In The Word
Read: Romans 4:1-15
Abraham’s Justification by Faith
4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, then faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Abraham was an amazing man, not because all the things he did during his lifetime, but because He simply believed God. And because Abraham believed God, he trusted God and did everything God told him to do. Paul used the story of Abraham to help us understand that our right-standing before God does not come by doing good deeds or even by complete obedience to God’s commands. Rather, we are right before God when we choose to believe in Yeshua as our personal Savior. As one man said, “Salvation is what we receive, not what we achieve.”
So if faith in Yeshua is the only standard to satisfy God, then why does God tell us all throughout the Bible to obey His commands? Because obedience is an outward sign of our salvation. James said it well, “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? But are you willing to recognize … that faith without works is useless?” (James 2:14, 20). Nothing we do can make us righteous before God, only Yeshua does that, but God expects us to live righteously. One of the many miracles of God’s salvation is a new heart, which gives us the desire to live rightly according to God’s biblical standard. The Bible’s teachings and commands simply help us know what God says are the right things to do. God’s ways are the best path for your life, to keep you away from the trap of sin.