However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
4 sermons cite this verse
… Now, you see in verse 26, it says that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. But if you look over to chapter 4, verse 5, to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly. So, this phrase in verse 26, the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus, we see in 4, 5, the one who has faith in Jesus is nevertheless still ungodly. Luther's famous phrase, simul justus et peccator, simultaneously, at the same time, justified and a sinner. So when it says, those who have faith in Jesus, at the end of verse 26, we can relate that again to faith in chapter 4, verse 5, and we are told that those who have faith in Jesus are nevertheless ungodly. How does this work? This is the problem that Paul means to solve. Now, there are other problems, human sin. But the conclusion of this great Mount Everest of a paragraph is to help not only justify us, but justify God. …
… It was counted to him as righteousness. Verse 5, the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. We see the same thing in verse 6, verse 9, verse 11, that faith is the means by which this righteousness is counted or credited to our account. And then the clearest argument, if you turn over to chapter 10, verse 3. Remember I said this phrase occurs eight times, 1.17, 3.5, 21, 22, 25, 26, and then it occurs twice here in Romans 10, verse 3. Look at the context because this is the clearest parallel to 117. For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. So two times in this verse we have dikaiosune theu. And notice the contrast. They were ignorant of the righteousness of God, and they sought to establish their own. So, contrast, there is a righteousness we try to establish on our own, and then there is the righteousness of God. …
… Verse 5. But to him who does not work but believes on him, who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Let me read that again. I got to break that down to you. But to him, that's you, who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. In other words, for that person who's not trying to work their way in, some of y'all are trying to work your way in. You don't get in good favor with God by working. We don't serve and do the things in our church to get God's favor. We don't work to get saved. We work because we are saved. When you have a walk with God, it does something in your heart that makes you want to help other people, to help you want to serve other people. We don't do this to get God's favor. We do it because God has loved us. And here's what I like about this verse. …
… And yet, that is exactly what God did. Listen to Romans 4 or 5, "'But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly.'" The very thing that Proverbs 17 says is an abomination is exactly what God does. He justifies the ungodly. His faith is credited as righteousness. The sound foundational law of morality in the world is that evil must be punished and goodness rewarded. But God Himself has chosen to violate that law in the sense that He justifies the ungodly, one of the most shocking statements to Jewish people anywhere in the New Testament. How can God do that? How is it possible? And the answer is because He punishes His Son in the place of believing sinners. Back in Romans 3, verse 25, God displayed Christ as a propitiation, a satisfaction in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed. He passed over sins. …