4What should we say about those things? What did our father Abraham discover about being right with God? ²Did he become right with God because of something he did? If so, he could brag about it. But he couldn’t brag to God. ³What do we find in Scripture? It says, “Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham’s faith, and so his faith made him right with God.”

⁴When a man works, his pay is not considered a gift. It is owed to him. ⁵But things are different with God. He makes evil people right with himself. If people trust in him, their faith is accepted even though they do not work. Their faith makes them right with God.

⁶King David says the same thing. He tells us how blessed some people are. God makes those people right with himself. But they don’t have to do anything in return. David says,

⁷“Blessed are those

whose lawless acts are forgiven.

Blessed are those

whose sins are taken away.

⁸Blessed is the man

whose sin the Lord never counts against him.”

⁹Is that blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who are not circumcised? We have been saying that God accepted Abraham’s faith, and so his faith made him right with God. ¹⁰When did it happen? Was it after Abraham was circumcised, or before? It was before he was circumcised, not after! ¹¹He was circumcised as a sign of the covenant God had made with him. It showed that his faith had made him right with God before he was circumcised.

So Abraham is the father of all believers who have not been circumcised. God accepts their faith. So their faith makes them right with him. ¹²Abraham is also the father of the circumcised who believe. So just being circumcised is not enough. Those who are circumcised must also follow the steps of our father Abraham. He had faith before he was circumcised.

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