God justifies the ungodly through faith
Through faith in Christ, our sins are not counted against us, and his perfect righteousness is credited to our account. It’s a staggering exchange.
And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. (Romans 4:5)
There’s something refreshingly scandalous about this verse. Paul doesn’t say God justifies the moral, the diligent, or even the well-intentioned. He justifies the ungodly. That’s a sharp term—ungodly. It conjures images of irreverent, morally corrupt rebels, people who sneer at God’s law and shake their fists at the sky. Yet, those are the people God justifies. He declares the lawless right in his sight. For all of us who have tried and inevitably failed to build a résumé of good works that might impress the Almighty, this is both offensive and freeing.
The idea that God justifies the ungodly was probably jarring for Paul’s original audience, too. Many Jewish believers had centuries of law-keeping and rituals embedded in their minds. They’d grown up hearing about Abraham and his obedience. The notion that righteousness could be credited apart from works seemed to undermine everything they’d been taught. Even so, Paul flips the script, using Abraham as exhibit A. It wasn’t Abraham’s obedience that made him righteous. It was his faith in the God who justifies.
This is the gospel’s most radical truth. God doesn’t wait for us to clean up our act before declaring us righteous. He doesn’t peer into the future to see whether we’ll finally get our lives together. Instead, he justifies us while we are still ungodly. This doesn’t mean God ignores sin or lowers his standards. The cross ensures that justice is upheld, with Christ bearing the weight of our sin and shame. Our sins are not counted against us through faith in Christ, and his perfect righteousness is credited to our account. It’s a staggering exchange.
When I was younger, I thought faith was like a spiritual workout. If I could muster enough of it, I could earn favor with God. But that’s not what Paul says. Faith isn’t a meritorious work. It’s not something we do to twist God’s arm. It’s a humble, open-handed reliance on God’s mercy, acknowledging that we can’t possibly contribute to our salvation. It’s the empty hand that receives a gift.
Imagine a courtroom where you stand guilty of countless crimes. Your sins are listed on a long scroll. The judge knows you’re guilty. You know you’re guilty. There’s no use pretending. But then, the judge does something strange. He declares you not guilty, not because you’ve defended yourself well, but because a substitute has already borne your punishment. That’s justification by faith.
The most astounding aspect of Romans 4:5 is the type of people God justifies—not the hard-working or law-abiding, but the ungodly. There’s no room for boasting here or self-congratulation. The gospel calls us to come, not as those who have it together, but as those who desperately need God to do what we could never do for ourselves.
It’s like the old hymn says, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling.” That’s the message of Romans 4:5. We come to God with nothing, but by faith, we receive everything in Christ.
Recommended reading
Romans: Atonement and Justification by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Lloyd-Jones provides pastoral insights and a robust theological exposition of justification by faith.
Counted Righteous in Christ by John Piper
Piper explains how justification by faith impacts the Christian life. It’s a short work that tackles contemporary challenges to this doctrine.