Credited to, not worked for
Romans 4:3-5 (NIV)
What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
The very essence and power of grace is that it is always totally unmerited, undeserved and unearned. It is something freely given to the person who believes, not to the person who tries to earn it. The text today reminds us again that Abraham had righteousness (right standing with God) credited to him when he believed, not when he achieved. He did not work or labour for it but qualified himself for it by his faith (believing and trusting God). Champion, we also, as Abraham, are credited with the righteousness of God when we realise, as Abraham did, that none of our labour is good enough or ever enough to qualify us for it. Only when we choose rather to simply trust and rely in God's grace (unmerited, unearned favour) and faithfulness does He credit to us all of the righteousness we could ever need.
This can be difficult for some to grasp because we have been raised in a society and world that teaches a wage-based way of thinking: "when we work hard or do enough we then get what we desire or deserve". This way of thinking puts the emphasis on our doing: we do and then we get. True grace really messes this system up and actually works in the complete reverse to it – that is why so many cannot grasp the simple beauty of grace. Abraham did nothing yet had everything he needed credited (given freely) to him by God. It was not a wage for something he had done but grace, something freely given by God. See the truth here: it was God giving him what he did not deserve and had not earned. His righteousness, as ours today through Christ, was not a wage given for a good job done or a life well lived!
Be reminded today that the way we gain righteousness and partake daily in the grace of God is still the same – we should not try to earn or gain something from God according to a wage mindset; rather we should daily come and receive by faith alone from the good hand of God what we could have never earned or qualified ourselves for.
Remember, the Bible says that we when we belong to Jesus we are the seed of Abraham and heirs of the same promise. His promise was that what he needed would be credited to him by his faith, not given to him as a wage for his labour.
Galatians 3:29
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
God bless,
Andy
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