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.
Ginawang Halimbawa si Abraham
1Bilang halimbawa kung paano itinuturing ng Dios na matuwid ang tao, isipin ninyo si Abraham na Ama ng mga Judio sa laman. 2Kung itinuring siya ng Dios na matuwid dahil sa mga nagawa niya, sanaʼy may maipagmamalaki siya. Pero wala siyang maipagmamalaki sa Dios, 3dahil sinasabi sa Kasulatan, “Sumampalataya si Abraham sa Dios, at dahil ditoʼy itinuring siyang matuwid ng Dios.”4:3 Gen. 15:6. 4Ang ibinibigay sa isang taong nagtatrabaho ay hindi kaloob kundi bayad. 5Pero itinuring tayong matuwid ng Dios sa kabila ng ating mga kasalanan hindi dahil sa ating mabubuting gawa kundi dahil sa pananampalataya natin sa kanya. 6Ito ang ibig sabihin ni Haring David nang banggitin niya ang pagiging mapalad ng mga taong itinuring na matuwid ng Dios hindi dahil sa kanilang mabubuting gawa. 7Ang sinabi niya,
“Mapalad ang taong pinatawad at kinalimutan na ng Dios ang kanyang kasalanan.
8Mapalad ang tao kapag hindi na ibibilang ng Panginoon laban sa kanya ang kanyang mga kasalanan.”4:8 Salmo 32:1-2.
9Ang mga sinabing ito ni Haring David ay hindi lang para sa mga Judio, kundi pati na rin sa mga hindi Judio. Alam natin ito dahil binanggit na namin na, “itinuring ng Dios na matuwid si Abraham dahil sa kanyang pananampalataya.” 10Kailan ba siya itinuring na matuwid? Hindi baʼt noong hindi pa siya tuli? 11Tinuli siya bilang tanda na itinuring na siyang matuwid dahil sa kanyang pananampalataya. Kaya si Abraham ay naging ama4:11 ama: Ang ibig sabihin, ama sa pananampalataya. ng lahat ng mga mananampalatayang hindi tuli. At dahil nga sa kanilang pananampalataya, itinuring silang matuwid ng Dios. 12Siya rin ang ama ng mga Judiong tuli, hindi lang dahil silaʼy tuli sa laman, kundi dahil sumasampalataya rin sila tulad ng ating ninunong si Abraham noong hindi pa siya tuli.
Natatanggap ang Pangako ng Dios sa Pamamagitan ng Pananampalataya
13Ipinangako ng Dios kay Abraham at sa kanyang lahi na mamanahin nila ang mundo. Ang pangakong ito ay ibinigay ng Dios kay Abraham hindi dahil sa pagsunod niya sa Kautusan, kundi dahil itinuring siya ng Dios na matuwid sa pamamagitan ng kanyang pananampalataya. 14Kung ang mga nasasakop lamang ng Kautusan ang magiging tagapagmana, walang kabuluhan ang pananampalataya at ganoon din naman ang pangako ng Dios. 15Ang Kautusan ang siyang naging dahilan kung bakit may parusa mula sa Dios. Kung walang Kautusan, wala ring paglabag.
16Kaya nakabatay ang pangako ng Dios sa pananampalataya, para itoʼy maging biyaya ng Dios at tiyak na matatanggap ng lahat ng lahi ni Abraham – hindi lamang ng mga Judio na sakop ng Kautusan, kundi maging ng mga hindi Judio na sumasampalataya ring tulad ni Abraham na ama nating lahat. 17Gaya nga ng sinasabi sa Kasulatan, “Ginawa kitang ama ng maraming bansa.”4:17 Gen. 17:5. Kaya sa paningin ng Dios, si Abraham ang ating ama. At ang Dios na pinaniwalaan ni Abraham, ang siya ring Dios na bumubuhay sa mga patay at lumilikha ng mga bagay na wala pa. 18Kahit na wala nang pag-asang maging ama si Abraham, nanalig pa rin siyang magiging ama siya ng maraming bansa; gaya nga ng sinabi ng Dios sa kanya, “Magiging kasindami ng bituin ang bilang ng mga anak mo.”4:18 Gen. 15:5. 19Mag-iisang daang taong gulang na siya noon. Alam niyang matanda na siya at mahina na ang katawan. Alam din niyang si Sara ay baog at hindi maaaring magkaanak. Ganoon pa man, hindi nanghina ang kanyang pananampalataya. 20Hindi siya nag-alinlangan sa pangako ng Dios, kundi lalo pang tumibay ang kanyang pananampalataya. Pinapurihan niya ang Dios 21dahil lubos siyang umasa na tutuparin ng Dios ang kanyang pangako. 22Kaya nga, itinuring ng Dios na matuwid si Abraham dahil sa kanyang pananampalataya. 23Pero ang katagang, “itinuring na matuwid,” ay hindi lamang para kay Abraham, 24kundi para rin sa atin. Tayo rin ay itinuturing ng Dios na matuwid kung sumasampalataya tayo sa kanya na muling bumuhay sa ating Panginoong Jesus. 25Pinatay si Jesus dahil sa ating mga kasalanan, at muling binuhay para tayoʼy maituring na matuwid.
