This is how stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart was Israel (Deut. 9:6; 10:16; Acts 7:51). They refused to learn to believe God. When they did believe, it was only momentarily. The lessons of the law, to trust and believe God to become their sufficiency in any situation, never permanently permeated the hard-heartedness of the people of Israel as a nation. Each new generation was as stiff-necked and hard-hearted as the generation which came before them. But, God deliberately chose a nation of people which were weak, who could not possibly, of their own natural ability, defend and secure victory over their enemies without the power of the God to do it for them. Even with the power of God at their disposal, they barely got it together enough to cooperate with him. God deliberately chose a weak people in which to show his strength, and with which to show the coming of his son Jesus Christ, to show his righteousness and grace.

Rom. 4:6 (LIT/UBS4) So be it down (kathaper) David (Dauid) also (kai).  

He says (legei), of the (ton) happiness (makarismon) of the (tou) mortal (anthropōu) to whom (hō) the (ho) God (theos) counted³⁰⁴⁹ (logizetai) righteousness (dikaiosunēn) apart from (chōris) works (ergōn),

Rom. 4:7 (LIT/UBS4) “[You are] happy ones (makarioi) of whom (hōn) are let go (aphethēsan) the (hai) acts of lawlessness (anomiai), and (kai) of whom (hōn) the (hai) sins (hamartiai) were covered over (epekaluphthēsan).

Rom. 4:8 (LIT/UBS4) Happy (makrios) [is] [a] male (anēr) of whom (hou) [the] Lord (kurios) may no, absolutely not have caused himself to count³⁰⁴⁹ (mē ou logisētai) sin (hamartian)!”

(See Psalm 32:1-2)

Rom. 4:9 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), the (ho) happiness (makarismos), this (houtos) [happiness, RE], [is] [it, AE] upon (epi) the (tēn) circumcision (peritomēn), or (ē) upon (epi) the one (tēn) of [a] prepuce (akrobustian) also (kai), because (gar) we say (legomen) the (hē) belief (pistis) was counted³⁰⁴⁹ (elogisthē) to the (tō) Abraham (abraam) into (eis) righteousness (dikaiosunēn)?

Rom. 4:10 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), how (pōs) was [righteousness] counted³⁰⁴⁹ (elogisthē), [Abraham] being (onti) in (en) circumcision (peritomē), or (ē) in (en) [a] prepuce (akrobustia)?  

Absolutely not (ouk) in (en) circumcision (peritomē), BUT (all’), in (en) [a] prepuce (akrobustia)!

Rom. 4:11 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) he received (elaben) [a] sign (sēmeion) of circumcision (peritomēs), [a] seal (sphragida) of the (tēs) righteousness (dikaiosunēs) of the (tēs) belief (pisteōs) of the one (tēs) in (en) the (tē) prepuce (akrobustia);

into (eis) the (to) [belief] for him (auton) to be (einai) [a] father (patera) of all (pantōn) of the ones (tōn) believing (pisteuontōn) through (di’) [a] prepuce (akrobustias);

into (eis) the (to) [belief] for the (tēn) righteousness (dikaiosunēn) to be counted³⁰⁴⁹ (logisthēnai) to them (autois) also (kai);

Rom. 4:12 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) [to be] [a] father (patera) of circumcision (peritomēs) to the ones (tois) absolutely not (ouk) out (ek) of circumcision (peritomēs) only (monon), BUT (all), to the ones (tois) in (en) [a] prepuce (akrobustia) also (kai), [to the ones] walking in line (stoichousin) to the (tois) footsteps (ichnesin) of the (tēs) belief (pisteōs) of the (tou) father (patros) of us (hēmōn), Abraham (Abraam)!

Rom. 4:13 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) absolutely not (ou) through (dia) law (nomou) [was] the (hē) promise (epangelia) to the (tō) Abraham (Abraam) or (ē) to the (tō) seed (spermati) of him (autou), [that] he (auton) was to be (einai) the (to) heir (klēronomon) of [the] cosmos (kosmou)!

BUT (alla), [the promise was] through (dia) righteousness (dikaiosunēs) of belief (pisteōs)!

Rom. 4:14 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) if (ei) the ones (hoi) out (ek) of law (nomou) [were to be] heirs (klēronomoi), the (hē) belief (pistis) has been made empty (kekenōtai), and (kai) the (hē) promise (epangelia) has been idled down²⁶⁷³ (katērgētai),

Rom. 4:15 (LIT/UBS4) because (gar) the (ho) law (nomos) causes itself to work down (katergazetai) anger (orgēn).  

But (de) where (hou) there is (estin) absolutely not (ouk) a law (nomos), but absolutely neither (oude) [is there] a side-stepping (parabasis) [of the law]!

So are we now, including the children of Israel, still under the covenant of the law? Or has the history of mortalkind passed into the dispensation of the grace of God, since Jesus Christ has come and shed his blood and died, and was raised up out from among dead ones, and ascended into heaven, and on the day of Pentecost God poured out his Spirit upon all mortalkind who would choose to believe upon the name of his son Jesus Christ? If there is now no law from which to step aside, then now, how is God's anger provoked?  

Are we not now under a new covenant, a contract between God and mortalkind put in force through Jesus' shed blood, and sealed from annulment when the Father raised his son Jesus Christ out from among the dead? We live now in the dispensation of God's grace, wherein we are under a new law, the law of belief; whereby we either do not believe to appropriate the Father's great and precious promises, or we do believe to appropriate his promises into reality into our lives, thereby becoming his heirs! No ceremonial laws to keep, no candles to light, no hoops to jump through.  It has always been all about anyone believing, present, active participle, 1st, 2nd and 3rd person!  

Rom. 4:16 (LIT/UBS4) Through (dia) this (touta), [the promise, v14, RE] [is] out (ek) of belief (pisteōs);

in order that (hina) down according to (kata) grace (charin) the (tēn) promise (epangelian) [was] to be (einai)  foundational (bebaian) for all (panti) the (tō) seed (spermati) into (eis) the (to) [belief, RE];

absolutely not (ou) only (monon) for the (tō) [seed, RE] out (ek) of the (tou) law (nomou), BUT (alla), for the (tō) [seed, RE] also (kai) out (ek) of belief (pisteōs) of Abraham (Abraam), who (hos) is (estin) father (patēr) of all (pantōn) of us (hēmōn) [into the belief, RE]!

Rom. 4:17 (LIT/UBS4) Down according to as (kathōs) it has been written (gegraptai), that (hoti), “I have placed (tetheika) you (se) [to be] a father (patera) of many (pollōn) ethnic groups (ethnōn)”, down opposite in front (katenanti) of God (theou) of whom (hou) he believed (episteusen);

of the (tou) [God, RE] making alive (zōopoiountos) the (tous) dead ones (nekrous), and (kai) calling aloud (kalountos) the things (ta) not (mē) being (onta) as (hōs) being (onta);

"calling aloud the things not being as being" - Here we have a reference to the law of believing which God himself demonstrated as recorded in Gen. 1:2 - 2:1, through speaking the heavens and earth back into order. This law of believing, how to do it, which involves believing in your heart and confessing it aloud with your mouth, is recorded also in Rom. 10:9-10, speaking one's own wholeness into being in the name of Jesus, and in Heb. 11:1, a statement of the veracity of the law of believing.

Rom. 4:18 (LIT/UBS4) who (hos) alongside (par’) hope (elpida), over (ep’) hope (elpida), believed (episteusen) into (eis) the (to) [promise, v16, RE] for him (auton) to cause himself to become (genesthai) [a] father (patera) of many (pollōn) ethnic groups (ethnōn), down according to (kata) the (to) [promise, v16, RE] having been stated (eirēmenon):

“Thusly (houtōs) the (to) seed/sperm (sperma) of you (sou) shall cause itself to be (estai).”

"the [promise, v16, RE] having been stated" - God's Word draws our attention especially to the part of the law of belief which is the minimum evidence of our belief, our confession with our mouth of exactly what God's Word (not mortal-made religion) says.

“So shall be the seed of you” - Abraham believed in his heart God's word, what God had said, and spoke it with his lips, what God had said, "So shall be the seed of you".  Abraham spoke this with his mouth as he believed it in his heart.  You see, speaking it out loud with your mouth is yourself daring to believe it, and is the audible evidence of your belief as well. Abraham spoke this with his mouth as he believed it in his heart.  Abraham spoke it over and over in the joy of him, of it coming to pass at some time in the future. And he thanked God for the promise of his Word, over and over as well, especially after Isaac was born. If you have land, go out on your land somewhere among the trees, bushes and foliage and talk to God. Speak with your lips what God's promises are to his children, according to whatever your needs are. Quote God's Word right back to him.  This demonstrates your belief in his Word, and is very well pleasing in his sight (Mat. 4:4; Heb. 11:6).

If you don't have land, go up on your rooftop (if it's flat and safe) as is a common practice in the Middle East.  Else go into your bathroom or closet, someplace private where no one else can hear except you and God.  After quoting his Word back to him for whatever the need is in your life, then thank him in the name of Jesus Christ for bringing it to pass in your life.  Then be patient. God will bring it to pass according to his timetable. I recommend you read a book about the life of George Mueller, about how he operated the law of believing to build an orphanage for homeless children.  He learned to practice the law of believing through reading the very same passages in God's Word as we are going through right now.

Rom. 4:19 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (tē) belief (pistei) [of him] not having been disabled (mē asthenēsas), he entirely perceived (katenoēsen) the (to) body (sōma) of himself (heautou) already (ēdē) having been necrotized (nenekrōmenon), (being one under control (huparchōn) of some (pou) one hundred years (hekatontaetēs)), and (kai) the (tēn) necrosis (nekrōsin) of the (tēs) matrix (mētras) of Sarah (Sarras).

"And he not having weakened to the belief" - Abraham kept on confessing God's promise to him with his own lips each day, day after day, until it came to pass. God's Word to him didn't fade away out of Abraham's mind as time went on.  Abraham held on to God's promise, no matter what. Abraham didn't become weak and give up while waiting upon the great and precious promise of the Lord God, in his timing.  We don't need to beg God.  First thing in the morning, once a day at least, go down through your prayer list speaking with your lips those things you need/want to come to pass, both for others and yourself. Don't forget to thank and praise God for his power-filled Word which we have the privilege to speak.  Our praises and thanksgivings are very acceptable sacrifices toward him, and they please him very well.

"disabled" - The usage of disabled here, and the usage of inherently empowered in the next verse, verse 20, clearly indicate that there exists various levels in belief in a person's heart, as we explored earlier.  From the gospel records we saw that some mortals had no belief at all.  Some had little belief, some had so much belief, and some had great belief, as Jesus encountered and identified in people. Under the old covenant of the Mosaic Law, and during the time before that, God counted or measured in a person's heart, using his own divine formula, the level of a person's belief toward God and his Word; and then accordingly he counted a commensurate level of righteousness back to that person, as he did toward Abraham.

We know that whatever level of belief believers obtained and demonstrated under the old covenant and before that, God could never count it into them as 100% righteousness; because Jesus had not yet come and shed his perfect blood, and it was not yet available for any mortals to believe upon his name to receive a new birth above in God's paternal seed, his gift to them of himself, holy Spirit.  The knowledge of the ability of a mortal to believe upon the shed sinless blood of Jesus for his complete wholeness from the wages of sin, and to be made "the Righteousness of God" (Rom. 3:21-26; 2 Cor. 5:21), was yet hidden with God (1 Cor. 2:6-8).

Rom. 4:20 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) he was absolutely not caused to thoroughly question (ou diekrithē) into (eis) the (tēn) promise (epaggelian) of the (tou) God (theou), [into, RE] the (tē) unbelief (apistia)!

BUT (all), the (tē) belief (pistei) [of him] was inherently empowered (enedunamōthē), he having given (dous) glory (doxan) to the (tō) God (theō);

"he absolutely did not judge through to the unbelief" - Abraham didn't allow those thoughts about the age and physical condition of his and Sarah's bodies to talk himself into doubting and unbelief, out of believing God's revelation!  He didn't think it through (diekrithe).  He resolved in his own mind, that God said it, that settles it!  Amen (i.e., Heb., let it be so).  Some things should be thought through thoroughly before a decision is made.  But other things like this, a promise of God by way of revelation, should not be thought through, because the end result would be to talk ourselves into doubt and out of belief in the integrity of God's Word.  You see, our old man nature is to doubt, worry and fear.  Side-step that altogether and become the new man inside of you, just get busy believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth what God has said, according to your need.  Know this, that if God goes beyond his written Word to give you Word of Knowledge and/or Word of Wisdom revelation, then it is for a very special purpose.  You better believe it!

In Acts 10:19-20 the messenger of God (Christ Jesus?) told apostle Peter to go with those ones at the door calling for him, "causing yourself to thoroughly question (diakrinomenos) not one (mēden) [word, AE],", or as we would say in our modern culture, "don't over-think it", referring to a mental process in which we begin to start running through our minds negative soap opera-like scenarios through which we eventually self-talk ourselves out of something.  God's messenger told Peter not think it through too much, not to talk himself out of his belief in God's Word, but to go with the Roman soldier and Cornelius' two household servants, the ones at the door. 

Let me make this point perfectly clear unless one weak in the faith may stumble at it.  When God gives revelation of information above and beyond that which is given in his recorded Word, he is big enough to get your attention, to the extent that you will have no question whatsoever that you have experienced a phenomenal miracle in your life from God.  It is the command of God, or his son Jesus, which you receive in a miracle like this, that you should not think it through to the extent of developing excessive soap opera-like scenarios in your mind through which you eventually talk yourself out of something. 

This is how doubt, worry and fear develop, which ultimately lead to unbelief.  Yes, belief requires courage and daring.  It always has, and it always will.  Allowing our minds to run out of control developing soap operas of possible negative consequences, is how the devil hopes we'll cheat ourselves out of receiving God's great and precious promises for us under his new covenant in Jesus' shed blood. 

Our heavenly Father desires us to work hard to study his written Word (2 Tim 2:15), to put it into our minds to the end that acting upon his Word in our minds become our knee-jerk reaction to everything happening around us in this life; both offensively and defensively, our knee-jerk actions are to act based upon the truth of God's Word.  Studying God's Word builds belief in our hearts, and then our hearts cause our knee-jerk actions to be based upon our belief of God's Word (Rom. 10:17)!  This is how we grow in our discipleship to Christ, and this is how we grow up into the fullness of the mature stature of Christ (Eph. 4:13).

"BUT, he was inherently empowered to the belief, having given glory to the God" - After receiving God's promise, Abraham did not become weak in his belief of the integrity of God's Word by thinking through how old and dead his own body was now at his age of 99 years old, nor how old and dead was the body of his wife Sarah at her age, information he received through his senses.  But what did Abraham do to maintain his belief in the integrity of the promise of God's Word?  Abraham was inherently empowered to continue believing through giving glory to the God!  Abraham, with the lips of his mouth, regularly confessing the promise with his mouth, he thanked and praised God for his special promise to him, and for bringing it to pass at any moment!  This is the law of believing equals receiving as apostle Paul mentions in Rom. 10:9-10, and the Hebrews writer mentions in Heb. 11:1. 

Confessing with your mouth God's great and precious promise for you, and thanking him for it, brings it to pass in your life!  This is what God is trying to get into our heads with this record about Abraham, the father of all those who believe, the example he shows us of how to believe to receive anything from God.  It absolutely involves confessing with your mouth what God says, that promise he gives, to receive it.  Confess with your mouth what it is you want to receive from God according to his Word, and thank him for it, just like Abraham did.  This is what "living by faith (belief)" means (Gal. 3:11).

Heb 13:15 reiterates this key Truth in how to maintain believing and receive promises into manifestation;

Heb. 13:15 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), through (di’) [the blood, v12, RE] of him (autou) may we bring up (anapherōmen) [a] sacrifice (thusian) of praise (aineseōs) through (dia) all things (pantos) to the (tō) God (theō);

that (tout’) is (esti), produce (karpon) of [our] lips (cheileōn) confessing alike (homologountōn) the (tō) name (onomati) of him (autou).

"through all things" - Whatever is going on in your life which causes you to have needs, through the good and the bad, through it all, keep on offering up sacrifices of praise to God, confessing with your mouth the promise or promises in his Word to abundantly satisfy your needs, and thank him for them.

God doesn't want us to sacrifice bulls and goats and animals anymore like the children of Israel did under the law. The sacrifices he wants now is through the believing in our heart, to hear the words from our lips praising him for meeting all our needs through our confession of his Word and promises, and to hear us thanking him in the name of his son Jesus Christ.

Rom. 4:20 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) he was absolutely not caused to thoroughly question (ou diekrithē) into (eis) the (tēn) promise (epaggelian) of the (tou) God (theou), [into, RE] the (tē) unbelief (apistia)!

BUT (all), he was inherently empowered (enedunamōthē) to the (tē) belief (pistei), he having given (dous) glory (doxan) to the (tō) God (theō),

Rom. 4:21 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) [the promise, v20, RE] having been fulfilled (plērophorētheis);

because (hoti) what (ho) [the God, v20, RE] has promised (epēggeltai) he is (estin) inherently powered (dunatos) to do (poiēsai) also (kai)!

The promise of the birth of Isaac wasn't the first thing for which Abraham ever believed God.  Lot was Abraham's brother (Gen. 14:16).  The families of Abraham and Lot were both families of believers, before the Law of Moses came into existence.  This was back in the days of Melchizedek, king of Salem.  Abraham had a history of calling upon the God, and believing him to intervene in his affairs and give his assistance.  Abraham came to know, trust and believe in God through repeated experiences.  Abraham's believing was built through learning the knowledge of God, and through his experiences trusting and believing that knowledge in practical application, and from God answering him when he called upon his name and confessed with his mouth praise and thanksgiving.  God's repeated response to Abrahams repeated confessions of his mouth with praise and thanksgiving to God for his needs to be met, over time fully persuaded Abraham that the God could and would bless him.

Rom. 4:22 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) through which (dio) [belief, v20, RE] righteousness (dikaiosunēn) was counted³⁰⁴⁹ (elogisthē) into (eis) to him (autō) .

Rom. 4:23 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) it was absolutely not written in (ouk egraphē) through (di’) [the sake, AE] of him (auton) only (monon), that (hoti) [righteousness, v22, RE] was counted³⁰⁴⁹ (elogisthē) to him (autō),

Rom. 4:24 (LIT/UBS4) BUT (alla), through (di’) [the sake, AE] of us (hēmas) also (kai), to whom (hois) [righteousness, v22, RE] is about (mellei) to be counted³⁰⁴⁹ (logizesthai);

to the ones (tois) believing (pisteuousin) upon (epi) the (ton) [God, v20, RE] having awakened (egeiranta) Jesus (Iēsoun), the (ton) lord (kurion) of us (hēmōn), out (ek) of dead ones (nekrōn);

Rom. 4:25 (LIT/UBS4) who (hos) was passed aside (paredothē) through (dia) [the sake, AE] of the (ta) side-falls³⁹⁰⁰ (paraptōmata) of us (hēmōn), and (kai) [who, RE] was awoken (ēgerthē) through (dia) [the sake, AE] of the (tēn) pronouncement of righteousness (dikaiōsin) of us (hēmōn)!

Rom. 5:1 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), we having been made righteous (dikaiōthentes) out (ek) of belief (pisteōs), we hold (echomen) peace (eirēnēn) toward (pros) the (ton) God (theon) through (dia) the (tou) lord (kuriou) of us (hēmōn), Jesus (Iēsou) Christ (Christou);

Everything God the heavenly Father has ever said and done has been said and done to help mortalkind to believe in him and his son Jesus Christ.  It has all been, and still is about belief in our own hearts, about our belief of God's Word.  Without belief a mortal cannot be made righteous in God's eyes, and unless a mortal is righteous he is ineligible to receive anything from God.  You can spend your entire life going back and forth to church until the tires fall off your car and your too old to drive.  If you never learned how to build belief in your heart in God the heavenly Father, and his son Jesus Christ, then it has all been wasted motion.  A mortal builds belief in his heart by renewing his mind with God's Word, through building his knowledge of God's Word in his own mind (Rom. 10:17).

There's no other way to obtain belief in God and his son Jesus Christ.  Mortalkind is not born with belief because mortalkind is born physically with a sin nature, a nature of doubt, worry, and fear.  Working God's Word to reprogram your mind with God's Word is the only way to dispel doubt, worry, and fear.  The Word of God is powerful enough to dispel darkness, build belief, and to heal our minds and bodies, so we can be more fit to do his will, to love him and one another.  

See Gal 3:1-29 which reveals more of this precious truth about belief, which is key knowledge to building our wisdom, and understanding, and believing to receive the promises of the God.