Romans 4:5 – And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
In our last study, we discovered that faith and works are opposites. In verse five, Paul continues his discourse on this same subject. 
GENERAL SUMMARY: If you seek/accept justification by faith in Jesus, you are considered righteous in God’s sight without any help from your works.
The opposite is also true - if you believe you are justified by works, then your faith is useless because it has no effect on your salvation.
But unless you are perfect, you can’t be justified by works of the law. Most people, when confronted with the facts, will admit they are not perfect. They need another way to be justified or counted as righteous in God’s sight so they can avoid the penalty of eternal death which the law placed on them.
The one who does not work: The one who does not work is the one who does not rely on perfect adherence to the law for their justification. This was the case for Abraham; God called him when he was an ungodly idolator, yet he was freely justified when he believed in God. It is also the case for you and I, if we have trusted in Christ as our Savior.
But believes on him: That is, believes or trusts in God; believes that the Messiah will atone for his/her sin, making them righteous in God’s sight.
Before we go any further, let’s stop and ask this question: What is the relationship between faith and righteousness?
It is important to remember that faith is not the cause of our righteousness. In other words, we don’t ‘earn’ righteousness by faith. Faith is the means by which we attain or grasp the righteousness which God freely gives us, even though we are not worthy of it.
Who justifies the ungodly: To be ungodly is to be polluted by sin or wickedness; to be disobedient to God. All of us are ungodly:
- No human being can be justified by works, because all of us have sinned. Therefore, if justification takes place at all, it must take place on behalf of the ungodly.
- At the time when God justifies us, he knows full well that we are morally bankrupt. We deserve none of his favor, yet in his great mercy he resolves to forgive us and welcome us into his family. Despite our best efforts, we will continue to be ungodly as long as we are in the flesh.
- When God judges, he does not judge as if we were pure. Rather, he regards us exactly as we are – ungodly sinners who are united by faith to Jesus. Because of that relationship, God treats us as his children even though we are, have been, and always will be personally undeserving of this favor.
What does this tell us about righteousness?
This means that the righteousness of Christ is not transferred or somehow infused into us so that it is personally ours (moral character is non-transferable). In other words, until Christ returns, we retain our sinful nature. Just take a look at the conduct of Christians around you, and you will realize this is true.
Thus, we find that we (the ungodly) are considered righteous solely because of our relationship with Christ. On the basis of his sacrifice, God treats us as though we ourselves had obeyed the law or that we are righteous in his sight.
His faith is counted as righteousness: We often say that eating nourishes us, even though it’s the food (not the act of eating) that gives the nourishment. The act of eating is the way we receive that nourishment.
In the same way, we often say that we are justified by faith, when in reality we are justified by Christ. Faith is the way we receive that justification.
Here’s the bottom line - Abraham was an ungodly man, but through faith he became righteous in God’s sight. Since Jews and Gentiles alike are in the exact same situation (ungodly), both must be justified in the same manner - by faith in Christ. There is no other way to be justified.
Romans 4:6 - …just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
GENERAL SUMMARY: Paul’s main point is that our salvation is, in all cases, dependent upon grace – the undeserved favor of God. We did nothing to merit it.
He used the example of Abraham to show that the doctrine of salvation by faith was not a new doctrine, but that it was an integral part of the Old Testament. He will now give another Old Testament example – that of David. 
Here’s why these two examples are so significant: Abraham lived before the law was given, while David lived after. This shows that justification by faith began before the law, and it continued even after the law was given. Justification by faith was NOT replaced with justification by works.
In Psalms 32 David describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness (the righteousness of the Messiah/Mediator/Savior) without any works of merit.
DIGGING DEEPER: David also speaks: Paul now gives another example of justification by faith in the Old Testament. This time it comes from one of the nation’s most beloved kings – David.
Of the blessing: The happiness or desirable state/condition of a person.
Of the one to whom God counts/imputes righteousness apart from works: The happy or desirable state David mentions occurs when God treats a person as righteous (or entitled to his favor), in a way other than conformity to the law (works).
The whole scope of Psalms 32 is to show the blessedness of the person who is forgiven:
Their sins are not charged to their account; they are free from the punishment they deserve. Being thus pardoned, they are treated as though they were righteous. Such a person is admitted into the favor of God and is treated as though he had not sinned. He partakes of the benefits of Christ’s atonement and therefore is treated as a friend of God, rather than like a sinner.
Obviously, those who have Christ’s righteousness are happy/blessed - they are justified from all sin and freed from all condemnation. They and their service are acceptable to God. This is only possible by the grace and mercy of God. It could never be achieved through works.
Romans 4:7-8 – “Blessed are those whose lawless deed are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
GENERAL SUMMARY: Take a moment and think back to your childhood. I don’t know about you, but I had parents who had to discipline me and my siblings from time to time for breaking the house rules. When that happened, it wasn’t uncommon for my mom to delay punishment until she discussed the situation with my dad when he got home from work.
This meant we (my siblings and myself) had to spend all day under the burden of knowing that punishment was coming. I can tell you truthfully, that if I could have somehow found a way to be seen as innocent in my mom’s estimation and thus delivered from the punishment I knew was coming, I would have been the happiest kid in the world!
King David is saying something very similar about the spiritual realm. He declares that anyone who was formerly under the curse of death because of breaking God’s law, is happy when his transgressions are forgiven/hidden because they realize that they are free of the punishment they deserve.
DIGGING DEEPER: Blessed are those: In verses 6-8 Paul references Psalm 32, which was written by King David. In it, the king speaks of people who are blessed.
The word ‘blessed’ means holy or consecrated. It can also mean to be highly favored or to be given undeserved favor and to be blissfully happy and content as a result. Those who are blessed experience unbridled joy and gladness; they live in a state of felicity.
Whose lawless deeds are forgiven/whose sins are covered: Let’s remind ourselves of the occasion on which this psalm was penned by David. As you recall, David had committed sexual sin by having an affair with Bathesheba. As if that wasn’t grievous enough, he had her husband murdered in order to cover up his sin. But he couldn’t hide his transgression from God, who sees and knows all things. Eventually, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David about his wickedness (II Samuel 12:7).
David was in absolute misery because of his sin. Although there were devastating consequences for his actions, his misery was chiefly related to the fact that his sin separated him from fellowship with God. David knew that he had sinned and he deserved judgement. He expresses his pain, sorrow, grief and remorse in Psalms 51.
The good news is that David confessed his sin and repented. When he received forgiveness, he wrote Psalm 32 which details the joy and gladness he experienced from once again being justified in God’s sight.
Psalms 32 is written in poetic form. This means that the two phrases quoted by Paul (whose lawless deed are forgiven/whose sins are covered) mean the exact same thing. Specifically, David deserved the severest punishment, but instead God forgave or covered his sin.
Take note of the exact words that David uses in this Psalm. Sins are not abolished (annulled or made void), they are forgiven. This correctly implies that they didn’t just disappear. The debt we owed was paid in full - by our Redeemer.
David likens our forgiven sins as something that is covered up or hidden. Indeed, scripture tells us that God casts our sin behind his back (Isaiah 38:17) and into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). He removes them from his sight which means he will never see or remember them anymore!
Psalms 103:12 – …as far as the east is from the west, so far does he [God] remove our transgressions from us.
In fact, God not only removes our sin from us, he clothes us with robes of righteousness and garments of salvation:
Isaiah 61:10 – I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness…
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin: This clearly shows what Paul meant by faith verses works. No man or woman is capable of living a perfect life – not Abraham, not David, not you and certainly not me! Therefore, we can never be justified on the basis of our works. But, praise God, we can place our faith in the atonement of Christ.
When we do, Christ pays the debt we owed for our sin. Because the debt is paid, we will never be charged. We can now appear before the throne of God because he considers us justified/righteous in his sight.
When this happens to a person, they are eternally happy beyond measure, because they are free from the penalty of eternal death which the law placed upon them.
Here is something you might find interesting: Psalm 32 is a ‘maskil’ – a psalm of instruction or understanding. This Hebrew word is often used in passages that relate to the future of Israel.
In this case, we can see that hundreds and hundreds of years before Paul spoke to the Roman church, Holy Spirit prompted King David to write Israel a memo of understanding which clearly states that man is justified before God by faith, not by works. How amazing is that?!
Romans 4:9 – Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
GENERAL SUMMARY: Having proved that the Jews (the circumcised) can only obtain righteousness by the mercy of God, the apostle now goes on to show that the Gentiles (the uncircumcised) are justified in the same way.
In the next few verses, Paul will stress that Abraham was considered righteous in God’s sight before the law was ever given. Since that is the case, it was impossible for him to have been justified by works of the law. 
Furthermore, if Abraham was justified without conforming to the Jewish law, it logically follows that the Gentiles can also be justified in the same way.
Paul will enlarge that train of thought to show that if Abraham was justified without being circumcised, so can the Gentiles.
DIGGING DEEPER: This blessing: The blessing of being justified or made righteous in God’s sight.
Only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised: The overall question under consideration is this: Is the blessing of being justified in God’s sight available only to the Jews (the circumcised), or is it available to the Gentiles (the uncircumcised) too?
Paul uses the terms ‘circumcised’ and ‘uncircumcised’ here because circumcision is essentially the initial work of righteousness according to the law and most Jews trusted in it as a meritorious act. In other words, the Jews believed that being circumcised made them just in God’s sight.
For we say that faith was counted to Abraham for righteousness: Paul used David and Abraham as examples of men who were justified by faith.
As we know, David lived during the era of the law. Therefore, the Jews might argue that even though he was justified by faith, works still played some role in his justification. Or they might argue that you must be circumcised first in order for your faith to be acceptable to God.
Abraham, however, lived before and after the covenant of circumcision was instituted.
If it could be shown that he was justified after being circumcised, then the Jews would still be able to argue that his justification was the result of a combination of faith and works.
But if it could be shown that he was justified in God’s sight before he was circumcised, this would be undeniable proof that justification is based solely on the mercy/grace of God.
Romans 4:10 – How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
GENERAL SUMMARY: What does the scripture reveal? Was Abraham considered righteous in God’s sight before or after he was circumcised?
DIGGING DEEPER: How was it counted to him, before or after he was circumcised? It was not after, but before:
Question – What condition was Abraham in when he was justified in God’s sight - was he circumcised or uncircumcised?
Answer – He was uncircumcised!
The timing of these events can be found in Genesis chapters 15-17:
- Abraham was counted as righteous by faith in Genesis 15:6. At that time, he had no children (Genesis 15:2).
- A year or so later, we find that Hagar gave birth to Ishmael (Genesis 16:15-16). At that time, Abraham was 86 years old.
- The rite of circumcision was instituted in Genesis 17:10-11. At that time, Ishmael was 13 years old and Abraham was 99 (Genesis 17:23-26).
Thus, we find that Abraham was not circumcised until 14-15 years AFTER he was counted as righteous in God’s sight.
Here is the significance of that fact:
- One – Circumcision plays no part in being justified by faith.
- Two – Since that is the case, both Jews and Gentiles are equal in God’s sight. Both are ungodly sinners who can obtain salvation through faith in God’s promise of a Savior.
- Three - There are no ‘second class citizens’ in the church/family of God (as the Jews believed). All are equal whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised.
Romans 4:11 – He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well…
GENERAL SUMMARY: Circumcision was not the cause of Abraham’s justification. It was the sign or seal that testified to the justification he had already received by faith.
God had events unfold this way to show that, from the very beginning, he intended to justify ALL mankind, Jew and Gentile alike, through his mercy and the sacrifice of Christ. 
DIGGING DEEPER: He received the sign of circumcision: A sign/seal is a visible stamp or impression used to authenticate a contract or official document. Seals were commonly made by dripping wax onto a document and then molding the wax into an official pattern with a stamp. The seal or stamp was often worn as a ring on the hand of the king (Esther 8:8, Genesis 41:42, etc.).
It was vital for the Jews to understand that circumcision could not justify a person in God’s sight. In other words, it was not the cause of righteousness. Nevertheless, it had an important purpose. Circumcision was a visible sign/seal of righteousness by faith.
Genesis 17:11 – You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me [God] and you [Abraham/the Jews].
A seal of the righteousness that he had by faith: Circumcision was a sign/seal to Abraham and his descendants that faith was the means by which sinners could obtain righteousness in God’s sight.
Remember, God promised to bless the world through the offspring of Abraham (Genesis 12 and 15). This promise included the coming of the Messiah, who would atone for sin. Justification in God’s sight would come through him. When Abraham believed or placed his faith in these promises, God declared him righteous (Genesis 15:6).
However, the actual Messiah would not come to earth for hundreds of years. So, God chose to institute the rite of circumcision, which was a seal or sign that a redeemer would come and through him man would be justified in the sight of God by faith. It was a sign that was to be passed down to all subsequent generations, until the promise arrived; it was a perpetual reminder of God’s promise of justification by faith.
We could correctly say that circumcision was a sign/seal of the gospel covenant.
This brings up another important point: once the promise had been obtained the sign was no longer necessary. Circumcision pointed to salvation, but it was not a requirement for being justified.
While he was still uncircumcised: Circumcision was a sign/seal or reminder that righteousness is obtained by the grace of God through a Redeemer. It pointed to the promises contained in the gospel. Righteousness was imputed to Abraham by faith before he was circumcised, to show the Jews that absolutely no works were associated with becoming righteous in God’s sight.
There was another essential reason as well:
The purpose was to make him (Abraham) the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well:
Gentiles are referred to as the uncircumcised. Since Abraham received justification in God’s sight through faith without being circumcised, so can we!
This makes Abraham the spiritual father of the Gentiles. Since he is also the clear spiritual father of the Jews, it can rightly be said that he is the father of all who believe.
Romans 4:12 - …and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
GENERAL SUMMARY: Faithful Gentiles are considered the spiritual children of Abraham. But this does not negate the privilege of the Jews. They are Abraham’s children according to the flesh and the spirit too, if they walk in faith.
DIGGING DEEPER: Father of the circumcised… who also walk in faith: In the natural, Abraham is the father of all the Jewish people. In the spiritual realm, he is the father of all those who are justified by faith.
This means he is the spiritual father of all Gentile believers as well as all Jewish people who embrace (and walk in) faith to justify themselves in the eyes of God.
Let me offer you some encouragement:
We know that we cannot be justified in God’s sight through works. Nevertheless, this is not a license to sin. God still requires us to be as holy as possible:
I Peter 1:16 – Because it is written, you will be holy; for I am holy.
Through the sign of circumcision God indicated the way we were to strive for that holiness - by spiritually cutting off whatever is according to the flesh/against the Spirit.
Although I have no personal experience, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that circumcision is painful. We should expect spiritual circumcision to be the same.
If we are honest, we will admit that we all have sins we enjoy. We think we can keep them under control or hidden, so there is no real need to prune them from our lives. We often justify them by pointing out that they are not as bad as the sins of others.
But this is wrong thinking. The Jews had to change their thinking about circumcision in the natural realm. We must change our thinking about circumcision of the heart. We must face the fact that all sin is an abomination in God’s sight, and it must be cut out of our lives.
Interestingly, this is not just a New Testament command. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses spoke of circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:16), and Paul will enlarge on this topic later in the book of Romans.
Let me offer you some relief:
King David declared that anyone who has been forgiven by God will abound in joy and happiness because they realize they are free from the punishment they deserve.
So whatever else is going on in your life today, you have reasons to rejoice – you have been forgiven and one day you will find yourself in heaven with Jesus!
Let me offer you some strength:
The life of Abraham teaches us many lessons, but perhaps one of the most important is this: Faith without works is dead.
There is no question that Abraham was counted as righteous in God’s sight by faith alone. Yet, the faith he had in those promises affected the way he lived. He knew he was only a pilgrim wandering in the Promised Land, but he lived as one who was fully persuaded that his offspring would be the owners of it.
Abraham fully believed that Isaac was the son God promised him; the son through whom all of his descendants would come. In the midst of that faith, he did not flinch at taking his son and offering him as a sacrifice.
How is your faith reflected in your everyday life?