Saturday, June 17, 2017
Genesis 15:6 And [Abram] believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
ABRAM'S FAITH, A TYPE OF OUR OWN (6)
True, saving faith is that which implicitly trusts, lays hold upon, the words and promises of God in the Scriptures.
It may not sound right to human reason that God should declare righteous--forgiven and in right standing with Him--a sinful man who believes on Him, and on the other hand condemn to death a "righteous" man who does not believe the irrational and "impossible." But Jesus Himself said it one time, didn't He?: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Matthew 9:13).
Speaking of Abraham, St. Paul comments (in Romans): "...who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, So shall your descendants be. And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore it was accounted to Him for righteousness" (4:18-20).
This week we have learned anew the central truth of Christianity that a sinner is saved NOT by any goodness or merit in himself, but alone through faith in the promises of God. God keep us true children of Abraham now and forever.
Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abr'ham's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me,
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my fount of grace.
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise thee without end.
(Lutheran Service Book, 708:3)
