Romans 4 - Easy To Read Version

¹ So what can we say about Abraham, {\cf2\super [32]} the father of our people? What did he learn about faith?

² If Abraham was made right by the things he did, then he had a reason to boast. But Abraham could not boast before God.

³ The Scripture {\cf2\super [33]} says, “Abraham believed God. And God accepted Abraham’s faith. That made Abraham right with God.” {\cf2\super [34]}

⁴ When a person works, his pay is not given to him as a gift. He earns the pay he gets.

⁵ But a person cannot do any work that will make him right with God. So that person must trust in God. Then God accepts that person’s faith (trust), and that makes him right with God. God is the One who makes even evil people right.

⁶ David {\cf2\super [35]} said the same thing. David said that a person is truly happy when God does not look at the things that person has done but accepts him like a good person:

⁷ “People are truly blessed (happy)\par when their wrongs are forgiven,\par and when their sins are covered!\par

⁸ And when the Lord accepts a person\par like he was without sin,\par that person is truly blessed!”\par \i (Psalm 32:1-2)\i0 \par

⁹ Is this happiness only for those people that are circumcised {\cf2\super [36]} (the Jews)? Or is this happiness also for people that are not circumcised (non-Jews)? We have already said that God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.

¹⁰ So how did this happen? Did God accept Abraham {\cf2\super [37]} before or after he was circumcised? God accepted him before his circumcision. {\cf2\super [38]}

¹¹ Abraham was circumcised later to show that God accepted him. His circumcision was proof that he was right with God through faith before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all people that believe but are not circumcised. Those people believe and are accepted like people that are right with God.

¹² And Abraham is also the father of people that have been circumcised. But it is not their circumcision that makes Abraham their father. He is their father only if they live following the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

¹³ Abraham {\cf2\super [39]} and his descendants {\cf2\super [40]} received the promise that they would get the whole world. But Abraham did not receive that promise because he followed the law. {\cf2\super [41]} Abraham received that promise because he was right with God through his faith.

¹⁴ If people could get the things that God promised by following the law, then faith is worthless. And God’s promise to Abraham is worthless.

¹⁵ Why? Because the law can only bring God’s anger \{when the law is not obeyed\}. But if there is no law, then there is nothing to disobey.

¹⁶ So people get God’s promise by having faith. This happens so that the promise can be a free gift. And if the promise is a free gift, then all of Abraham’s {\cf2\super [42]} people can have that promise. The promise is not only for those people that live under the law \{of Moses\}. The promise is for any person that lives with faith like Abraham. Abraham is the father of us all.

¹⁷ Like it is written \{in the Scriptures {\cf2\super [43]} \} “I have made you (Abraham) a father of many nations.” {\cf2\super [44]} This is true before God. Abraham believed in God—the God who gives life to dead people and decides that things will happen that have not yet happened.

¹⁸ There was no hope \{that Abraham {\cf2\super [45]} would have children\}. But Abraham believed God and continued hoping. And that is why he became the father of many nations. Like God told him, “You will have many descendants (children).” {\cf2\super [46]}

¹⁹ Abraham was almost 100 years old, so his body was much past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham thought about this. But his faith in God did not become weak.

²⁰ Abraham never doubted that God would do the thing that God promised. Abraham never stopped believing. He grew stronger in his faith and gave praise to God.

²¹ Abraham felt sure that God was able to do the thing that God promised.

²² So, “God accepted Abraham’s faith. That made him right with God.” {\cf2\super [47]}

²³ Those words (“God accepted Abraham’s faith”) were written not only for Abraham.

²⁴ Those words were also written for us. God will also accept us because we believe. We believe in the One (God) that raised Jesus our Lord from death.

²⁵ Jesus was given to die for our sins. And he was raised from death to make us right with God.