DAILY TEXT, Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Blessed are those whose sins have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered (Rom. 4:7).

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Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Blessed are those whose sins have been forgiven and whose wrongs have been covered (Rom. 4:7).

God completely covers or forgives the sins of those who put their faith in him; he no longer counts them against him. (Ps. 32:1, 2) Jehovah sees such people as righteous and blameless because of their faith. Although Abraham, David, and other faithful servants of God were declared righteous, they were still imperfect and sinful. But because of their faith, God considered them blameless, especially compared to people who did not worship him. (Eph. 2:12) In his Letter to the Romans, Paul makes it clear that being Jehovah's friend requires faith. That was the case for Abraham and David, and the same can be said for us.

Why does Jehovah declare a sinner righteous?

Immediately afterward, Paul explained that when someone puts their faith in God, “they are counted righteous because of their faith” (Rom. 4:5). He added, “David also speaks of the happiness of the person whom God counts righteous, but not because of their works: ‘Blessed are those whose sins have been forgiven, whose sins are covered! Blessed is the person whose sin the Lord will not impute to them.’” (Rom. 4:6-8; Ps. 32:1, 2)

What wrong conclusion have some reached, and why?

For centuries, leaders of various Christian churches have engaged in a highly contentious debate about the relationship between faith and works. Some claim that salvation is achieved by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you've heard the phrase, "Accept Jesus and you will be saved." These religious leaders may be referring to Romans 4:6, where Paul speaks of "a person being considered righteous by God, not by works." Others, on the other hand, teach that salvation requires pilgrimage to certain holy places and the performance of good works. They may be based on James 2:24: "A person is declared righteous by works, not by faith alone."

In view of these very different beliefs, some Bible scholars have concluded that Paul and James had different views on faith and works. They claim that Paul thought faith was enough to gain God's approval, but that James believed works were necessary. One theologian explained: “James didn't understand why Paul was so insistent that one is declared righteous by faith alone and not by works.” But both Paul and James were writing under the inspiration of Jehovah (2 Tim. 3:16). There is actually a very simple explanation for what each said. To see what it is, let's analyze the context of their words.

What “works” was Paul primarily talking about?

What “works” was Paul talking about in Romans 3 and 4? He was primarily referring to “the works of the law.” Which law? The one God gave the Israelites through Moses (read Romans 3:21, 28). Apparently, some Jewish Christians struggled to accept that the Law had been abolished and that it was no longer necessary to do the works commanded by it. Therefore, Paul used the example of Abraham to show that God’s approval is not obtained by doing “the works of the law,” but by having faith. What he said is very encouraging because it teaches us that we can have God’s approval if we have faith in him and in Christ.

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