Psalms 8:1, 16:2, 123:1-2

My Shepherd found me picking around in His green pastures this morning. A bit listless and aimless: Less enthusiastic than usual. Romans 4:3-5 stirred reflection on the interesting truth that God counts faith for righteousness.

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Faith is assessed to be righteousness. The word faith (here it is Ἐπίστευσε — e-pist-yoo’-se) and says he has believed. Abraham entrusted his life to God in response to His word. Believing what God promised, Abraham transferred dependence on himself, that is, his flesh, to God’s word. His expectation, his hope, his reliance, shifted from the flesh to GOD’s Word.

God reckoned this as righteousness. When a bookkeeper sums a list of numbers, he has “reckoned” a total. In this case, God bypasses the numbers and writes PAID — He “reckoned” the righteousness required as satisfied. In fact, he expunged the record and applied His own righteousness to the account. He “imputed” His own righteousness to Abraham through Abraham’s faith.

The Greek word for righteousness is δικαιοσύνη (deh-kai-o-su’-nay) and means rightness, rectitude, uprightness. This is what GOD imputed, or reckoned, to Abraham through his faith. The righteousness provided to Abraham through his faith justified Abraham before God and justified God’s favor toward Abraham.

Along the still waters, I considered the Spirit’s argument in Romans 4: the righteousness required by GOD was provided to Abraham through his faith, not his works. He reasoned that if Abraham were justified before God by his works, Abraham would have a basis to glorify himself, but God would reject his boasting (Romans 4:2). His works could not earn for him a place or standing before God.

Later in this chapter, Paul, by the Spirit, appeals to David’s 32nd Psalm, verse 2: “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” It speaks to the quality of the faith through which God’s righteousness is imputed: guileless, without deception, authentic; we say real.

Wait! Not only does God impute His righteousness to us through faith, but He also refuses to impute the charges we have justly laid against us from our iniquity. Our sin cannot displace His grace.

In the valley, I clung more fervently to the Cross that shadows death; here, the ting of death was removed, and the Law was satisfied, thus breaking its strength and loosing my soul from its penalty (1 Corinthians 15:56). He spoke: “If any man will come after me, let hiim deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). His command is reasonable (Romans 12:1-2). So I “reckon[ed] myself dead” to sin but alive to Him!

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace! Goodness and mercy followed as we moved together into the harvest.

REJOICE! Clap your hands against the enemy and give praise to our Saviour!

Praying for revival! 🙏