Skip to main content

Romans 4:3: Abraham Believed God, And It Was Counted To Him As Righteousness


Romans 4:3
[3] For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (ESV)

We love to give ourselves credit, even when we do not deserve it. When it comes to our relationship with God there are many people who think that their own works have purchased a right standing with God. You can be sure, they are giving themselves credit that they do not deserve. When it comes to faith it comes down to God's credit, not ours.

Paul says that Abraham believed God, and God counted Abraham's faith, or belief, as righteousness. This word "counted" is a legal term. It can be translated as "credited." It is as if your righteousness is a bank account. On your own you are bankrupt. God graciously looks at your account and credits it with his righteousness. You are wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.

Paul is making a case that he wants the Jews to understand. They insisted that their righteousness was achieved by keeping the Law. The sad reality was that all the works they could possibly do would never amount to anything to their "righteousness account." God is the one who imparts righteousness to our account. He gets the credit.

Abraham's faith was the avenue of receiving righteousness, not his works. Abraham's works were substantial by human standards, but not by God's standards. The same is true for us. Faith is necessary, but even faith itself is a gift of God as Paul made clear to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 2:8. We are saved by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.

What's in your "righteousness account?" If you are hoping that your works are purchasing righteousness for you, you are bankrupt. Place your faith in God, and rely on his crediting your account.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co