Humans are very flawed. I am very flawed. You are very flawed. We are a mixed bag. At times we can do things that are more along the lines of noble and wonderful; at other times we can all act like complete buffoons. Take Abram for instance. In Genesis 12 he tells Sarai his wife to say she’s his sister (which is partially true on a technicality) out of fear that something will happen to him…with seeming little regard to what could well happen to her. The Lord rescues him and Sarai from that situation. But then he rescues Lot from a very bad situation and gives honor to Melchizedek, and in that we see faith in the Lord as the one who has and will provide. A mixed bag.
That leads us to Genesis 15:
1 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”
2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”
4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Abram had believed God. He left his country and his family and followed the call of the Lord. But at this point in his life he has no children, no heirs of his own. But the Lord promised that Abram would have a son of his own - and Abram believed. He was counted as righteous. This is such a beautiful truth. It’s a truth our lives with the Lord depend upon.
Heidelberg Catechism Question 60:
How are you right with God? Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments, of never having kept any of them, and of still being inclined towards all evil, nevertheless, without any merit of my own, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me—if only I accept this gift with a believing heart.
Reflection:
Read Romans 4 and reflect on the words that Paul wrote in regard to righteousness by faith and why that matters.
How do you have a tendency to believe your standing with God depends on your actions? How does Scripture answer that?
What are the benefits of believing the promise of God? Try and come up with more than just one or two - sit a while and contemplate what the Lord gives to those who believe in his good promises.