Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

“Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” vss. 5b-6

According to the Hebrew scriptures Abraham stood at the very beginning of what might be called the historical period. He and Sarah were the patriarch and matriarch of the Hebrew peoples, and many stories were told about their encounters with the Divine. According to this story, even though Abraham had been promised that he would have many descendants, he had now grown old without having a son. He and Sarah despaired of having any children. But the promise was never withdrawn, and amazing as it may seem, Abraham believed the Lord. And then there comes this remarkable verse, “and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” It’s this verse that becomes the centerpiece of the apostle Paul’s argument in Romans that righteousness comes, not by works of the law, but by faith. In Paul’s estimation it doesn’t make any difference who our parents are, or whether we’ve been circumcised, or even whether we’re male or female. It’s all grace, a gift from God, and it all depends on faith. If we trust that we’re the children of God, and that we are loved sacrificially and unconditionally, then we have salvation, now and forever. Will there be good works and deeds of mercy? Of course–those are all a by-product of faith. It’s simple faith that holds the key to life!

Thought for the Day: How strong is my faith?