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It is by placing my faith in Jesus that I am made right
with God – not by having faith in myself or in my own ability to obey all the
rules. It is not about my righteousness, but about His. It is by believing in
God that I am made right with God as He clothes me in His righteousness. Paul
used Abraham as an example to the Roman believers of how faith is what makes us
right with God.
Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish
nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds
had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But
that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God and
God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
– Romans 4:1-3
It is so easy for us to have the mentality that we have
to earn our salvation. We grow up working around the house to earn our
allowance. Parents reward their children for good behavior and good grades. We
obtain jobs and work hard to meet the expectation of our employers in order to
earn our paycheck. We treat others as we would want to be treated and, in doing
so, earn their respect. We play games or sports in order to earn points so that
we can win or be rewarded with a prize or title.
The problem begins when we take this mindset into our relationship
with God and assume that our good behavior is going to be rewarded by Him —
that eternal life is our reward rather than a gift from God. We begin to think,
“Well, I’m a good person so I’ll make it to heaven.” Abraham was a good person
but it was his strong faith in God that led him to be the father of many
nations, and it was by grace that God counted him as righteous.
Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept
hoping — believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had
said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith
did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was
as good as dead — and so was Sarah’s womb.
Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In
fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was
fully convinced that GOD IS ABLE TO DO WHATEVER HE PROMISES. And because of
Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as
righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our
benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we
believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed
over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to MAKE US RIGHT
with God. – Romans 4:18-25
What are you going through right now that leaves you
needing the kind of faith Abraham had? What current circumstances have you
needing God’s gift of faith more than ever? Even when there is no reason to
hope, we can believe in God’s promise and allow Him to grow our faith. We can
stand fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises!
Therefore, since we have been MADE RIGHT IN GOD’S SIGHT
BY FAITH, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done
for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of
undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look
forward to sharing God’s glory.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and
trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops
strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of
salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how
dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts
with His love. – Romans 5:1-5
Bad things can still happen to good people. I can do
everything right and live a good life and tragedy can still strike. If I live a
good-works religion and count on my own righteousness for my salvation, I will
fall apart when bad times come. If I build my relationship with God on the
foundation of faith, I can trust in Him through any situation. I can have A
REASON TO HOPE, not wavering in my faith but growing stronger — fully convinced
that God is able to do whatever He has promised!
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