Abraham’s Faith Made Him Right With God
1What should we say about these things? What did Abraham, the father of our people, 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.” (Genesis 15:6)
4When a person works, their pay is not considered a gift. It is owed to them. 5But things are different with God. He makes ungodly 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 people are when God makes them right with himself. They are blessed because 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 person
whose sin the Lord never counts against them.” (Psalm 32:1,2)
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. 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. 12And Abraham is also the father of those who are circumcised and 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.
13Abraham and his family received a promise. God promised that Abraham would receive the world. It would not come to him because he obeyed the law. It would come because of his faith, which made him right with God. 14Do those who depend on the law receive the promise? If they do, faith would mean nothing. God’s promise would be worthless. 15The law brings God’s anger. Where there is no law, the law can’t be broken.
16The promise is based on God’s grace. The promise comes by faith. All of Abraham’s children will certainly receive the promise. And it is not only for those who are ruled by the law. Those who have the same faith that Abraham had are also included. He is the father of us all. 17It is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:5) God considers Abraham to be our father. The God that Abraham believed in gives life to the dead. Abraham’s God also creates things that did not exist before.
18When there was no reason for hope, Abraham believed because he had hope. He became the father of many nations, exactly as God had promised. God said, “That is how many children you will have.” (Genesis 15:5) 19Abraham did not become weak in his faith. He accepted the fact that he was past the time when he could have children. At that time Abraham was about 100 years old. He also realized that Sarah was too old to have children. 20But Abraham kept believing in God’s promise. He became strong in his faith. He gave glory to God. 21He was absolutely sure that God had the power to do what he had promised. 22That’s why “God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God.” (Genesis 15:6) 23The words “God accepted Abraham’s faith” were written not only for Abraham. 24They were written also for us. We believe in the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. So God will accept our faith and make us right with himself. 25Jesus was handed over to die for our sins. He was raised to life in order to make us right with God.
Abrahamu Analungamitsidwa Mwachikhulupiriro
1Nanga tsono tidzati chiyani za Abrahamu kholo lathu, iyeyu anapezana ndi zotani pa nkhani imeneyi? 2Kunena zoona, Abrahamu akanalungamitsidwa ndi ntchito zake, akanakhala nako kanthu kodzitamandira, koma osati pamaso pa Mulungu. 3Kodi Malemba akuti chiyani? “Abrahamu anakhulupirira Mulungu, ndipo ichi chinamuchititsa kukhala wolungama.”
4Tsopano munthu amene wagwira ntchito, malipiro ake satengedwa kukhala ngati mphatso koma zimene anayenera kulandira. 5Koma kwa munthu amene sanagwire ntchito ndipo akhulupirira Mulungu amene amalungamitsa ochimwa, chikhulupiriro chakecho chimatengedwa kukhala chilungamo. 6Davide ponena zomwezi pamene anayankhula za kudala kwa munthu amene Mulungu amulungamitsa osati chifukwa cha ntchito zake akuti,
7“Odala ndi amene
zoyipa zawo zakhululukidwa;
amene machimo awo afafanizidwa.
8Ngodala munthu amene
machimo ake Ambuye sadzawakumbukiranso.”
9Kodi madalitso amenewa ali kwa ochita mdulidwe okha kapena kwa amene sanachitepo mdulidwe? Ife takhala tikunena kuti chikhulupiriro cha Abrahamu chinamuchititsa kukhala wolungama. 10Kodi chinatengedwa bwanji? Kodi nʼkuti iye atachita mdulidwe kapena asanachite? Osati atachita mdulidwe koma asanachite! 11Ndipo iye anachita mdulidwe ngati chizindikiro ndi chitsimikizo cha kulungama kumene anali nako mwachikhulupiriro pomwe anali asanachite mdulidwe. Choncho, iye ndi kholo la onse amene akhulupirira koma sanachite mdulidwe, ndi cholinga chakuti alungamitsidwe. 12Ndipo iyenso ndiyenso kholo la ochita mdulidwe osati amene anangochita mdulidwe kokha koma amene amatsata chitsanzo cha chikhulupiriro chimene kholo lathu Abrahamu anali nacho asanachite mdulidwe.
13Abrahamu ndi zidzukulu zake sanalandire lonjezano lakuti adzalandira dziko lapansi kudzera mu Malamulo, koma kudzera mu chilungamo chimene chimabwera ndi chikhulupiriro. 14Pakuti ngati amene amadalira Malamulo ndiye olowa mʼmalo, ndiye kuti chikhulupiriro nʼchopanda pake ndipo lonjezano ndi lopanda phindu 15chifukwa Malamulo anabweretsa chilango. Ndipo kumene kulibe Malamulo kulibenso kuwalakwitsa.
16Motero, timalandira lonjezo mwachikhulupiriro. Laperekedwa mwachisomo kuti patsimikizidwe kuti lonjezolo liperekedwa kwa ana ndi zidzukulu zonse za Abrahamu, osati kwa iwo okha amene amatsatira Malamulo komanso kwa iwo amene ali ndi chikhulupiriro cha Abrahamu. Iye ndiye kholo la ife tonse. 17Monga kwalembedwa kuti, “Ine ndakusandutsa kukhala kholo la mitundu yambiri.” Iye ndiye kholo lathu pamaso pa Mulungu, amene anamukhulupirira, Mulungu amene amapereka moyo kwa akufa ndipo amapereka moyo kwa zinthu zopanda moyo.
18Ngakhale zinali zosayembekezeka, Abrahamu anakhulupirira ndi chiyembekezo kuti adzakhala kholo la mitundu yambiri. Izi ndi monga zinanenedwa kwa iye kuti, “Ndi mmene adzakhalire ana ako ndi zidzukulu zako.” 19Iye sanafowoke mʼchikhulupiriro. Anadziwa choonadi cha thupi lake kuti linali lakufa popeza anali ndi zaka pafupifupi 100 ndiponso mimba ya Sara inali yowuma. 20Komabe iye sanagwedezeke chifukwa chosakhulupirira pa zokhudzana ndi lonjezo la Mulungu. Iye analimbikitsidwa mʼchikhulupiriro chake ndi kupereka ulemerero kwa Mulungu. 21Anatsimikiza mu mtima mwake kuti Mulungu anali ndi mphamvu yochita chomwe analonjeza. 22Nʼchifukwa chake “chinamuchititsa kukhala wolungama.” 23Mawu akuti, “chinatengedwa kwa iye” sanalembedwe chifukwa cha iye yekha, 24komanso chifukwa ife amene Mulungu adzatiyesa olungama, ife amene tikhulupirira mwa Iye amene anamuukitsa kwa akufa, Yesu Ambuye athu. 25Iye anaperekedwa kuti aphedwe chifukwa cha machimo athu ndipo anaukitsidwa ndi kukhala ndi moyo kuti tilungamitsidwe.
