Romans 4

4 ¹ What then shall we say that Abraham, our physical forefather, has found? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before our Father. ³ For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed our Father, and it was credited to him as righteousness." ⁴ Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. ⁵ But to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. ⁶ Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom our Father credits righteousness apart from works: ⁷ "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; ⁸ blessed is the one whose sin our Father will never count against him."

⁹ Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say, "Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness." ¹⁰ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. ¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness he had through faith while still uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them as well, ¹² and likewise the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while uncircumcised.

¹³ For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is emptied and the promise nullified. ¹⁵ For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, there is no transgression.

¹⁶ Therefore it depends on faith, so that it may be according to grace, in order that the promise may be guaranteed to all the offspring—not only to those who live by the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"—in the presence of our Father in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that do not exist. ¹⁸ Against all hope, in hope he believed, so that he became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." ¹⁹ Without weakening in faith, he considered his own body, already as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and the deadness of Sarah's womb. ²⁰ He did not waver in unbelief concerning the promise of our Father, but was strengthened in his faith, giving glory to our Father, ²¹ fully convinced that what our Father had promised he was also able to do. ²² That is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." ²³ But the words "it was credited to him" were written not for his sake alone, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom it will be credited—those who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was delivered over for our sins and raised to life to make us right with our Father.