“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, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”Rom.4:22-24.

Footsteps #284 GOODNEWS! We are saved in the same way Abraham was. Not through works, or our church pedigree, or our baptism, or the law, but by faith in God’s promise through Christ. Abraham had righteousness credited to him as a gift (v23). God will give us a perfect righteousness in the same way if we are willing to accept it through faith. Your eternal destiny rests on God’s promise to you and He has proven Himself repeatedly to be trustworthy to fulfil what He has promised. 

The thought that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, not because of any merit on our part, but as a free gift from God, is a very precious thought! The enemy of God and man is not willing that this truth should be clearly understood; for he knows that if people receive it fully, his power will be broken. If he can control minds so that doubt and unbelief and darkness shall cloud the experience of those who claim to be children of God, he can overcome them with temptation. Simple faith is taking God at his word. 

 Paul explores in several places his claim that the OT promises and lessons are for us. In Rom.15:4, for example, he declares that Scripture is written for our instruction, and in 1Cor.10:11 that the events in the history of Israel “were written for our admonition” (NJKV). In that vein, the apostle tells us that “the words ‘it was credited to him’ were written…for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” A resurrection faith! 

Christ’s resurrection guarantees that God can indeed give life to those who are dead in their sins and trespasses (Rom. 4:17; Eph. 2:1). Beyond that, His resurrection guarantees the resurrection at the end of time of those who believe in Him. Thus Paul’s firm belief in the resurrection is tied to both hope and faith. It is the accomplished resurrection of Christ that provides the basis of Christian hope and the foundation of our faith. Abraham saw that resurrection from afar, but we witness it in the NT and the early church.