“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16).

Romans 4:16 stands out as a deeply personal verse that engages its readers on an individual level. For instance, consider the implications of this passage with respect to our relationship with God…

“Do you believe that God can be depended on to honor His promises? Abraham did (Rom. 4:20–21). All of us rely on the promises of others in our daily lives and work. Vendors promise to deliver products in specified quantities and qualities. Project groups promise to deliver results by certain dates. Companies promise to stand behind their products with ‘satisfaction guaranteed.’ If we can believe the promises of fallible human beings, how much more can we trust the promises of God, who never fails?” ₍₁₎

So, having established that we cannot earn God’s approval by adhering to a system of rules and regulations, Paul the Apostle turned his attention to the alternative: salvation by God’s grace through faith. That salvation is available to those who received the Old Testament Law and those who have not; everyone can secure right standing with God though faith, just as Abraham did.

This concept runs like a shimmering thread throughout our text from Romans chapter four…

• “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (verse four).
• “to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (verse five).
• Israel’s king David recognized this same truth in celebrating “…the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works” (verses six to eight).
• Finally, we’re told, “…faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness” before he received the ritual of circumcision so “…that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also” (verses nine through sixteen).

Here in Romans 4:16, Paul underscored that reality by identifying Abraham as “…the [spiritual] father of us all” (AMP). Regardless of their heritage, anyone can approach God through faith in Christ with the assurance that He will credit them with righteousness. In this manner, we can look to Abraham as a model of someone whom God accepts through faith. Those who follow that good example can trace their spiritual lineage to him as well.

(1) Word in Life Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1996), Ro 4:16–25.

“For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15 ESV).

The following commentator considers these twin references to the law from Romans 4:15 and broadens their scope beyond the members of Paul the Apostle’s first-century Jewish audience…

“The first use of this term has the Greek ARTICLE while the second does not. Although it is dangerous to draw too much attention to the presence or absence of the Greek ARTICLE, it seems in this case to help show that Paul was using this term in two senses.
1. the Mosaic Law with its Oral Tradition in which some Jews were trusting for their salvation
2. the concept of law in general
This wider sense would include the self-righteous Gentiles who conformed to this or that cultural code of ethics or religious rituals and felt accepted by deity based on their performance.” ₍₁₎

This brings us to the word “transgression” that appears within this passage. Though seldom used today, this word denotes an important Biblical concept. A “transgression” refers to a deliberate or willful act of misconduct. In other words, a transgression occurs whenever someone deliberately and purposely acts in violation of a known ordinance or law. Another commentary offers a definition of this word that expands on these meanings…

“Transgressions (Gr parabasis) mean a step beyond a fixed limit into forbidden territory. It is a willful act of violating an explicit law, overstepping what is right into the realm of what is wrong. The law was added much later to make men conscious of the existence and the extent of sin (Rom 3:19; 5:20). The law was added to reveal sin, not remove it. To show men the need of righteousness, not to be a means of securing righteousness.” ₍₂₎

The final portion of this verse serves to clarify this idea: “…where there is no law there is no transgression either” (NET). For instance, an action or behavior may still be wrong even if there is no law that prohibits it. However, that action or behavior becomes a transgression when we knowingly defy a law that forbids it. Thus, as Paul will go on to say in the following chapter…

“Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did…” (Romans 5:13-14 NLT).

(1) Dr. Bob Utley. Free Bible Commentary, Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International. Romans 1. (n.d.). https://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL05/VOL05_04.html

(2) Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2387). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

“For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression” (Romans 4:14-15).

Paul the Apostle was undoubtedly aware of the controversial nature of the spiritual truths he had already put forth throughout this portion of his letter. In light of this, Paul encouraged his audience to join him in considering the implications of those teachings. Much like a contemporary software developer who builds an application that performs various functions when certain conditions are met, Paul presented his readers with an “if-then” statement in this passage: “If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless” (NLT).

One source illustrates this difference with an analogy that most families will likely recognize….

“If, for example, a father promised his son a new bicycle, the boy would look forward to receiving it as a gift. However, if the father added the condition that to get the bike, the boy had to be obedient, he would destroy his son’s confidence that he would get the bike. Now obtaining the bicycle depended on obedience. It was no longer a matter of faith (‘faith is made void’). The second effect, which is also evident in this illustration, is that ‘the promise’ would be ‘nullified’ (i.e., made worthless).” ₍₁₎

In a similar manner, God’s pledge to Abraham would lose its validity if those who follow his example could merit God’s approval by their works. The same applies to anyone who seeks to earn God’s favor by adhering to a ceremonial practice, tradition, ritual, family relationship, personal endeavor, or specific code of conduct. In addition to the fact that these approaches are mutually exclusive, the recurring narrative of ancient Israel’s history testifies to the fact that fallible human beings are consistently inconsistent in their ability to keep God’s Law.

This is what invokes God’s wrath, as we saw earlier in Romans chapters one and two . Thus, in the words of another commentary…

“No heir of Abraham, save Jesus Christ, has ever been able to entirely keep the law. If fulfillment of this promise depended on law-keeping, man’s inability to keep the law would insure that the promise would never be fulfilled and thus would be the promise made of none effect.” ₍₂₎

(1) Dr. Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Romans 2025 Edition https://soniclight.com/tcon/notes/html/romans/romans.htm

(2) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2225.

“and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised” (Romans 4:12).

The idea of those “…who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham” (CSB) finds its origin in a term that expresses the idea of following in a track made by someone else. ₍₁₎ In this sense, Abraham was much like a pioneer who established the path of faith. A person who travels that path (or follows in Abraham’s footsteps, so to speak), can find right standing with God just as he did, regardless of whether he or she has engaged in a religious ritual or ceremonial observance.

One source points to Jesus’ interaction with the religious leaders of His day in commenting on this passage…

“There is a difference between being Abraham’s descendants and Abraham’s children. Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘I know that you are Abraham’s descendants’ (Joh_8:37). But then He went on to say, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham’ (Joh_8:39). So here Paul insists that physical circumcision is not what counts. There must be faith in the living God. Those of the circumcision who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are the true Israel of God.” ₍₂₎

The following verse continues by saying…

“For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13).

So, the Apostle Paul summarized these ideas by reiterating some of the key thoughts he had already established in the preceding verses:

1. God did not promise to make Abraham the heir of the world because he obeyed God’s laws. Instead, Abraham accepted that promise by faith.
2. If we claim that God’s blessings accrue to those who follow the Law (or some other observance like circumcision or baptism, for example), then God’s promises to those who have faith must be invalid. If someone could work to achieve salvation, then he or she wouldn’t need to exercise faith. Salvation would then become something God owes us instead.

Therefore, “Paul reminded his readers that part of God’s promised blessing to Abraham was that he would be the ‘father of many nations’ (v. 17). God had given him this promise after his justification (Gen. 17:4-6), and He repeated it to Abraham’s descendants (Gen. 22:17-18)… Therefore the Israelites were not the only people God had promised to bless. They did not have a corner on God’s blessings.” ₍₃₎

(1) G2487 – ichnos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2487/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad. Thomas Nelson Publishers [Romans 4:1-25]

(3) Dr. Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Romans 2025 Edition https://soniclight.com/tcon/notes/html/romans/romans.htm

“And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also” (Romans 4:11).

Our text from Romans 4:11 highlights two important terms: a “sign” and a “seal.”

A “sign” functions as a marker that points, indicates, designates, or directs our attention to something else. Much like a guidepost or road sign that points the way to another destination, the covenant sign of circumcision was not an end in itself. Instead, that sign pointed to (or designated) something else. That “something else” was Abraham’s faith in God to deliver on His promises.

In its historical context, a “seal” referred to a stamp that incorporated a signet or private insignia as a means of security or proof of origin. Much like a contemporary seal that is used to validate an official document, ancient seals were also employed for authentication purposes in the Biblical era.

A seal typically comprised a small amount of softened wax that was affixed to the enclosure of a letter or official document. A signet ring or other distinguishing mark was then pressed into the soft wax to authenticate the enclosed information. This method of identification proved especially valuable for letters and other forms of correspondence, for it served to establish a document’s provenance and verify its authenticity.

In a similar manner, the act of circumcision pointed to the covenant (or agreement) that God established with Abraham….

“Then [the Lord] brought [Abraham] outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:5-6).

This interaction functioned as the “seal” that verified and affirmed Abraham’s faith long before he received the ritual sign of circumcision. In other words, circumcision did not confer righteousness upon Abraham or his descendants. Instead, that act pointed to Abraham’s right standing with God in view of the faith he already possessed. Paul the Apostle alluded to this concept earlier in chapter four when he said, “For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3).

But what did these things mean for the original audience for the book of Romans, and what do they mean for contemporary readers of this letter? Paul will unpack the answer to those questions with a straightforward response in the following verse.

“How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised” (Romans 4:10).

The Biblical account of Abraham does not specify when God deemed him righteous on account of his faith. However, we can establish a timeline that supports this conclusion from Romans 4:10 by piecing together several events from Abraham’s life.

The first data point on our timeline comes to us from Genesis 15:6: “[Abraham] believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (CSB). In the following chapter, we read how Abraham fathered a son named Ishmael at his wife’s behest. Ishmael’s mother was Hagar, a maidservant who served as a type of surrogate mother. That portion of Scripture also provides us with Ishmael’s approximate date of birth: “Abram [Abraham’s former name] was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram” (Genesis 16:16).

The next stop on our timeline appears in Genesis chapter seventeen as God instructed Abraham to circumcise all the males within his household: “On that same day Abraham obeyed God by circumcising Ishmael. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all the other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. He was 99 years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was 13” (Genesis 17:23-27 CEV).

That leaves us with the following conclusion: God declared Abraham to be righteous at least fourteen years before he received the ceremonial rite of circumcision. In other words, God had already imputed righteousness to Abraham by faith long before he engaged in any ritual observance. Thus, “Circumcision was not the gateway to his right relationship with God; it was only the sign and the seal that he had already entered into it. His being accounted righteous had nothing to do with circumcision and everything to do with his act of faith.” ₍₁₎

Therefore, this passage holds great significance with respect to our spiritual observances. It also has implications for those who believe that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross must be accompanied by other meritorious works in order to achieve salvation. In Paul the Apostle’s era, that belief was promoted by those who taught that circumcision was a necessary prerequisite to salvation. Then there were others who believed that some form of hidden knowledge held the key to eternal life. This brief observation from Romans chapter four serves to negate those beliefs.

Finally, these verses help set the right foundation for the practical teachings that will appear later in chapters twelve to sixteen. In that section, Paul will apply these concepts to specific issues that faced the first-century church, and modern-day readers by extension.

(1) Barclay, William. “Commentary on Romans 4”. “William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/romans-4.html. 1956-1959.

“Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness” (Romans 4:9).

After a brief foray into the life of Israel’s king David, Paul the Apostle returned to Abraham’s example to pursue another line of evidence concerning “righteousness apart from works.” He did so in the form of a question: Does salvation by faith represent a privilege that extends only to those who have undergone the ritual of circumcision? The answer to that question held interest for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences alike…

“Paul anticipated what his Jewish readers would be thinking: If Abraham was justified by his faith alone, why did God command him and his descendants to be circumcised? His response not only answers those concerned with circumcision, but the millions who still cling to some other kind of religious ceremony or activity as their basis for righteousness.” ₍₁₎

From a contemporary perspective, some may also believe that participation in a religious ritual or observance will lead to God’s acceptance or favor. Paul will address that view in the following verse…

“How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised” (Romans 4:10).

Abraham’s example demonstrates that righteousness (or right standing with God) does not come through a ritual act like circumcision. Instead, it comes through faith- specifically, faith in Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf. A ceremonial act (in whatever form it takes) should then flow from our personal convictions and the faith that has already been credited to us as righteousness…

“The apostle pointed out that when God declared Abraham righteous, the patriarch was still ‘uncircumcised.’ He was a virtual Gentile. It was fourteen years later that Abraham underwent circumcision (Gen. 17:24-26). His circumcision was a ‘sign’ (label) of what he already possessed. This point would have encouraged Paul’s Jewish readers, who made so much of circumcision, to keep it in its proper place as secondary to faith. Paul used Abraham as more than just an example of faith, but a model.” ₍₂₎

We’ll take a closer look at the Biblical timeline that Paul references here in our next study. But before we continue, we should note that ceremonial observances (especially spiritual ones) are often deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of individuals, families, and cultures. Those who are emotionally invested in such observances may dispute the Biblical teachings from this passage despite our best efforts to present them in a gracious and reasonable manner. Therefore, we should be diligent to pray for those who elevate such observances above the Scriptural teachings presented to us here.

(1) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ro 4:9–12.

(2) Dr. Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Romans 2025 Edition https://soniclight.com/tcon/notes/html/romans/romans.htm

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin” (Romans 4:7-8 ESV).

As we have already noted, our sins are imputed to Jesus (or placed on His ledger) when we accept Him and His sacrificial offering through faith. However, there is another dimension to this idea, for the doctrine of imputation also involves a reciprocal (or corresponding) exchange. By this, we mean that a parallel transfer takes place: our sins are imputed to Christ while His righteousness is credited to us.

This brings forth several implications that are truly astounding when we pause to consider them. Since Jesus’ righteousness has been imputed to us, we are endowed with all the privileges and blessings that accompany it. One Biblical dictionary summarizes the sequence of events that characterize this double transfer…

“Thus in doctrinal language (1) the sin of Adam is imputed to all his descendants, i.e., it is reckoned as theirs, and they are dealt with therefore as guilty; (2) the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them that believe in him, or so attributed to them as to be considered their own; and (3) our sins are imputed to Christ, i.e., he assumed our ‘law-place,’ undertook to answer the demands of justice for our sins. In all these cases the nature of imputation is the same (Romans 5:12-19; comp. Philemon 1:18, 19).” ₍₁₎

Therefore, we can say that our sins were crucified along with Christ, and we receive the righteousness He possessed through His perfect and complete obedience to God the Father and the Law. In short, Jesus bore the penalty for our transgressions, and His righteousness has been bestowed upon us.

Finally, it’s important to consider the events that led to the quotation from Psalm 32 that appears here in Romans 4:7-8. Those events involved Israel’s king David, a man who entered into a series of highly inappropriate decisions at one point in his monarchy (see 2 Samuel 11-12:23). Those decisions (and their aftermath) brought forth this declaration from Psalm 32.

God forgave David, and he rightfully expressed the blessedness of those (like himself), “… whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” Nevertheless, those choices brought many negative consequences, and David’s life was marked by recurring episodes of deep personal sorrow thereafter. Thus, we are reminded of an important personal truth: since Christ has borne our sins and we have received His righteousness, we should seek God daily for the will and wisdom to make choices that reflect those realities.

(1) “Imputation” M. G. Easton: Easton’s Bible Dictionary – Christian Classics Ethereal Library. (n.d.). https://www.ccel.org/ccel/easton/ebd2.html?term=imputation

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin” (Romans 4:7-8).

This quotation from Psalm 32 brings one of the great (and perhaps underappreciated) Biblical doctrines to the forefront of our discussion. That doctrine is imputation. A thorough understanding of this key Biblical concept will help bring comfort to anyone who seeks (and sometimes fails) to honor God in thought, word, or deed.

As alluded to earlier in our look at Romans 4:3, “imputation” conveys the idea of something that is counted, reckoned, or credited towards one’s account. When considering those whose sins are no longer counted against them through faith in Christ, we can begin with the actions taken by the very first human couple. The Apostle Paul will elaborate on this subject at greater length in Romans chapter five…

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

That portion of Scripture tells us that Adam’s sin is imputed, or credited to us, his descendants. Theologians sometimes refer to this concept as “inherited sin” or “original sin.” However, that sin was imputed to Jesus (or credited to His account) when He “became sin for us” through His sacrificial death (2 Corinthians 5:21). In the words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, “…the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (see Isaiah 53:4-6).

Paul explained it this way in the Biblical epistle of Colossians…

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14 NLT, see also Galatians 2:20, and 1 Peter 2:24).

Another source analyzes the original language of the passage and offers the following insight…

“Verse 8 contains a strong DOUBLE NEGATIVE, ‘will not under any circumstances’ be imputed, reckoned, taken into account. Notice the three VERBS in this quote; all denote the acquittal of sin… This is a quote from Ps. 32:2. It is the term ‘reckon,’ ‘impute,’ or ‘deposit to another’s account,’ used in a negative sense. God does not impute sin (DOUBLE NEGATIVE) into a believer’s spiritual bank account; He imputes righteousness.” ₍₁₎

The doctrine of imputation does not assert the belief that human beings will completely disengage from sinful behaviors on this side of eternity. It means that God no longer credits or holds those sins against us because Jesus settled them through His atoning death on the cross.

(1) Dr. Bob Utley. Free Bible Commentary, Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International. Romans 1. (n.d.). https://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL05/VOL05_04.html

“just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works” (Romans 4:6).

Let’s envision a scene inside a courtroom where a legal trial is underway. The prosecutor is an unapologetic and unrepentant human being who disavows the moral authority of humanity’s Creator. The defendant is God. The indictment consists of the following charge: God is guilty of a moral deficiency (and thus lacks moral authority) in light of His association with several individuals of questionable character.

The prosecutor presses this charge against God with several pieces of evidence…

Exhibit A: Noah found favor with God according to Genesis 6:8. Yet Noah was the same man who once got so drunk that he passed out naked according to Genesis 9:18-22.

Exhibit B: Abraham is called a friend of God in James 2:23. Yet, that very same man lied about his wife to protect himself- twice.

Exhibit C: The evidence shows that God referred to Moses as “my servant” in Numbers 12:7 even though He knew Moses was guilty of murder.

Exhibit D: Israel’s king David once arranged to send a man to his death so he could marry that man’s wife. But Acts 13:22 refers to David as “…a man after [God’s] own heart.‘”

After presenting this evidence, our hypothetical prosecutor concludes with a closing argument that seems utterly devastating: “What kind of God associates with such people? What does it reveal about God’s character when He speaks this way about such individuals? A civilized human society would incarcerate people for engaging in some of these behaviors. Why then should humanity look to God for any form of moral authority?”

While this argument may seem to hold validity, we should note that God has not yet had His say in this imaginary courtroom. As Proverbs 18:17 reminds us, “Any story sounds true until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight” (TLB). For instance, let’s consider the final exhibit in this sequence: Israel’s king David. We can begin with the acknowledgment that David (as well as the others in these exhibits) was a faithful individual, not a perfect individual.

In Psalm 32, David acknowledged God’s prerogative in forgiving such behaviors (and others that are equally, or more heinous) by saying, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1-2). The following verses will use this Psalm to uncover the irrefutable legal defense associated with that act of forgiveness.