Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
All Commentaries on Romans 4:4 Go To Romans 4
Ambrosiaster
AD 400
No merit is imputed for reward to the man who is subject to the law— either to the law of works, i.e., of Moses, or to the law of nature. For he who is obliged to keep the law is a debtor. A necessity is imposed upon him by the law to keep it whether he wants to or not, so as not to be guilty, as Paul says in another passage: “Those who resist will incur judgment.” On the other hand, to believe or not to believe is a matter of choice. No one can be required to accept something which is offered as a gift. But he is invited to receive it. He is not forced but persuaded. He believes what he does not see buthopes for. This is what glorifies God. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
