Background to Romans Chapter 4 Concerns Abraham

Gen. 12:1-3 …the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: ² …I will make of thee a great nation… I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: ³ …in thee shall ALL families of the earth be blessed.

Heb. 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out (of Ur) into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (He did take his idols along with him.)

Paul here in Romans Chap. 4 refers to that history of Abraham’s ‘Faith.’

Rom 4:1-8 ... Abraham our father (of Israel), as pertaining to the flesh (race), hath found? ²For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. ³…what saith the scripture? Abraham BELIEVED God, and it (his faith) was counted unto him for righteousness.

⁴ Now to him (anyone) that worketh is the reward ‘Not Reckoned of Grace,’ but of ‘Debt.’

⁵But to him that WORKETH NOT, but BELIEVETH ON (TRUST IN) HIM (God) that justifieth the ungodly, his ‘FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” ⁶ Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness Without works, ⁷Blessed are they whose iniquities (sins) are forgiven, whose sins are ‘covered.’ ⁸Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will NOT impute (count) sin.

Rom 4:9-12 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision (Israel) only, or upon the uncircumcision (Gentiles) also? for we say that ‘faith’ was reckoned (counted) to Abraham for righteousness. ¹⁰ How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? (It was) Not in circumcision, but in UNcircumcision.

¹¹And he (Abraham later) received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet (while) being UNcircumcised: (so) that he might be the ‘father of ALL them (both Jew & Gentile) that believe,’ though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed (counted) unto them also: ¹² And (be) the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that ‘faith of our father Abraham,’ which he had being yet UNcircumcised.

Thus, Abraham is the ‘Father of ALL Who Live ‘By Faith’ (Jew & Gentile):

Rom. 4:13-16 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world (all mankind), was NOT to Abraham, or to his seed (lineage), Through The Law, BUT through the righteousness (that is) of Faith. ¹⁴For if they which are of the law be heirs, (then) faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: ¹⁵Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression (no failing).

¹⁶Therefore it is of (by) faith, that it might be by grace (see Eph 2:8-9); to the end the promise might be sure to ALL the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that (seed) also which is of The Faith of Abraham; Who Is The Father of Us ALL (Jews & Gentiles), (“of the law” refers to those who approach God on the basis “of the Law” versus those who approach God on the basis “Of Faith” alone’)

Rom. 4:17-22 (it’s written, I have made thee (Abraham) a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even (that is) God, who quickeneth (gives life to) the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. (Abrahamic Covenant promised innumerable ‘seed’ as ‘sand and stars,’ Gen 22:17) ¹⁸Who (Abraham) against hope (of a promised child, Isaac) believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

¹⁹And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead (reproductively), when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

 ²⁰ He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; ²¹And being fully persuaded (having faith) that, what he (God) had promised, he was able also to perform. ²²And therefore it (righteousness) was Imputed (counted) to him for (his) righteousness.

Rom. 4:23-25 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it (righteousness) was imputed (counted) to him; ²⁴But for Us Also (All the Grace Believers of the dispensation of the grace of God), to whom it (a righteous standing) shall be Imputed (counted), IF we Believe on (trust in)… him (God the Father) that raised up Jesus our Lord (Jesus) from the dead;  

²⁵Who (as the Son) was delivered for our offences (sins), and was raised again for our justification

(His resurrection means His payment for our sins was accepted by the Father to justify us.)

Abraham as seen in Galatians

Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. ⁷  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham (spiritually). ⁸  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen (Gentiles) through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall ALL nations (ALL peoples) be blessed. ⁹  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. ¹⁴  (so) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; (so) that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. ¹⁸  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Galatians 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid (Hagar who represents ‘the Law’), the other by a freewoman (Sarah who represents).