God has credited righteousness to you. Romans 4:1-5

Having been recently inspired by our vicar, today I am going to tell you a story.  Although I am not sure you are going to like the story I am about to tell because, well, this story has nothing to do with you.  This is a story about a man named Abraham. 

The Jewish people honor Abraham as the first patriarch and the founding father of their nation.  Among them Abraham is celebrated as a model of faithful obedience; someone who trusted in God’s promises even when God’s promises seemed impossible.  They see him as the one with whom God entered into a covenant relationship, promising descendants, land, and blessing.  Because of this covenant relationship between God and Abraham the Jewish people not only see Abraham as their founding father but as the beginning of their identity as God’s chosen people.  As far as the Jewish people are concerned Father Abraham is the best of men.

It is easy to see why the Jewish people feel this way about Abraham.  Even if you did not consider Abraham to be the best of men you would still have to admit he was better than most, better than you and better than me.  That is not to say you are bad people.  You are gift giving, neighbor loving, God fearing people.  You are good people.  It is just, Abraham was better.  And I am not the only one saying it.  Saint Paul says it in his letter to the Romans.  Paul says, “2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about.”  If anyone could brag about being a good person, it was Abraham.

Abraham was 75 years old when the LORD told him to “Leave your county, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you”[1]At 75 years old I imagine Abraham had already made retirement plans.  I imagine Abraham and his wife Sarah were looking forward to spending their golden years in a familiar place surrounded by familiar faces.  Perhaps they had a little cottage picked out alongside a tributary of the Euphrates river, not too far from family and friends but far enough to provide for a peaceful retreat for them to spend the rest of their days.  That is until the LORD to Abraham him to leave it all behind and go … that way.  I think most of us would be hesitant to leave the safety and security of home to head out into the great unknown.  But Abraham trusted the LORD and believed that wherever the LORD was sending him, there the LORD would bless him.

When Abraham arrived in the land to which the LORD led him, the LORD promised Abraham, “to your offspring I will give this land”[2].  There was just one problem, there were already people living there and they were not nice people.  The land was littered with Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites.  All these “ites” and “shites” were morally corrupt.  They worshiped false god’s, were a bunch of sexual deviants, and were exceptionally violent people.  I think most of us would take one look at this promised land and wonder if there was perhaps someplace else we might live, someplace a little less… horrible.  But in that land Abraham immediately built an altar to the LORD, promptly pitched a tent for his family and settled in.  Abraham trusted the LORD and believed no matter how nasty his new neighbors were, the LORD would protect him.   

For 25 years Abraham lived in the land the LORD had promised him.  One day the LORD appeared to Abraham to confirm the covenant He had made with Him.  The LORD told Abraham that He was going to give him a sign; a physical reminder that Abraham and his descendants were God’s chosen people.  The LORD told Abraham, “every male among you shall be circumcised.”[3] I imagine Abraham said, ‘absolutely LORD, but what exactly is this circumcision of which you speak?’  I think when most of us heard the explanation we would have said something like, ‘you want me to do what!?!’.  But Abraham didn’t hesitate.  On that very day Abraham and every male in his household were circumcised.  Abraham trusted the LORD and believed that even if he didn’t fully understand, the LORD’s plans and purposes were always good.

Not long after that Abraham and his wife Sarah welcomed their firstborn son, Isaac.  Through Isaac the LORD would fulfill His promise to make Abraham into a great nation.  Which is why it must have come as a devastating shock when the LORD told Abraham to “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”[4] We are going to talk more about this one during adult bible study today.  But for now, let me just say I am pretty sure I know what most of us would say.  But Abraham didn’t say anything.  Early the next morning he saddled up his donkey and set out for Moriah, trusting the LORD and believing that not even death could stop the LORD from keeping His promise.  -- which He does, by the way.  Come to bible class and I’ll tell you how.

Abraham lives another 75 years and then died an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.  This is the story of Abrham.  I tell you this story so that you will understand when I say, If Abraham was not the best of men, he was better than most and clearly better than you and better than me.  How are you liking my story so far?  I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of you were thinking, “I like the story vicar told us last week a lot better.”  I wouldn’t blame you if you were.  At this point I am thinking the same thing myself.  But let me explain why I told you the story of Father Abraham because even though this story isn’t directly about you it is a story that I think might comfort you.

During the season of Lent, we focus a great deal on how often and how far we fall short of the glory of God.  The amount of time we spend looking into the mirror of God’s Holy Law properly causes us to confess our sins and cry out for forgiveness.  But as we confess and cry out, the devil likes to whisper in our ears, ‘if you truly want your confession to be heard and your sins forgiven’, the devil whispers, ‘you need to be a better person’.   And though we know better than to listen to the devil’s whispers, this particular whisper makes sense.  So, we resolve that we will be better people.  We will do a better job of trusting that the LORD will provide and protect.  We will do a better job of trusting the LORD’s plans and purposes.  We will do a better job of trusting the LORD will keep His promises.  We will do better, we will be better, we will be more like Father Abraham.  Maybe we can’t be the best of men, but we can at least try to be better than most.  For surely that will increase the chances that our confessions will be heard, and our sins will be forgiven.   But, if the devil is right, if you need to be better in order for your confessions to be heard and your sins forgiven, then the question is, how much better do you need to be?  And how will you ever know if your better is better enough?  My dear friends, the devil is not telling you to be better because the devil wants your confession to be heard and your sins forgiven.  The devil is telling you to be better because he knows your pursuit of being better enough will drive you to despair. 

You are not the first people to believe that in order for your confession to be heard and your sins forgiven you need to be better people.  The believers in Rome had also been listening to the devil’s whispers.  They too were trying to be better people but were increasingly being filled with despair as they realized their better was never better enough.   Which is why Paul invites them to take a closer look at the best of men.  Paul is willing to admit that among men Abraham had something to boast about but, Paul writes, “not before God”.  Even if Abraham was better than most men, Abraham’s best was not enough.  Not before God!  Better is not what God’s Holy Law demands.  God’s Holy Law demands perfection and not even the best of us was perfect.   

But if it is true that the best of the best of us was not enough, then what hope is there for the rest of us; what are the chances our confessions will be heard and our sins will be forgiven!?!  This is why I told you the story of Father Abraham.  Listen to what Paul writes in verse 3.   “What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.  Paul refers to Abraham as “righteous”. Which means Abraham’s confession was heard and his sins were forgiven.  But did you notice why?  Abraham’s confession was heard and his sins forgiven not because he was such a better person.  Abraham’s righteousness had nothing to do with Abraham.  Rather, It had everything to do with the LORD.  Abraham was righteous because he believed God would do what God said God would do.  And because Abraham believed, what God then did was credit that belief to Abraham as righteousness. 

The LORD God credited righteousness to Abraham, and the LORD God has credited righteousness to you.  Paul continues, “4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”  Now Paul is referring to you as righteous, which means your confessions have been heard and your sins have been forgiven.  Again, not because you are better enough.  Just like Father Abraham your righteousness has nothing to do with you.  Your righteousness has everything to do with the LORD.  You believe God the Father sent His one and only Son to save you.  You believe God the Son paid for your transgressions and sins.  You believe God the Holy Spirit created this belief inside of you.  You are righteous because you believe God has done what God said God would do for you. 

You don’t have to be the honored patriarch and founding father of a nation.  You don’t have to move to a distant land and live among hostile people.  You don’t have to be circumcised, and you don’t have to give up your children.  You don’t have to become better people so that your confessions are heard and your sins forgiven.  Just as He did for the best of us, so the LORD God has done for the rest of us.  Your confessions have been heard, and your sins have been forgiven because God in His grace has credited righteousness to you.  Amen. 


[1] Genesis 12:1

[2] Genesis 12:7

[3] Genesis 17:10

[4] Genesis 22:2

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God didn’t close the book on you - Romans 5:12-19