“Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” – Genesis 15:6
Don’t read Genesis 15:6 and think, “wow, isn’t that nice of God!” It’s not “nice” of God to “credit righteousness” to Abram. It’s jaw-dropping, earth-shattering, paradigm-shifting! The reason why many people today are not astounded by the declaration that Abram was declared righteous is because we have lost all sense of unrighteousness. We think of God as a wounded and weak friend in the corner rather than as a fierce and sovereign judge ready to crush His opposers. A credit of righteousness by faith is a shocking prize and a desperate hope for those who have a true, high view of God.
Sadly, what J. Gresham Machen wrote in 1923 is still true, “The fundamental fault of the modern Church is that she is busily engaged in an absolutely impossible task – she is busily engaged in calling the righteous to repentance” (Christianity and Liberalism, 58). As a culture, we consider ourselves already to be righteous…or at least more righteous than others who went before us or who live across the political aisle from us. No wonder there is so little response to the Savior. So few realize their need to be saved!
God deals severely with “unrighteousness.” He brings death, destruction, confusion, and cursing upon all who depart even from one of His commands (see Genesis 3-11 if you need a reminder!). Will He deal differently with us today? Church, do you think He will overlook our prideful disregard for the lost in our city? Men, do you think He’ll ignore your self-indulgent, secret sin of lust for women who are not your wife? Women, do you think He’ll ignore your envy of the body shape of another woman? Parents, do you think He is somehow unaware of the constant comparison of your child’s looks and athletic or academic ability with other kids, and the smug satisfaction you feel when your kid wins, or the silent despair when they lose? Friend, who told you that His words, “forgive or else I won’t forgive you” really means, “forgive if you feel like it, and if you don’t feel like it, just try to be quiet about it”? One infraction. One attitude. One thought. That’s all it takes to land in the camp of the unrighteous and to bring on the fiery wrath of the Holy, Righteous God.
Abram was decidedly not righteous. Yet Abram receives the reward of walking by faith in God, not a child, but righteousness! Right standing with God is gifted to Him, and Abram becomes the father of our faith. He stands at the only open door of escape from the terrible, fierce, inescapable judgment of God and calls to everyone, “Enter!” If we want to escape judgment against unrighteousness, then we better know where the door to being credited righteousness is!
Think These Things 