Romans 4:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Abraham preferred the Master's command to things manifest and acknowledged. He did not inquire curiously about the command, nor was he troubled by thoughts. Looking to the dignity of Him who commanded, and despising all human obstacles, he hastened toward one thing only: to omit nothing of what had been commanded.

Then he received from God the command to offer Isaac in sacrifice, while Isaac was still a child. Yet through Isaac alone the fulfillment of the promise had to come to pass.

And behold, without any objection, the father was ready to slay the boy with his own hands. At that very same time, he believed that the promise to be fulfilled through him was unshakable and true.

Do you see what justifying faith is like?

Christ also promised us the inheritance of eternal life, delight, glory, and the Kingdom.

Then He commanded us to live in poverty, to fast, to live perfectly and in constraint, to be ready for death, and to crucify ourselves with the passions and lusts.

Therefore, if we become zealous for this and believe that promise of God, then behold, we too, according to the pattern of Abraham, have believed God. This will be counted to us as righteousness.

You see what followed from this. His readiness to present Isaac for slaughter was not only a mighty testimony and manifestation of Abraham's faith.

It also became the cause that Christ would be born from his seed. Through Christ all the tribes of the earth were blessed, and the promise found its fulfillment.

For God, as it were, became a Debtor to the one who for God's sake gave his only-begotten and own son.

Thus, for his sake and because of the promise made to him, God in turn gave His Only-begotten and Own Son.

So it is also with us. Chastity and righteousness, humility and endurance of those who in some way harm us, the distribution of possessions, and the affliction of the body in fasts and vigils, all have this role.

In a word, crucifying ourselves with the passions and lusts in fulfillment of God's commandments not only reveals how truly we believe Christ's promises.

It also, so to speak, makes God in turn a Debtor to grant us eternal and unshakable life, delight, glory, and the Kingdom.

Therefore He Himself, looking upon His disciples, said, "Blessed are the poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who weep. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness' sake" (Mt 5:3-10; Lk 6:20-22).

And, "Woe to the rich. Woe to those who laugh. Woe to those who are full. Woe when all men speak well of you" (Lk 6:24-26).

Tell me, can one who spends his life not according to the proclaimed beatitudes, but according to those things over which the Lord laments, be considered one who believes God?

It is said, "Show me your faith by your works," and, "Who is wise? Let him show his works by a good life" (Jas 2:18; Jas 3:13).

Therefore, let the fact that we truly believe God be made manifest by our good works and by keeping God's commandments.

In other words, let it be clear that we recognize as true and unshakable His promises or threats concerning us, even though they are not yet present.

But that we believe in God in an Orthodox manner, that is, that we think beautifully, firmly, and piously concerning Him, how will this be shown to us?

By our being of one soul, one mind, and one confession with our God-bearing Fathers.

Just as truly believing God is manifested not only by resisting fleshly passions and evil snares, but also by resisting people possessed by passions, who deceive and draw others into base pleasures,

so also Orthodox belief in the one true God is manifested not only by resisting ignorance and the suggestions of the adversary.

It is also manifested by resisting impious people, who secretly plunder and drag others along into their own destruction.

The greatest help is present for both forms of faith. It comes not only from God and from the rational power given to us by Him, but also from the good angels and from God-fearing people who live according to God.

The Apostle cites Moses' words about Abraham (Gen 15:6), when God promised him numerous descendants, even though he considered himself already unable to have offspring from his own loins. The immediate meaning of Moses' words, in relation to the event he described, is this: Abraham believed God's promise, and his faith was justified and realized in deed, because, as will be seen later, God's promise was fulfilled.

But the Apostle applies Moses' words not only to the fact that God promised Abraham numerous descendants. He applies them to Abraham's whole life. Indeed, the promise of descendants and of the inheritance of an unknown land had already prompted Abraham earlier to depart from the land of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan, and to undertake other labors. But until the time in question, it was supported by natural calculations and powers. Now it became the object of faith alone.

With all the powers of his soul, Abraham was directed toward the thought of the promised descendants. His whole life and activity were centered in it. From then on he lived by faith in the fulfillment of God's promise. Therefore the Apostle rightly says that faith was counted to him as righteousness.

"It was counted" means it was reckoned and served in place of something. This does not mean that Abraham was merely considered righteous without becoming righteous. That would be contrary to God's righteousness. Rather, it means that he became righteous through faith. On his part, faith was such a merit and ascetic labor that it raised him in God's eyes above those who fulfilled the law.

"The believer has God as his debtor," says Chrysostom. Therefore there is merit here on man's side, namely faith. There is also gift on God's side, because He gives man righteousness not for works, but for faith alone, for one inner disposition. Yet the power of faith is not in faith itself, but in the merits of Jesus Christ. In God's acceptance of these merits there is an abundance of grace. Abraham's faith was counted to him because it referred to the coming Messiah.

God gave him a son, the support of his hope for posterity. But as soon as the son had grown, God commanded him to offer him to Himself in sacrifice.

Abraham believes that this is how it must be, and goes to offer his only-begotten in sacrifice. Yet he does not lose the assurance that, despite this, he will still have numerous posterity.

Thus with Abraham everything is faith and faith. Faith gave birth to and enlivened his deeds, imparting a special value before the face of God both to the deeds and to him who acted.

Saint Chrysostom says: "It is not at all strange that one who has no works should be justified by faith.

"But for one adorned with merits to become righteous not by merits, but by faith, was astonishing and especially revealed the power of faith.

"Here the Apostle brings faith and works into contest, and sets Abraham as the subject of their dispute.

"He says, 'If Abraham was justified by works, he has a boast, but not before God.' There are two kinds of boasting: one from works, and another from faith.

"The Apostle affirms that one may have a greater boast from faith.

"Salvation through faith possesses to a much greater degree everything in which salvation through works could boast and take confidence.

"The one who boasts in works will display his own labors. But the one who counts it an honor that he believes in God displays a far better reason for boasting, because he glorifies and magnifies the Lord.

"By faith in God, having acknowledged as true what the nature of visible things did not reveal, he thereby proved sincere love for God and solemnly proclaimed His power.

"This indicates a most noble heart, a philosophical disposition, and a lofty mind.

"Not to steal and not to kill are quite ordinary works. But to believe that God is able to accomplish the impossible requires a great spirit firmly attached to God. This is a sign of true love.

"Although the one who fulfills the commandments thereby honors God, the one who is made wise by faith honors Him much more.

"The former is obedient to God, but the latter has acquired a proper conception of God. He has glorified and honored Him more than He can be honored by works.

"The first boast belongs to the struggler himself, to the one laboring in works. The latter glorifies God and belongs wholly to Him.

"The believer boasts in his exalted conception of God, and this constitutes his glory.

"Therefore it is said that he has a boast before God. Yet this is not for this reason alone, but also for another.

"The faithful man boasts not only that he sincerely loved the one God, but also that he was deemed worthy by Him of great honor and love.

"As he loved God by having a lofty conception of Him, which shows love, so God also loved him.

"When the man was guilty before God a thousand times over, God not only freed him from punishment, but even made him righteous.

"Therefore the believer has reason to boast, as one deemed worthy of great love."