Why Was Abraham’s Faith Counted to Him as Righteousness?

Why Was Abraham’s Faith Counted to Him as Righteousness?

A few thoughts on Rom 4:1-4

Firstly let’s look at what we looked at back at the end of chapter 3…

‘Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.’

Faith didn’t make all the sacrifices and laws that they kept in the Old Testament void, rather they were only kept rightly when they were done in faith.

Moving onto chapter 4.  Abraham could’ve boasted in His works, in his law keeping, in what he’d done.  He left his home, went on a journey not knowing where he was going, was willing to sacrifice his son etc, But if he’d boasted in this he would’ve been boasting in himself and not in God and would’ve been looking to be justified by his works.

And what good would all his boasting have been because he would still have fallen short of God’s perfection and glory, He still wouldn’t have been enough.

But He believed God and His promise of a Saviour and it was this faith, not his obedience that was counted to him for righteousness. 

The obedience was simply the fruit of Abraham’s faith in God.

Abraham didn’t obey simply because he thought he should or because that was what was expected of him. But because he trusted and loved God and this faith was accounted to him as righteousness. 

He truly believed that God’s way was best and that was his why in what he did.

So then, as we trust in Jesus Christ our faith in Him is accounted to us as righteousness. 

We’re still sinners but in God’s eyes we’re righteous. Because He sees us as we are in Christ, covered in the righteousness of Jesus.  And this by grace, through faith and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. 

So although God knows all our sins and failings He sees us as we are in Christ – righteous.

Why do we obey God? Why do we keep His commandments? To try to be righteous or because that’s what’s expected of us?

Or have we trusted in the righteousness of Jesus Christ that’s imputed to us when we believe on Him? And we rest in knowing that that’s enough to make us righteous in God’s eyes. And now we obey out of love and because, like Abraham, we believe and trust that His way is perfect even when we don’t understand why. 

With Love

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