Romans 4:5 teaches that God declares a person righteous not because of anything they have done, but because they trust him. The verse says that faith is credited as righteousness to someone who does not work for it, when they believe in God who justifies the ungodly. Paul wrote this as part of his letter to the church in Rome, a mixed congregation of Jewish and Gentile believers who needed to understand how God accepts people.
But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
Romans 4:5 (WEB)
What Romans 4:5 Means
The phrase “to him who doesn’t work” does not mean that good works are unimportant to God. It describes the situation of someone who has no record of merit to present, someone who cannot earn a place in God’s favor through effort. Paul is describing the position of every person before God, not disparaging obedience.
“But believes in him who justifies the ungodly” points to the heart of the verse. God is the one who makes people right with himself, and he does this for people who are not righteous on their own. The word “ungodly” is striking because it describes the very people who have nothing to offer. Justification is God’s act, and it is directed toward those who come to him in trust.
The final clause says that such faith “is accounted for righteousness.” The verb “accounted” is a term of reckoning or crediting, like an entry in a ledger. Paul is not claiming that faith itself is a moral achievement that deserves reward. He is saying that God counts trust in him as the means by which a person stands righteous before him. The verse does not promise a life free of struggle or sin, but it does establish that acceptance with God rests on faith rather than a balance of good deeds.
The Context of Romans 4:5
The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul, most likely from Corinth around the middle of the first century, and it was addressed to believers in Rome who had both Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds. Paul builds a long argument in the first four chapters that no one is justified by the works of the law, and he uses Abraham as his main example in chapter 4.
The verses just before Romans 4:5 show Paul’s reasoning. In verses 2 and 3 he asks whether Abraham was justified by works, and he answers by quoting Genesis, where Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. In verses 6 through 8 Paul brings in David, who speaks of the blessing of forgiven sins. Read in this setting, Romans 4:5 is the hinge of the argument: the same principle that applied to Abraham, a righteousness received through faith apart from works, now applies to everyone.
Key Phrases in Romans 4:5
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, that no one would boast.
(WEB)
These verses state plainly that salvation comes by grace through faith and is not a result of works. They give the same principle in different words and show that Paul’s teaching in Romans is consistent across his letters.
Genesis 15:6
He believed in the LORD, who credited it to him for righteousness.
(WEB)
This is the verse from Genesis that Paul quotes in Romans 4:3. Reading it in its original setting shows where the idea of faith being credited as righteousness begins in Scripture.
A Short Prayer From Romans 4:5
Father, thank you that my standing with you does not rest on how well I have performed today. I bring you the list of things I wish I had done differently, and I ask you to help me trust that you accept me through faith in you. Teach me to rest in your justifying grace instead of striving to earn what you have already freely given. Shape my heart so that I can receive your mercy and extend it to others. Amen.
