Audio commentary on this verse

Note 8 at Ro 4:5: What a statement! Paul had countered the false doctrine that acting righteous could make people righteous. Here he dropped the bomb that God justifies the ungodly! We might add from the context that this is the only kind of people whom He justifies. That's because He doesn't have any other kind of people to justify. All people have sinned and come short of the glory of God (see notes 5 and 6 at Ro 3:23). This verse should forever dispel any delusions that people might have of trying to earn God's favor by their performances.

Note 9 at Ro 4:5: Faith in the atonement of Jesus grants us righteousness; our actions don't. However, true faith will produce actions (Jas 2:17-18), and these actions, or lack thereof, can be used by others to determine where we stand with the Lord (1Jo 3:7-10). Although our actions are indications of our inner faith, they can be misinterpreted, and therefore any judgments made based on actions need to be for the purpose of discernment only and not condemnation (see note 46 at Mt 7:1).