Romans 4:9-15 (NIV)
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless,
15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

You has been blessed? Is it those that have obeyed the law or who believe? When the law came is a very important time period to know. The law came through Moses. Moses came after Abraham and therefore the law was after Abraham. When did Abraham believe? Did he believe after his circumcision or before? He believed before he was circumcised and he believed before the law was given. We are never referred to as children of Moses, but we are referred to as children of Abraham. Abraham is the paradigm under which we practice our faith. We believe and it is credited to our account. We believe and then we are baptized, not vice versa. Paul is still arguing from chapter one that the just will live by faith! If it is through faith, then it has to be of grace. The two go hand in hand.



Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God.

John R. W. Stott (1921– )