And he believed in the Lord

Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. – Genesis 15v5-6

Any verse that is quoted three times in the New Testament is a place where we need to stop for a moment. Romans 4v3, Galatians 3v6, and James 2v23 all record the words, ‘Abraham believed God, and was accounted to him for righteousness.’ James adds the words, ‘and he was called the friend of God.’

Abram had just been whinging that God was not coming through on His promise of a great nation. Here he was, 75 years old, and he didn’t even have a son. How could God come through now?

Then God says, ‘Look at the stars Abram. Notice you can’t even count them. That is the number of your descendents.’

Then it clicked. Abram believed God. It doesn’t stop there; God accounted Abram’s belief as righteousness. God reckoned Abram as righteous based on his belief.

Notice that Abram didn’t do anything to be declared righteous, he merely believed. James goes on to describe how the truth of righteousness was proven by his works. If works do not follow than the belief never took place. Works, however, are not a condition to be declared righteous. They are the result of being declared righteous.

What a precious gift this declaration of righteousness is. It doesn’t take long for us realise that none of us can ever be righteous on our own. The great truth is that the condition of righteousness has not changed. When man chooses to believe God and accept the free gift of salvation that Christ provided he is no longer dependent on his own feeble attempts at righteousness. When one puts his faith in Christ the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him.

On the 12th of February 1974 Roger finally believed in God. I received Christ and I was declared righteous on the merit of the blood of Jesus Christ. Praise God for the accounting of righteousness.