Righteous Belief

Key verse

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

Romans 4:3 NKJV

The incredible thing about relating to God is that He always has one desire—that we would believe Him. We see the Old Covenant with the Ten Commandments and all of the detailed rules and regulations about how to relate to God, but that was never what He wanted. Before the Old Covenant ever came to be, God found a man who got it. His name was Abraham.

Abraham lived 430 years before God gave us the Ten Commandments. He didn’t have rules and regulations about how to prepare his food or how to offer sacrifices following an exact method or a thousand definitions of “work” in order to keep the Sabbath. Yet somehow, he managed to find so much favor with God that he was counted righteous. How could this be?

Our key verse contains the answer:

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:3 NKJV

Abraham believed God. That’s it. That’s the big secret. God told Abraham that He would make him into a great nation and that in him all the nations of the earth would be blessed.

Our response to God is just as simple. When He calls, when He prompts, when He whispers, when we see in His Word how to live, if we will just believe Him, that’s all it takes to unlock the kingdom and all of its contents. Faith is the key to the kingdom, and faith is simply believing God.

The incredible truth that we discover as we read Romans chapter four is that it considers Abraham the father of our faith. Abraham had no religion in his life. Moses had the law, but God doesn’t use Moses as the example of faith. Abraham’s example of believing God is what we are called to follow. And when we believe Him, we open our lives up to the same amazing blessings that Abraham received.

As we charge into 2020, let’s remember to keep it simple. Respond to God simply by believing Him. That is all He has ever wanted, and the blessings associated with it are immeasurable. Believe that God sent Jesus. Believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world and receive all that God has for you as His son or daughter. Believe God, and it accounts to you for righteousness.

Prayer

Father, thank You for making it so simple. I can just believe You, and You count it as righteousness. Thank You for sending Jesus and for His incredible finished work that opens Your kingdom to me. Help me listen for Your voice and be quick to believe You. Thank You for always leading me in triumph. In Jesus’ name, amen!