LITTLE ROCK — “But to the one not working, but believing on Him justifying the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Rom. 4:5 (Read all of chapter 4)

How was Abraham justified and righteous before the Lord God? Was it by His own works or through faith? What do the Scriptures say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3, Gen. 15:6).

If Abraham were righteous by his own works, the Scriptures say, his righteousness would not be imputed or counted to him by God’s grace and mercy. Rather, it would be self earned. But the Scriptures say, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.”

It is as the Bible says: “But to the one not working, but believing on Him justifying the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Note that the Bible says the one not working in an attempt to appease God and be righteous by his works but trusts on the One who declares the sinful and unjust righteous is counted righteous through faith.

This is how Abraham, the father of the people of Israel, was counted righteous by God; and this is how you and I are counted and reckoned to be righteous in God’s eyes. It is not by works, because “all [have] sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Rather, it is through the faith that we are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood” (Rom. 3:24,25). Jesus fulfilled all righteousness for us, and He suffered and died for the sins of all and rose again in victory (cf. Rom. 4:25).

Not only was Abraham justified by faith and not by works, David too was forgiven by the grace and mercy of God for the sake of Messiah Jesus who was yet to come. David spoke “of the blessedness of the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawlessnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed the man to whom the Lord will in no way charge sin’” (Rom. 4:6-8; Psalm 32:1-2).

Therefore, we should not depend on our own lives or works to be righteous and acceptable to God, but trust God to forgive us all our sins and count us righteous in His eyes through faith in God the Son, Messiah Jesus, the Savior of all the world!

I am a sinner, O Lord. Have mercy upon me and forgive me for the sake of Christ Jesus, who fulfilled all righteousness and suffered my punishment that I might be counted righteous through faith in His name. Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture quotations from Green’s Literal Translation (LITV).

Scripture quoted by permission. Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green Sr., All rights reserved. Jay P. Green Sr., Lafayette, IN. U.S.A. 47903.]

News, Pages 4 on 08/01/2012