Romans 4:5

But suppose that we do not do things to gain God’s acceptance. Suppose that we instead trust in God, who erases the record of sins of wicked people. Then the erasing of the record of our sins because of our trusting in Christ is considered to be a gift to us, not something that we earned.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

In Context

4If we receive wages for work that we do, those wages are not considered to be a gift. Instead, they are considered to be what we have earned. Similarly, if God erases the record of our sins because we did things to earn God’s favor, we would not consider that God’s erasing the record of our sin was a gift. Instead, we would consider it as what we had earned.

6Similarly, it is as David wrote in the Psalms about people being happy whose record of sins God has erased even though they have not done things to earn it. David wrote:

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Cross References

Joshua 24:2Joshua said to all of them, “This is what Yahweh, the God we Israeli people worship, is saying: ‘Long ago, your ancestors, including Abraham’s father Terah and Abraham’s younger brother Nahor, lived on the east side of the Euphrates River.

Zechariah 3:3Joshua was wearing filthy clothes while he was standing in front of the angel.

John 6:29Jesus replied, “What God wants you to do is this: He wants you to believe that I am the one he has sent.”

Romans 1:17By means of this good message God reveals how he erases the record of people’s sins (OR, declares people no longer guilty for having sinned); and his doing this is entirely because [IDM] they trust in Christ. This is confirmed by what a prophet long ago wrote that God said, “Those ◄whose record of sin I have erased/whom I have declared no longer guilty for sin► because they trust in me will live forever.”

Romans 3:26because he is patient. God arranged for Jesus to die for us. By doing that, God now shows that he is just, and he shows that he is justly able to erase the record of sins for everyone who trusts/believes in Jesus.

Romans 4:24They were also written { They also wrote that} for us whose record of sins would be erased { God would erase}. They were written { They wrote it} for us who believe God, the one who caused our Lord Jesus to become alive again after he died.

Matthew Henry on Romans 4:2-9

The Case of Abraham. ( a. d. 58.) 1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as… Read the whole commentary →

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