Good Morning Friends,
“What then shall we say that Abraham, our
forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by
works, he had something to boast about -- but not before God. 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.” (Romans
4:1-5)
The American dream is to work hard and to be
rewarded for our work with success. And the American dream works for many
people. They work hard and earn the respect of the people around them, they
earn great financial reward, and they earn the satisfaction of having made something
of themselves. They have something to be proud of!
That’s the American way. So, it’s hard for
Americans to understand the way of the Gospel. The Gospel is not the American
way. A man can’t work hard and earn the rewards that God sets before us. People
try, but eternal life, forgiveness, a life of meaning and satisfaction and all
of the other blessings God provides are not given as the result of what we do. None
of those rewards can ever be earned, a man could
never work enough to pay the price that is
required for them.
Consider the example of Abraham. He did many
good things for the Lord, but none of them provided salvation for him. His
salvation came when he began to trust God. It was his trust in God that was
credited to his account as righteousness.
He trusted God when God told him to leave his
home country and go to a new land.
He trusted God that God would provide a son
for him in his old age.
He trusted God when God asked him to
sacrifice the son he had been given.
It was Abraham’s trust in God -- his faith --
that resulted in his salvation. And it is only our trust in God -- only our
faith – that will result in our salvation, too. Salvation can never be earned, only
accepted!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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