Romans 4:1-5

¹ What then should we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, concluded regarding this matter? ² Because if Abraham was declared righteous by the works of the law, he has something to brag about–but not in God’s presence. ³ Because what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited as a result of grace but because of obligation. ⁵ But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.

demythologizing Abraham

Paul confronts a deeply rooted assumption within the Judaism of his day—the belief that Abraham was accepted by God because he had perfectly kept the law, even before the law existed. This myth had shaped generations of religious thinking. It suggested that righteousness came through obedience, and that Abraham was the model of flawless law‑keeping. But Paul urges the Jewish Christians in Rome to return to the Torah itself. When they do, they discover something very different.

According to the Scriptures, God approved of Abraham long before Sinai, long before circumcision, long before any opportunity to perform works of the law. Abraham’s standing before God rested not on obedience but on trust. He believed the promise of the God of grace, and that faith—not performance—was counted to him as righteousness. Paul’s argument is simple but revolutionary: if Abraham was justified by faith, then faith—not law‑keeping—is the true foundation of salvation.

This truth exposes the myth, but it also exposes the human heart. The impulse to turn religious observances into a pathway for earning God’s approval is not limited to ancient Judaism. It persists in every age. Many still present Christianity as a system of moral achievement, a ladder climbed by spiritual effort. But Paul insists that this is not the gospel. In fact, he argues that it was never the message of the Torah either. The law was never designed to save. Salvation came first, and the law served as a guide for those already redeemed.

Grace through faith is the consistent message of both testaments. Abraham is the father of all who believe because he dared to trust God’s promise before he saw its fulfillment. His righteousness was a gift, not a wage. His story becomes the pattern for every believer—Jew or Gentile—who receives God’s righteousness by faith in Christ.

Paul’s goal is not merely theological correction. He wants the Roman believers to proclaim a gospel free from distortion. A gospel that does not burden hearers with impossible demands. A gospel that reveals salvation as God’s work from beginning to end. When the myth is stripped away, the beauty of grace shines clearly.

Lord, help us demythologize our presentation of the gospel so that those who hear understand that salvation is your work, not ours.

[1] Genesis 15:6.