What does "credited to him as righteousness" teach about justification by faith? The Key Phrase Romans 4:22: “This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.’” Background: Abraham’s Moment of Faith • Genesis 15:6: “Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” • Abraham took God at His word before any law was given, before circumcision, before he could do anything to earn favor. • God’s promise concerned an heir and countless descendants—humanly impossible for an aged, childless man, yet Abraham trusted God who “calls into being things that do not yet exist” (Romans 4:17). Credit, Not Wage • “Credited” (logizomai) is an accounting term: God places righteousness in the believer’s account. • Romans 4:4: “Now to a man who works, his wages are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.” • The verse contrasts wages earned by works with God’s gift received by faith; righteousness is not a paycheck but a gracious deposit. Justification Defined • To justify is to declare righteous, a legal verdict from the Judge of all. • Romans 4:5: “However, to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” • God declares the ungodly righteous solely on the basis of trusting Him. No personal merit is added; the entire verdict rests on faith. Faith’s Object: The God Who Gives Life • Abraham’s faith had content: he trusted the promise-giving, life-creating God. • Romans 4:24-25: “…to whom righteousness will be credited— for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.” • The same God who gave life to Sarah’s barren womb raised Jesus; believing this gospel is the New-Covenant counterpart to Abraham’s trust. Application to Our Standing Before God • No amount of personal effort, ceremony, or morality can supply the righteousness God requires (Isaiah 64:6). • Through faith in Christ, God legally places Christ’s perfect righteousness in our account (2 Corinthians 5:21). • Philippians 3:9: “…not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.” • Ephesians 2:8-9 underscores the same grace-through-faith dynamic: salvation is “not by works, so that no one can boast.” Supporting Scriptures to Anchor the Truth • Galatians 3:6-9—Paul repeats Abraham’s example to show blessing comes to “those of faith.” • James 2:23—James cites the same verse to confirm that genuine faith produces works, yet the status of righteousness is still rooted in belief. • Psalm 32:1-2 (quoted in Romans 4:7-8)—David celebrates the blessedness of sins covered and sin not counted against us. Summing It Up “Credited to him as righteousness” teaches that justification is entirely by faith: God counts the believer righteous, not because of any work, ritual, or inherent goodness, but because he or she rests on God’s promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The ledger once filled with debt is stamped “Paid in Full,” and the righteousness of Christ is permanently entered in its place. |
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