. . . in the final sentence of Romans
4, Paul describes Christ himself as a cause leading to our justification: “who
was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Rom.
4:25). The preposition “for” (δια) in the second
half of this verse is most likely prospective, indicating the purpose for which
Christ was raised: our justification. Taken as a whole, this pithy sentence
refers to both the death and resurrection of Christ resulting in the Christian’s
justification, for the death of Christ is the basis of the forgiveness of
trespasses on which the reckoning of righteousness stands (cf. Rom. 5:9). This
means that Paul speaks of both our faith and the work of Christ as
causes of justification in Romans 4. (Kevin W. McFadden, Faith in the Son of
God: The Place of Christ-Oriented Faith within Pauline Theology [Wheaton,
Ill.: Crossway, 2021], 134)
