RIGHTEOUSNESS CREDITED

RIGHTEOUSNESS CREDITED

What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” —Romans 4:3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjLlLPZderk

However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” —Romans 4:5-8

The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. —Romans 4:23-25

Abraham was righteous, but this righteousness was from God and not of himself. This righteousness was credited to him, put into his account where only sin debt previously existed. Abraham was considered righteous by faith. This was God’s doing, but experientially Abraham was far from a sinless perfect man. He still sinned. He was only positionally blameless before God, but experientially he was in the maturing process and still failed and sinned.

Look what happened right after God said this to Abraham — “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” — Genesis 12:2-3. Right after this Abraham went to Egypt where he lied to Pharaoh about Sarah and wanted Sarah to lie for him to protect himself! (Genesis 12:10-20). No, Abraham was not a perfect man on this planet. Blameless before God because of what God had done, but not blameless in this life experientially.

We are told that “it was credited to him” was not written just about Abraham, but it was written about us as well. “God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Romans 4:23-24). II Corinthians 5:21 tells us this— “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This makes a person perfect and blameless positionally before God, but not experientially. This can be easily seen in God’s Word that people are in process and only will be sinless when they get to glory. This should encourage believers more and more to want to be in heaven with Jesus which Paul said “which is better by far” (Philippians 1:23).

Just as Abraham blew it and sinned at times so, unfortunately, we will as well. But we can never justify our sin. We must confess it immediately to stay in fellowship with God. Those in Corinth had not arrived at sinlessness and some of those believers were sick because of their sin and some of them died because of their sin (I Corinthians 3:1-3; 11:27-34). These were believers! Actually, the Corinthian Church’s attitude toward sin was terrible at times and Paul had to speak to them about it (I Corinthians 5).

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:1-2).

Dear Father, thank You for Your patience with us just as You were with Abraham and all Your children. May I be faithful in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ZWEO36jok