So When Exactly Was Abraham Justified?

God made a covenant to give Abraham a land, a seed and a blessing.

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.Genesis 12:1-3

A later requirement of the covenant was circumcision of all males.

This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.Genesis 17:10-14

Circumcision was a Jewish practice to show that you belonged to God and were one of His covenant people.

Abraham was justified by faith.

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.Romans 4:3

Was Abraham justified by faith or his faithfulness in fulfilling a ritual?

Jewish tradition taught that no circumcised Jew could go to Hell.

This bled over into New Testament Christianity.

But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.Acts 15:5

The churches in the Galatian region bought into this false gospel, so Paul rebuked them.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.Galatians 1:6-7

But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:Galatians 2:3-4

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.Galatians 2:16

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?Galatians 3:1-3

While salvation by circumcision is nearly universally rejected now, others still cling to other religious works required to save.

According to Catholicism, baptism is required to begin the process of being saved and one cannot be saved apart from baptism.

Those who falsely believe in salvation by works, the power lies in the ritual or act, not in faith and certainly not in the God of all faith.

Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised.

Abraham was circumcised when he was 99 years old and Ishmael was thirteen.

And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.Genesis 17:23-25

Abraham was declared righteous before Ishmael was even born.

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.Genesis 15:6

And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.Genesis 16:16

Abraham was justified by faith. Circumcision was simply an act of his faith.

New Testament Christians are justified by faith. Baptism, communion, church attendance, good works and generosity are simply an act of our faith.

We do good, not to be saved, but because we are saved.