#DailyDevotion God Credits Us With His Righteousness When We Trust His Promises
January 13th
Read Rom 4:1–25
Rom 4:2-8 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 counted to him as righteousness.” (4) Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. (5) And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, (6) just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: (7) “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; (8) blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Listen to the argument St. Paul is giving us. We cannot justify ourselves before God. We cannot stand before God with our own good works. At best at any time we can boast before men, but before God, the best we can ever say is, “We are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty.” We haven’t done that.
God made a promise to Abraham. He promised land, a child and multitudes of descendents. Abraham was as good as dead and Sarah was beyond child bearing years and yet Abraham believed God’s promises. Because of this, the Lord considered or credited to Abraham His righteous on account of his faith. This is not something that is due but it was the gift of God.
In similar fashion, Rom 4:23-25 “But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, (24) but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, (25) who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” We have a promise. Everyone who believes [in Jesus] and is baptized will be saved. We have a promise, “He who believes in me [Jesus] will never die.” These promises are for you. The Lord desires to be gracious to you and to bless you. The Lord wants to gift you the gift of His righteousness. He does not want to condemn you and He does wish to destroy, ungodly and unrighteous as you are.
The Lord justifies the ungodly. He does not justify the righteous (that is those who think, they are righteous by their works). He justifies them as a gift. The Lord gives us the gift of faith through the promise of a free forgiveness won for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus died and shed his blood and was raised from the death, the Lord God promises us our sins are forgiven. It is faith in this promise that God credits us as righteousness. For now, all we have is promises. But even has Abraham got Isaac and now has us as his descendents and that promise is fulfilled, in the same manner, the Lord’s promise of forgiveness for the sake of Jesus will be fulfilled as well.
Lord God, you credited Abraham’s faith as righteousness. Grant us such faith in your Son Jesus Christ, that we too, through the promise be credited with your righteousness that we may receive the gift of eternal life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.