Abraham

1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

So what should we say about Abraham, the ancestor of our people? What did he find out?

2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

If Abraham was made right with God by the good things he did, he would have something to brag about. But he could not brag in front of God.

3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

What do the Scriptures say? "Abraham believed God, and God counted that as being right with him."

4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

When a person works for pay, the money is not a gift. It is owed to him.

5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

But some people do not work for it. They simply trust God, who makes guilty people right with himself. Their trust is counted as being right with God.

6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

David said the same thing about how happy a person is when God counts him right without any work at all.

7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

David wrote, "Happy are those whose law-breaking is forgiven, whose sins are covered up.

8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Happy is the person whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

Is this happiness only for circumcised people, or for uncircumcised people too? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was counted as being right with God.

10How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

So when was it counted? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was before, not after.

11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

Later he was circumcised. That was a mark and a stamp showing he was already right with God through trust. So he is the father of everyone who believes without being circumcised, and they are counted right with God too.

12And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

He is also the father of circumcised people, but only those who follow the same path of trust that Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

God promised Abraham and his descendants that he would receive the world. That promise did not come through the law, but through being right with God by trust.

14For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

If the promise belongs only to people who keep the law, then trust means nothing and the promise is worthless.

15Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

The law brings God's anger. And where there is no law, no one can break it.

16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

So the promise comes by trust, and that makes it a gift. This way it is certain for all of Abraham's descendants. Not only for those under the law, but for everyone who trusts as Abraham did. He is the father of us all.

17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

As the Scriptures say, "I have made you the father of many nations." He is our father in God's sight. Abraham trusted the God who gives life to the dead and calls things into being that do not yet exist.

18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

There was no reason left to hope, yet Abraham still hoped and believed. So he became the father of many nations, just as God had said: "That is how many your descendants will be."

19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:

His trust did not grow weak. He faced the facts. He was about a hundred years old and his body was worn out, and Sarah could not have children.

20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

He did not doubt God's promise or waver. Instead his trust grew strong, and he gave glory to God.

21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

He was completely sure that God could do what he had promised.

22And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

That is why "it was counted as being right with God."

23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

Those words, "it was counted to him," were not written only for Abraham.

24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

They were written for us too. God will count us right with him when we trust the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Jesus was handed over to die because of the wrong things we did, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

It is like Abraham. He believed God, and God counted him as right with himself.

7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

So understand this: the people who believe are the true children of Abraham.

8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

The Scriptures saw ahead of time that God would make people from other nations right with him through faith. So God told Abraham the good news early: "All nations will be blessed through you."

9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

So everyone who believes is blessed along with Abraham, the man who believed.

10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

But everyone who depends on keeping the law is under a curse. The Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law."

11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

It is clear that no one is made right with God by the law. The Scriptures say, "The person who is right with God will live by faith."

12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

The law is not about believing. It says, "The person who does these things will live by doing them."

13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Christ bought us back from the curse that the law brings. He did it by becoming a curse for us. The Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

He did this so the blessing given to Abraham could come to people from other nations through Christ Jesus. Then, by believing, we could receive the promised Spirit.

15Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

Brothers and sisters, let me use an example from daily life. Once an agreement between people is signed, no one can cancel it or add to it.

16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

God made his promises to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say "seeds," meaning many people. It says "your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.

17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

Here is my point. God made that agreement long before. The law came 430 years later, so it cannot cancel the agreement or wipe out the promise.

18For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

If what God gives depends on keeping the law, then it no longer comes from a promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a free promise.

8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

By faith Abraham obeyed when God told him to go to a land God would later give him. He left home even though he did not know where he was going.

9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

By faith he lived in that promised land like a visitor in a foreign place. He lived in tents, and so did Isaac and Jacob, who shared the same promise.

10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

He was waiting for the city that has real foundations. God is the one who designed it and built it.

11Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

By faith Sarah was able to have a baby, even though she was far too old. She believed that God keeps his promises.

12Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

So from one man, who was as good as dead, came a family too big to count. They were like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.

13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

All these people died still trusting God. They never got the things God promised. They only saw them far ahead and were glad. They said openly that they were visitors and travelers on this earth.

14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

People who talk that way are showing they are looking for a country of their own.

15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

If they had been thinking about the country they left behind, they could have gone back.

16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Instead they wanted a better country, a heavenly one. So God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has a city ready for them.

17By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

By faith Abraham was willing to offer Isaac when God tested him. God had made him promises, yet he was ready to give up his only son.

18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

God had told him, "Your family line will be counted through Isaac."

19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Abraham figured that God could even raise the dead. And in a way, he did get Isaac back from death.

21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Our father Abraham was counted right with God by what he did. He offered his son Isaac on the altar.

22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

You can see that his faith and his actions worked together. His faith was made complete by what he did.

23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

So the Scripture came true that says, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as right." And he was called the friend of God.

24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

So you see, a person is counted right with God by what he does, and not by faith alone.