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
David also describeth the blessedness of the man,
unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are
forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is
the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh
this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say
that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How
was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or
in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And 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:
12 And
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.
13 For
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.
14 For if
they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise
made of none effect:
15 Because
the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there
is no transgression.
16 Therefore
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,
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.
18 Who
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.
19 And
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:
20 He
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God;
21 And
being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And
therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it
was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But
for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up
Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who
was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.