The Example of Abraham
1 Well then, what can we say about our ancestor Abraham? 2 If he became acceptable to God because of what he did, then he would have something to brag about. But he would never be able to brag about it to God. 3 The Scriptures say, “God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him.”
4 Money paid to workers isn't a gift. It is something they earn by working. 5 But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him. 6 In the Scriptures David talks about the blessings that come to people who are acceptable to God, even though they don't do anything to deserve these blessings. David says,
7-8 “What a blessing
when God forgives our sins
and our evil deeds.
What a blessing
when the Lord erases our sins
from his book.”
9 Are these blessings meant for circumcised people or for those who are not circumcised? Well, the Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him. 10 But when did this happen? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? Of course, it was before.
11 Abraham let himself be circumcised to show he had been accepted because of his faith even before he was circumcised. This makes Abraham the father of all who are acceptable to God because of their faith, even though they are not circumcised. 12 This also makes Abraham the father of everyone who is circumcised and has faith in God, as Abraham did before he was circumcised.
The Promise Is for All Who Have Faith
13 God promised Abraham and his descendants that he would give them the world. This promise wasn't made because Abraham had obeyed a law, but because his faith in God made him acceptable. 14 If Abraham and his descendants were given this promise because they had obeyed a law, then faith would mean nothing, and the promise would be worthless.
15 God becomes angry when his Law is broken. But where there isn't a law, it cannot be broken. 16 Everything depends on having faith in God, so that God's promise is assured by his gift of undeserved grace. This promise isn't only for Abraham's descendants who have the Law. It is for all who are Abraham's descendants because they have faith, just as he did. Abraham is the ancestor of us all. 17 The Scriptures say that Abraham would become the ancestor of many nations. This promise was made to Abraham because he had faith in God, who raises the dead to life and creates new things.
18 God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations. 19 Abraham's faith never became weak, not even when he was nearly 100 years old. He knew he was almost dead and that his wife Sarah could not have children. 20 But Abraham never doubted or questioned God's promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave all the credit to God.
21 Abraham was certain that God could do what he had promised. 22 So God accepted him, 23 just as we read in the Scriptures. But these words were not written only for Abraham. 24 They were written for us, since we will also be accepted because of our faith in God, who raised our Lord Jesus to life. 25 God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God.
IV.
1 Kū tad lai sokom? Kū panōce myusu mīseigais tāvs Abraams? 2 Jo Abraams tyka attaisnōts dorbu deļ, tad jys var lepnōtīs, bet na Dīva prīškā. 3 Kū tad soka Roksti? — Abraams īticēja Dīvam un tys jam tyka īskaiteits taisneigumā. 4 Kas uzrōda dorbus, tam atmoksa teik aprēkinōta na nu žēlesteibas, bet pēc nūpeļneitō. 5 Turpretim tam, kas dorbu nauzrōda, bet gon tic Tam, kas grēcinīkus padora taisneigus, tam attaisnōšonā teik īskaiteita jō ticeiba (saskaņā ar Dīva žēlesteibas lāmumu). 6 Davids arī sauc par svēteigu tū cylvāku, kū Dīvs attaisnoj bez dorbim: 7 Svēteigi, kam nataisneibas ir pīdūtas un grāki ir aizklōti. 8 Svēteigs ir cylvāks, kam Kungs jō grāku naīskaita.
9 Vai šei svēteiba atsateic tikai uz apgraizeitajim, vai arī uz naapgraizeitajim? Mes sokam: Abraamam taisneigumā tyka īskaiteita ticeiba. 10 Bet kai jam tyka īskaiteita? Vai tys nūtyka pyrms apgraizeišonas, vai arī pēc apgraizeišonas? — Na pēc apgraizeišonas, bet pyrms apgraizeišonas. 11 Apgraizeišonas zeimi jys sajēme attaisnōšonas apzeimūgōšonai, kura jam beja caur ticeibu jau pyrms apgraizeišonas. Tai jam vajadzēja byut par vysu naapgraizeitūs ticeigūs tāvu, lai ari tim attaisnōšona tyktu īskaiteita. 12 Jam vajadzēja byut par tāvu arī tim apgraizeitajim, kuri na tik vin beja apgraizeiti, bet arī gōja pa tōs ticeibas stygu, kura beja myusu tāvam Abraamam pyrms apgraizeišonas.
13 Na caur lykumu Abraamam un jō pēcnōcējim beja apsūleits, ka jī byus pasauļa mantinīki, bet gon caur attaisnōšonu nu ticeibas. 14 Jo mantinīki byutu tī, kas pīdar pi lykuma, tad ticeiba byutu bezvērteiga un apsūleišona nīceiga. 15 Lykums sakrōj dusmi; kur nav lykuma, tur arī nav pōrkōpuma. 16 Tōpēc „nu ticeibas,“ tys ir „nu žēlesteibas,“ lai ar tū apsūlejums byutu nūdrūšynōts vysim pēcnōcējim, na tik vin tim, kas pīdar pi lykuma, bet arī tim, kas atzeist Abraama ticeibu, kurs ir myusu vysu tāvs, 17 kai stōv raksteits: Es asmu izredzējis tevi par daudzejūs ciļšu tāvu, jo ticēji Dīvam, kas myrušūs padora dzeivus un naasūšū izsauc asameibā.
18 Pret cereibu jys cerēja tycādams, ka byus par daudzejūs tautu tāvu, kai ir saceits: Taids byus tovu pēcnōcēju (skaits). 19 Ticeibā jys napagura, lai gon, pats ap symts godim vacs byudams, redzēja, ka jō poša mīsa un Saras mōtes mīsa jau beja pamyrušas. 20 Par Dīva apsūlejumu jys bezticeigi nasašaubeja, bet styprynōjōs ticeibā, gūdynōja Dīvu 21 un piļneigi beja pōrlīcynōts, ka Dīvs ir vareigs izpiļdeit apsūlejumus. 22 Tōpēc arī beja jam īskaiteits taisneigumā.
23 Bet na jō vin dēļ stōv raksteits: jam beja īskaiteits taisneigumā, 24 bet arī myusu dēļ. Tai tad, arī mums ir jōīskaita, jo mes tycam Tam, kas myusu Kungu Jezu pīcēle nu myrūnim. 25 Myusu nūzīgumu dēļ Jys tyka nūdūts un myusu attaisnōšonas dēļ augšamcēlēs.
