Understanding Romans 4:24 in Depth: Faith in Resurrection

Faith That Connects Us to God's Promise

This verse stands at the end of Paul’s argument in Romans 4, where he shows that God’s right relationship with people has always been based on faith, not on following religious rules or being part of a certain group.

Paul has just explained that Abraham was made right with God not because of circumcision or good deeds, but simply because he believed God’s promise - even when it seemed impossible. Now Paul brings that ancient story into the present: the same faith that counted for righteousness in Abraham counts for us too, but now we place that faith in God who raised Jesus from the dead. The resurrection is key - it shows that the God we trust is not only faithful to His promises but powerful enough to bring life where there was death.

So this isn’t just about believing *that* Jesus rose, but trusting *in* the living God who acted through Jesus, making our faith meaningful and effective for salvation today.

How God Makes Us Right Through Faith in the Risen Lord

This verse zeroes in on how God treats us as righteous - not because we’ve earned it, but because we believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead, a belief that connects us directly to the same promise given to Abraham.

The word 'counted' comes from the Greek *logizomai*, which means to credit or reckon something to someone’s account - like a financial transaction. In the ancient world, this was a legal term, and Paul uses it to show that righteousness is not something we grow into or achieve, but something God declares true about us the moment we believe. It’s called justification: God sees us as cleared of guilt and made right in His courtroom, not because of our behavior, but because of Jesus’ perfect life, death, and resurrection. This is the heart of the gospel and the core of what the Reformers called 'imputed righteousness' - His record is given to us.

The resurrection is not just a detail; it’s the power behind our salvation. As Paul writes in Romans 1:4, Jesus was 'declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.' And in 1 Corinthians 15:17, he warns, 'If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.' Without the resurrection, there’s no proof that Jesus conquered sin and death, and no reason to trust that our faith does anything. But because He rose, we know God accepted His sacrifice and that the same life-giving power is at work in us.

So when we believe in 'him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,' we’re not just agreeing with a historical fact - we’re trusting in the living God who still brings life to what is dead, whether it’s our brokenness, our past, or our hopelessness. This faith links us to Abraham’s story, but with a clearer vision: we look not just to a promise, but to the One who fulfilled it.

Trusting the Living God Who Gives Life to the Dead

This promise isn’t locked in the past - it’s alive today for everyone who believes, just as Jesus said to Thomas, 'Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed' (John 20:29).

Back then, many expected the Messiah to bring political freedom, but Paul reveals a deeper need: we need to be made right with God, not just set free from Rome. This righteousness comes not through sight or proof, but through faith in the God who raised Jesus, a gift freely given, as Ephesians 2:8-9 says: 'For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.' The resurrection proves that God is not only able to keep His promises but is actively doing so in the lives of those who trust Him today.

So this verse brings the good news full circle: just as Abraham believed God’s promise of a son against all odds, we believe in the God who brought Jesus back to life, and that faith is what connects us to God’s righteousness now.

The Resurrection and the Righteousness We Receive: A Promise Across Time

This verse doesn’t just repeat Abraham’s story - it fulfills it, showing how God’s ancient promise to justify the ungodly now reaches us through faith in the risen Christ.

Paul’s argument in Romans 4:24 draws directly from Psalm 32:1-2, where David speaks of the blessing of those whose sins are forgiven and to whom righteousness is credited apart from works - 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.' This same credited righteousness, once seen in Abraham’s belief (Genesis 15:6), now comes to us not apart from Christ, but through Him.

The resurrection is the turning point: as Paul insists in 1 Corinthians 15:14, 'If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain,' and verse 17 adds, 'If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.' But because Jesus is risen, we are united to His life, not just His death. In Philippians 3:9, Paul says he wants to be found in Christ, 'not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.' This is the same gift Abraham received, now revealed in full.

So for us today, this means we stop trying to earn God’s approval and start living from it - trusting that the same power that raised Jesus now works in us. In church, this creates humility: no one is better because of their efforts, only because of what Christ has done. And in our communities, it frees us to love without keeping score, because we’ve already been counted righteous not by what we’ve done, but by what God has raised from the dead.

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