Romans 4

₁What happened to Abraham, the forefather of the Jews? ₂If God had made Abraham righteous because Abraham did good things, then Abraham could be proud of himself and boast to other people, but not to God. ₃Because in the Old_Testament it is written:

₄If people have to do things so that God makes them righteous, then they deserve it and it is the same as if they work and someone pays them for doing it. They receive their pay because they have done the work. They don't get it because the owner is good to them. ₅But God makes people righteous, not because they do good things. He makes them righteous because they believe. They believe in Him who makes sinners righteous. ₆David also talks about the blessing that some people have because God makes them righteous, not because they do the right things. ₇David said:

₉Who are these happy people whom David wrote about? Are they the people who are circumcised or the people who are not circumcised? Both are happy. I have told you that God made Abraham righteous because he believed. ₁₀When did God make Abraham righteous? Did He do it when Abraham was circumcised, or before he was circumcised? God made Abraham righteous before he was circumcised. ₁₁Abraham believed before he was circumcised. He was circumcised only later and then his circumcision was a sign that God had made him righteous because he believed. So Abraham is the forefather of all the people who are not circumcised, but who believe. God made them all righteous because they believe. ₁₂And Abraham is also the forefather of all the people who are circumcised and who believe as Abraham believed before he was circumcised.

₁₃God promised Abraham and his descendants that He would give them the world. God promised this, not because Abraham did what God's laws say, but because Abraham believed in God and because God made him righteous. ₁₄If people have to do what the laws say to get what God has promised them, then it does not help that they believe. It also does not help that God promised them something.

₁₅When people don't listen to God's laws, they sin, and then God will punish them. But if there are no laws, then people can not disobey the laws and sin. ₁₆That is why people can get what God promised only if they believe. God gives it to them as a gift because He wants to be good to them. He also wants them to be sure that they will get what He has promised them and He promised it not only to people who do what the laws say, but also to people who believe like Abraham believed. He is the forefather of all of the believers. ₁₇Because God said to Abraham:

God promised this to Abraham and Abraham believed in God, who can make dead people live again, and who can make new things that were not here before. ₁₈No one thought that Abraham could become the father of many nations, but Abraham believed that it would happen because God had told him so. God said:

₁₉Abraham was about 100 years old. He knew that his body was so old that he was near his death. He also knew that his wife, Sarah, could not have children. But his faith did not become weak. ₂₀He never stopped believing. He continued to believe that God would give him what He had promised and his faith grew stronger and Abraham praised God. ₂₁He knew and was sure that God could do what He promised. ₂₂That is why God made Abraham righteous. ₂₃It is written in the Old_Testament that God made him righteous, but this was written not only for Abraham. ₂₄It was also written for us. God raised Jesus our Lord and made him live again. He will also make those of us who believe in Him righteous. ₂₅God let Jesus die because of our sin and God made Jesus live again to make us righteous.