4Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?G5101G2046G3767G11G2257G3962G2596G4561G21472If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God's way.G1063G1487G11G1344G1537G2041G2192G2745G235G3756G4314G23163For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."G1063G5101G3004G1124G1161G11G4100G2316G2532G3049G846G1519G13434When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned.G1161G2038G3049G3408G3756G3049G2596G5485G235G2596G37835But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.G1161G2038G3361G1161G4100G1909G1344G765G846G4102G3049G1519G13436David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it.G2509G1138G2532G3004G3108G444G3739G2316G3049G1343G5565G20417"Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.G3107G3739G458G863G2532G3739G266G19438Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin."G3107G435G3739G2962G3049G3364G3049G2669Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith.G3778G3108G3767G1909G4061G2228G1909G203G2532G1063G3004G3754G4102G3049G11G1519G134310But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!G4459G3049G3767G3049G5607G1722G4061G2228G1722G203G3756G1722G4061G235G1722G20311Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith.G2532G2983G4592G4061G4973G1343G4102G3588G1722G203G1519G846G1511G3962G3956G4100G1223G203G1519G1343G3049G846G253212And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.G2532G3962G4061G3756G1537G4061G3440G235G2532G4748G2487G4102G2257G3962G11G1722G20313Clearly, God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God's law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.G1063G1860G1511G846G2818G2889G3756G11G2228G846G4690G1223G3551G235G1223G1343G410214If God's promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless.G1063G1487G1537G3551G2818G4102G2758G2532G1860G267315For 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!)G1063G3551G2716G3709G1063G3757G3756G3551G2076G3761G384716So the promise is received by faith. It is given as 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. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.G1223G5124G1537G4102G2443G2596G5485G1519G1860G1511G949G3956G4690G3756G3440G1537G3551G235G2532G1537G4102G11G3739G2076G3962G2257G395617That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.G2531G1125G3754G5087G4571G3962G4183G1484G2713G3739G4100G2316G2227G3498G2532G2564G5607G3361G5613G560718Even when there was no 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!"G3739G3844G1680G4100G1909G1680G1519G846G1096G3962G4183G1484G2596G2046G3779G2071G4675G4690G207119And 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.G2532G3361G770G4102G2657G3756G1438G4983G2235G3499G5225G4225G1541G2532G3500G4564G338820Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.G1161G1252G3756G1519G1860G2316G570G235G1743G4102G1325G1391G231621He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.G2532G4135G3754G3739G1861G2076G1415G2532G416022And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous.G2532G1352G3049G846G1519G134323And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recordedG1161G1125G3756G1125G1223G846G3440G3754G3049G84624for 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.G235G1223G2248G2532G3739G3195G3049G4100G1909G1453G2424G2257G2962G1537G349825He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.G3739G3860G1223G2257G3900G2532G1453G1223G2257G1347
Dublin, OH
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