John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
The third verse of chapter 4 can cause confusion if read out of context. We must again take into account all that Paul has taught us to this point.
Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Abraham believed God and it was counted for righteousness. Is this a brand-new idea by Paul? I would say of course not. Is Paul telling us that now belief brings forth righteousness? Only that which is perfect brings forth righteousness. I hope that we cannot say that Abraham’s faith or belief was perfect. What is Paul getting at here?
Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Here we see what Abraham believed. God had spoken the gospel to Abraham and Abraham believed what God had said. In verse 3 though, what is meant by it? It was counted unto him for righteousness. Look ahead to verse 9 and you have your answer.
Romans 4:9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
Faith is counted/reckoned for righteousness. What have we learned in chapter 3? The law of faith. Paul here is using the word faith as the law of faith. He does not change his theology in chapter 4. It would be redundant to say Abraham believed God and faith was counted. Faith was counted, it was not Abraham’s faith. The faith was counted for righteousness. In chapter 3 righteousness has come not before and not after but at the propitiation which was the cross of Christ. You can read this as the faith is Abraham’s because Christ performed that work for both God and for Abraham. The faith of Christ is ours; it is a gift. That righteous revealing gospel that contains all His works is ours freely and graciously. Abraham believed this because it was revealed to him by God. For Abraham to believe God, there had to be a revealing to Abraham. It is the same today as it was for him. It is revealed to us that we rely solely on the faith of Christ, on the law of faith for our standing before God. Abraham believed it when God revealed to him that one day the Messiah will come and earn a righteousness for you. Paul is using Abraham as an example of how righteousness is imputed to sinners. This is promised to Abraham in Genesis and later in this chapter 4 of Romans Paul will use the language of the promise. God gives faith to Abraham to see the coming Savior. That is how Jesus could say that Abraham saw my day and was glad. All of the Old Testament waited for the day of Christ and all of us after the day of Christ look back to His cross.
Romans 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
God in forbearance does not impute sin but waited for the day to impute the sins of His people to the account of the sin bearer. That is what occurred at the cross. Sin was imputed to Christ and righteousness was imputed to sinners. Abraham was not justified until Christ bore his sin and righteousness was then imputed to him.
The words in Romans 4:3 are also prophetic. God speaks of actions as though they have occurred numerous times in the Old Testament. Christ Himself spoke words of prophecy. God though could not impute that which did not exist. Similarly, the sin of Adam could not be imputed until he transgressed. It was accounted for righteousness. Here the word for is a forward-looking preposition. It is unto a future righteousness. Abraham looked forward to a righteousness that would be earned and established by Christ. This was the promise of salvation given to Abraham all those centuries ago.