Romans 4:1-3 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Paul now turns to discuss the topic of faith more. He the key topic of chs. 1-3 is the problem. He introduced the solution in 3:22 and will expand on that in the following chapters. This basic outline is helpful. If applied to a person, it shows that we need to admit our problem of sin as a crucial step in salvation. The next step is to put our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul turns to the father of faith, Abraham. He is writing particularly about Jews who trace their heritage “according to the flesh” back to Abraham. He is a good example of someone who put their trust in God. What Abraham went through sets an example for the type of response we need to have. The key phrase comes from Genesis 15:6. Abraham could not boast in what God did for him. There was nothing in Abraham himself that made him righteous. He simply responded to God’s offer. This response of faith included obedience. Obedience is always linked to faith in some way. Obedience is not “works” in order to be made righteous but is the response in action to God’s promises.
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