), and that makes him right with God. God is the One who makes even evil people right.
6David
7“People are truly blessed (happy) when their wrongs are forgiven, and when their sins are covered!
8And when the Lord accepts a person like he was without sin, that person is truly blessed!” Psalm 32:1–2
9Is this happiness only for those people that are circumcised
10So how did this happen? Did God accept Abraham
11Abraham was circumcised later to show that God accepted him. His circumcision was proof that he was right with God through faith before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all people that believe but are not circumcised. Those people believe and are accepted like people that are right with God.
12And Abraham is also the father of people that have been circumcised. But it is not their circumcision that makes Abraham their father. He is their father only if they live following the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
God’s Promise Received Through Faith
13Abraham
14If people could get the things that God promised by following the law, then faith is worthless. And God’s promise to Abraham is worthless.
15Why? Because the law can only bring God’s anger {when the law is not obeyed}. But if there is no law, then there is nothing to disobey.
16So people get God’s promise by having faith. This happens so that the promise can be a free gift. And if the promise is a free gift, then all of Abraham’s
17Like it is written {in the Scriptures
18There was no hope {that Abraham
19Abraham was almost 100 years old, so his body was much past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham thought about this. But his faith in God did not become weak.
20Abraham never doubted that God would do the thing that God promised. Abraham never stopped believing. He grew stronger in his faith and gave praise to God.
21Abraham felt sure that God was able to do the thing that God promised.
22So, “God accepted Abraham’s faith. That made him right with God.”
23Those words (“God accepted Abraham’s faith”) were written not only for Abraham.
24Those words were also written for us. God will also accept us because we believe. We believe in the One (God) that raised Jesus our Lord from death.
25Jesus was given to die for our sins. And he was raised from death to make us right with God.