...What did he [Abraham] 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. [When I thought my good deeds made me more acceptable to God, I certainly felt justified in my pride.] 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."
When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. [Forgiveness is based on God's character, not my performance.] David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:
"Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin." [Only God has the authority to clear our sin-debt from our account. Nothing we could do would ever bring the balance back to zero.] [Knowing I am forgiven and choosing to accept God's gift definitely gives me joy!]
Clearly, God's promise...was based not on his [Abraham's] obedience to God's law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. [I love that part! "A right relationship with God" - not just a business transaction - "that comes by faith."] If God's promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. [That's what grace means - a free gift.] And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. ...Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.
Even when there was no [humanly logical] 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 He still is. So when He says that He forgives us, removes our sin as far from us as the East is from the West - I must choose to believe that actually does just what 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 [Hurray for His continuing faithfulness!], 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. [It was not just His birth, but His death and being-raised-to-life-again that makes our salvation possible.]
Let's hear it for God's grace!
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