Romans 4-6

New American Standard Bible

Abraham’s Justification by Faith

4 What then shall we say that Abraham, ^[a]our forefather ^(A)according to the flesh, has found? ² For if Abraham was justified ^[b]by works, he has something to boast about; but ^(B)not ^[c]before God. ³ For what does the Scripture say? “^(C)Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now to the one who ^(D)works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. ⁵ But to the one who does not work, but ^(E)believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, ⁶ just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessing then on ^[d](I)the circumcised, or on ^[e]the uncircumcised also? For ^(J)we say, “^(K)Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” ¹⁰ How then was it credited? While he was ^[f]circumcised, or ^[g]uncircumcised? Not while ^[h]circumcised, but while ^[i]uncircumcised; ¹¹ and he ^(L)received the sign of circumcision, ^(M)a seal of the righteousness of the faith which ^[j]he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be ^(N)the father of ^(O)all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, ¹² and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which ^[k]he had while uncircumcised.

¹³ For ^(P)the promise to Abraham or to his ^[l]descendants ^(Q)that he would be heir of the world was not ^[m]through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For ^(R)if those who are ^[n]of the Law are heirs, then faith is made void and the promise is nullified; ¹⁵ for ^(S)the Law brings about wrath, but ^(T)where there is no law, there also is no violation.

¹⁶ For this reason it is ^[o]by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with ^(U)grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to ^(V)all the ^[p]descendants, not only to ^[q]those who are of the Law, but also to ^[r](W)those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is ^(X)the father of us all, ¹⁷ (as it is written: “I have made you ^(Y)a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, that is, God, ^(Z)who gives life to the dead and ^(AA)calls into being ^(AB)things that do not exist. ¹⁸ In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become ^(AC)a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “^(AD)So shall your ^[s]descendants be.” ¹⁹ Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now ^(AE)as good as dead since ^(AF)he was about a hundred years old, and ^(AG)the deadness of Sarah’s womb; ²⁰ yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, ^(AH)giving glory to God, ²¹ and ^(AI)being fully assured that ^(AJ)what God had promised, He was able also to perform. ²² Therefore ^(AK)it was also credited to him as righteousness. ²³ Now ^(AL)not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, ²⁴ but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, to us ^(AM)who believe in Him who ^(AN)raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ He who was ^(AO)delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was ^(AP)raised because of our justification.

Results of Justification

5 ^(AQ)Therefore, having been justified by faith, ^[t](AR)we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we also have ^(AS)obtained our introduction by faith into this grace ^(AT)in which we stand; and ^[u]we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. ^3 (AU)And not only this, but ^[v]we also ^(AV)celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about ^(AW)perseverance; ⁴ and ^(AX)perseverance, ^(AY)proven character; and proven character, hope; ⁵ and hope ^(AZ)does not disappoint, because the love of God has been ^(BA)poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

⁶ For while we were still ^(BB)helpless, ^(BC)at the right time ^(BD)Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous person; ^[w]though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God ^(BE)demonstrates ^(BF)His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, ^(BG)Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified ^[x](BH)by His blood, we shall be saved ^(BI)from the wrath of God through Him. ¹⁰ For if while we were ^(BJ)enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved ^[y](BK)by His life. ^11 (BL)And not only this, but ^[z]we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received ^(BM)the reconciliation.

¹² Therefore, just as through ^(BN)one man sin entered into the world, and ^(BO)death through sin, and ^(BP)so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned— ¹³ for ^[aa]until the Law sin was in the world, but ^(BQ)sin is not ^[ab]counted against anyone when there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned ^(BR)in the likeness of the ^[ac]violation committed by Adam, who is a ^[ad](BS)type of Him who was to come.

¹⁵ But ^[ae]the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of ^(BT)the one ^(BU)the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by ^(BV)the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many. ¹⁶ The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand ^(BW)the judgment arose from one offense, ^[af]resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the gracious gift arose from many offenses, ^[ag]resulting in justification. ¹⁷ For if by the offense of the one, death reigned ^(BX)through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness ^(BY)reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ So then, as through ^(BZ)one offense ^[ah]the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one ^(CA)act of righteousness ^[ai]the result was ^(CB)justification of life to all mankind. ¹⁹ For as through the one man’s disobedience ^(CC)the many ^(CD)were made sinners, so also through ^(CE)the obedience of the One ^(CF)the many will be made righteous. ^20 [aj](CG)The Law came in so that the offense would increase; but where sin increased, ^(CH)grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as ^(CI)sin reigned in death, so also ^(CJ)grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Believers Are Dead to Sin, Alive to God

6 ^(CK)What shall we say then? Are we to ^(CL)continue in sin so that grace may increase? ^2 [ak](CM)Far from it! How shall we who ^(CN)died to sin still live in it? ³ Or do you not know that all of us who have been ^(CO)baptized into ^(CP)Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we have been ^(CQ)buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was ^(CR)raised from the dead through the ^(CS)glory of the Father, so we too may walk in ^(CT)newness of life. ⁵ For ^(CU)if we have become ^[al]united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be ^[am]in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our ^(CV)old ^[an]self was ^(CW)crucified with Him, in order that our ^(CX)body of sin might be ^[ao]done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for ^(CY)the one who has died is ^[ap]freed from sin.

⁸ Now ^(CZ)if we have died with Christ, we believe that ^(DA)we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been ^(DB)raised from the dead, ^[aq]is never to die again; ^(DC)death no longer is master over Him. ¹⁰ For ^[ar]the death that He died, He died to sin once for all time; but ^[as]the life that He lives, He lives to ^[at]God. ¹¹ So you too, consider yourselves to be ^(DD)dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

¹² Therefore sin is not to ^(DE)reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, ¹³ and do not go on ^(DF)presenting ^[au]the parts of your body to sin as ^[av]instruments of unrighteousness; but ^(DG)present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and ^[aw]your body’s parts as ^[ax]instruments of righteousness for God. ¹⁴ For ^(DH)sin shall not ^(DI)be master over you, for ^(DJ)you are not under ^[ay]the Law but ^(DK)under grace.

¹⁵ What then? ^(DL)Are we to sin because we are not under ^[az]the Law but under grace? ^[ba](DM)Far from it! ¹⁶ Do you not ^(DN)know that the one to whom you present yourselves as ^(DO)slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of ^(DP)sin ^[bb]resulting in death, or of obedience ^[bc]resulting in righteousness? ¹⁷ But ^(DQ)thanks be to God that ^[bd]though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that ^[be](DR)form of teaching to which you were entrusted, ¹⁸ and after being ^(DS)freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness. ^19 (DT)I am speaking ^[bf]in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just ^(DU)as you presented ^[bg]the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, ^[bh]resulting in further lawlessness, so now present ^[bi]your body’s parts as slaves to righteousness, ^[bj]resulting in sanctification.

²⁰ For ^(DV)when you were slaves of sin, you were free in relation to righteousness. ²¹ Therefore what ^[bk](DW)benefit were you then ^[bl]deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is ^(DX)death. ²² But now having been ^(DY)freed from sin and ^(DZ)enslaved to God, you ^[bm]derive your ^[bn](EA)benefit, ^[bo]resulting in sanctification, and ^(EB)the outcome, eternal life. ²³ For the wages of ^(EC)sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is ^(ED)eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.