And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
—Romans 4:5
If you wanted to name the greatest example of faith in human history, you could hardly do better than Abraham. He’s the GOAT, the greatest of all time when it comes to faith. And it all began when God spoke to one man, then named Abram, a pagan living in Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him a destiny to become the father of a multitude.
Now Paul knew his Jewish readers revered Abraham, and he knew the question forming in their minds: surely it was Abraham’s good works, his upright life, even his great faith, that earned him a standing with God? So Paul meets it head-on: “If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about — but not before God.”
Then Paul quotes the verse that settles it: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” There it is. Abraham was not declared righteous because of what he did. He was declared righteous because he believed God.
Paul drives the point home with a picture from the workplace. When you do a job, your paycheck isn’t a gift, it’s a wage. You earned it; you’re owed it. But righteousness doesn’t come to us as a wage we’ve earned. It comes “to the one who does not work but believes.” Salvation is not your paycheck from God; it is His gift.
And look who God justifies, “the ungodly.” Not the impressive. Not the deserving. The ungodly. That word should bring you tremendous relief, because it means you don’t have to clean yourself up first to qualify. The very thing that disqualifies you under a system of works is exactly what grace specializes in.
The word Paul uses for “counted” is a banking term, logizomai. He uses it nine times in this chapter. It means to credit to an account. When you believe in Jesus Christ, the staggering debt you owe is marked “paid in full,” and the righteousness of Christ is deposited to your account. Your balance reads not bankrupt but blessed.
This is why Abraham, a pagan from Ur with his share of sins and failures, could stand righteous before a holy God. Not because his record was clean, but because he believed the God who justifies the ungodly.
So, stop trying to earn what can only be received. Stop working for a wage when God is offering a gift. Abraham’s standing with God didn’t rest on his performance, and neither does yours. Believe the God who justifies the ungodly, and let Him credit His righteousness to your account today.
SALVATION IS NOT A WAGE YOU EARN. IT IS A GIFT GOD CREDITS TO EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES.
