Righteous in God's Sight

 

“And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

(Genesis 15:6 ESV)

 

 

When we think of the saints, men like Peter, John, and Paul, and when we think of the Patriarchs, men like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we think of them as a very spiritual people. We think of them as good and moral people. And we think of them as righteous people.

 

For this reason, we are reluctant to compare ourselves with them, believing that we do not measure up to them. We’re reluctant to liken ourselves to them, believing that we cannot compare with them. We tend to think of them on a tier or a pedestal above ourselves.

 

Looking at their lives, however, we find that they were quite messy. We find that they were sinners, just like us. We find, in fact, that they committed sins that, to us, seem unthinkable.

 

We find, for example, that Abraham allowed his wife to be taken by another man, not once, but twice, to protect himself. We find that Jacob was a liar. Paul was a murderer. And Peter, of course, denied even knowing Jesus.

 

It becomes clear in this way that, like us, they were undeserving of God’s blessing. It becomes clear to us that they too were unable to earn God’s blessing. And it becomes clear to us that, if they were to receive God’s blessing, if they were to receive his salvation, it had to result from his grace.

 

We see this clearly as we look at the passage above. It’s for this reason that Paul quotes this passage in his letter to the Romans in defense of the gospel. He tells us that, having received the promise of God, Abraham believed the Lord. And God credited this to him as righteousness.

 

No one has ever been saved because of their own goodness. No one has ever been saved by their own efforts. Even in the Old Testament, prior to Jesus’ birth, they were saved only by the grace of God through faith.

 

The message of Scripture is consistent. We see the same gospel proclaimed from Genesis through Revelation. We see both the consistency and the faithfulness of God as he’s worked for our salvation.

 

It’s this very truth, then, that we must take to heart. We do not deserve, nor can we earn, the grace of God. We deserve and we can earn nothing more than his wrath.

 

Our salvation is dependent upon Christ alone. And it has been provided to us, from first to last, by Christ alone. It’s by his goodness that we are saved. It’s by his efforts that we are saved. It’s by his sacrifice upon the cross that we have been redeemed.

This salvation is available to each and every one. And it is received through faith in him. As we trust in his work of atonement, and as we trust in his promises, we are saved. Like Abraham, God counts this to us as righteousness.