Faith, Not Works: How God Credits Righteousness

Summary

Some laws become obsolete, but God’s way of saving has not changed. Righteousness comes by faith. Abraham and David had no grounds for boasting, yet God credited them as righteous because they trusted Him. God justifies the ungodly who believe His promise. Salvation is not earned by works, rituals, or keeping the law. Through faith in Jesus, our sins are removed, and Christ’s righteousness is credited to us.

Obsolete Laws and an Unchanging Truth

Singing out of tune in North Carolina was once against the law. People once needed a doctor’s prescription to take a bath in Boston.

These laws are funny and obsolete. Some people think the Old Testament laws are too. One thing has not changed—in Old Testament times and today, faith remains the basis for right standing with God.

Abraham’s Faith and Our Need

Abraham did things he should not have. He had nothing to boast about before God (Romans 4:2). No one does. We have also done things we should not have.

We have not done all we could and should have. We are in no position to sing “How Great I Am” for all eternity.

How God Credits Righteousness

“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). In Genesis 15, God told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars he could count in the sky. Abraham believed the promise and relied on God to fulfill it.

Because of Abraham’s trust, God pronounced him righteous (Genesis 15:6). He looked forward in faith to what God would do. We look back in faith to what God has provided in Jesus Christ.

God Justifies the Ungodly

God does not declare that the godly are just. He declares the ungodly are just (Romans 4:5). We all qualify.

Ungodly describes those with no fear or reverence for God. They live as if God does not exist. They serve themselves instead of Him. When the ungodly reach out to Jesus and believe God’s promise, He credits that belief as righteousness.

David, Forgiveness, and Letting Go of Guilt

God blessed David by crediting righteousness to him apart from works—despite his adultery, lies, and murder. We must respond to our sins as David did to his.

He admitted them to himself and God. He asked for God’s forgiveness. He believed God had forgiven him. He let go of his guilt.

God did not make circumcision (ceremonies and rituals) or keeping the law a condition for salvation. God gave the law to Israel centuries after He credited Abraham with righteousness because of his faith.

Abraham’s confidence was in what God could do. By His grace, God credited that confidence as righteousness. That gave Abraham an honored position in God’s word.

God’s promises are sure because no unforeseen circumstances can thwart them. He speaks surely of the future—as if it had already happened.

The Great Exchange in Christ

Abraham was a model of faith for all his spiritual children. The instant they trust God’s promise of forgiveness through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, they experience a great exchange.

God removes their sins. He credits Christ’s righteousness to their account (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is the greatest bargain of all time!

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