LESSONS FROM THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS
GENESIS PART 2 – POSTDILUVIAN/PATRIARCHAL HISTORY
ABRAHAM: BEING MADE RIGHT WITH GOD
GENESIS 15:1-6
INTRODUCTION
- Every religion in the world exists as a way of answering two fundamental life questions. The first question is: Does God exist?. The second is: If he does, how do I please him?.
- Let’s take that first question. What I like to call the theistic religions answer this question with an affirmative. Yes, God exists. Judaism and Islam are most like Christianity in this regard as they teach that a personal God exists and is involved in this world. Some strands of Hinduism also promote monotheistic belief (that is, belief in one God), but others do not.
- Other religious thought such as Buddhism and New Age philosophy mostly concentrate on the god within you. God is not necessarily seen as an external personal spirit but a part of your very own existence. So the emphasis is not on a specific God, but on the individual as they seek spiritual enlightenment and freedom.
- Of course, there is atheism. All of the atheists around the world would probably groan if they heard me describe their way of thinking as a religion, but I think it is a fair label. Atheism defines itself on the lack of belief in a God or gods. So even though atheists want nothing to do with God, they can’t help but define who they are by making reference to him. They are a-theists. They are self- proclaimed non-believers in God in any way, shape, or form.
- Then there is that second question: If God exists, how do I please him?
- The more mystical religions are not so much concerned with pleasing an almighty God, but rather are focused on improving the spiritual self. Those systems that are more theistic in nature all have moral guidelines that are to be followed if one is to gain acceptance with God – except one. There is one system of thought that is different from all of the others on this second question.
- Biblical Christianity has a unique answer to that question. Others will answer: in order to please the god within you, you must concentrate of improving yourself and move toward spiritual enlightenment. Still others would say: you must live according to the Jewish law to please God; or you must follow the morality of the Koran and give yourself in service to Allah. Biblical Christianity says: by the enabling grace of God, you must cast yourself at the mercy of the Savior Jesus Christ through faith.
- The Christian faith, as defined and shaped by the Bible, is the only faith based upon faith alone. All other systems of thought require some measure of good works or deeds or moral worth. Our look today at the life of Abraham, still known in our text as Abram, reveals this point with clarity.
[READ GENESIS 15:1-6]
- At the end of chapter 14, Abram has returned from rescuing his nephew Lot from some enemy kings who had taken him from his home city of Sodom. There is an encounter with the priest-king Melchizedek, and a dialogue between Abram and the king of Sodom.
- Chapter 15 picks up shortly after Abram and the king of Sodom have their conversation. And there is an interesting mix of faith and doubt contained in the first few verses of chapter 15. We get another glimpse at Abram’s great faith when we observe what the LORD says to him in v.1: Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your reward shall be very great.
- The mention of a reward for Abram is an obvious reference to the extremely large amount of wealth that Abram just turned down from the king of Sodom. The king offered to let Abram keep the spoils of war from his rescue mission, but Abram refused lest the king take credit for making Abram wealthy once God fulfilled his promises to him. God is reassuring Abram that his trust in God’s provision will be rewarded greatly.
- But God also knows that Abram is human. And there is a part of Abram that is wondering how this promise of God is going to work out because he still does not have any sons. In v.2 Abram says, in essence, “God, how are you going to reward me? I still don’t have any male offspring, and if I were to die today one of my house servants would be the heir of all that I have.” So God’s words to Abram are both a reassurance of his coming reward and an admonition to trust him in faith.
- During this encouragement from God to Abram, God reiterates the promise he has made to Abram. He takes Abram outside and asks him to look at the stars in the sky. Then he promises to make Abram’s descendants as numerous as all of those uncountable stars he was viewing.
- Then Moses records some of the most important words in the Old Testament: And he [Abram] believed the LORD, and he [the LORD] counted it to him [Abram] as righteousness.
- What Moses just said is this: sinful Abram, his checkered past and all, was given a right standing before God through his belief or faith in God. In my opinion, this is by far the most important lesson we learn from the life of Abraham:
RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS ALWAYS COME THROUGH FAITH
- Most of us are quite aware of the doctrine of justification by faith alone in the New Testament. The New Testament explicitly teaches that sinful man is justified (that is, he is given a right standing before a holy God) by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. How does a sinful man or woman enter into God’s presence in heaven for all of eternity? By faith.
- But some of us get confused when we start talking Old Testament. What determines whether or not a person living in the Old Testament time period goes to heaven or hell? Or to word it in the exact same way: how does a sinful man or woman living in the Old Testament time period enter into God’s presence in heaven for all of eternity? The answer is the same: by faith.
- I think what trips us up is the Law and the sacrificial system that accompanied the Law. When we read about God giving these detailed instructions about how animals and other offerings were to be sacrificed for the atonement of Israel’s sins we begin to wonder how faith played a part in that. We might ask, “Weren’t Old Testament saints saved by obeying the Law and offering sacrifices?” The answer to that question is “no”.
- Galatians 3 addresses the issue of the purpose of the Law in vv.19-24. It says: Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made...Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
- The Old Testament law was never intended to save anyone. It was intended to point people to the coming Savior Jesus Christ. Perfect obedience to the law of God was not possible for any human being because all were (and still are) born into total depravity. Salvation through the law was not the plan, salvation by faith was the plan.
- Hebrews 10:1-4 tells us the same thing about Old Testament sacrifices: For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
- It goes on to say this in vv.11-14: And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
- Works of the law have never saved a person. The sacrifices of the law have never saved a person. Anyone who is ever sanctified (or made holy by God) is sanctified by the single offering of Jesus Christ on the cross for the sins of all who would believe.
- This point is illustrated by the fact that:
ABRAM’S FAITH WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS
- In Genesis 15:6 we see this principle clearly stated. Abram is living before the Old Testament law was instituted, but he was made righteous through the same means as everyone else who has ever been made righteous or ever will be made righteous: faith.
- Here is the question to ask: on what basis was Abram’s faith counted to him as righteousness. Did God declare Abram righteous simply because Abram believed that God would make him a great earthly nation? No, we already know from our look at Abram last time that Abram understood that there was more to God’s promise than a worldly kingdom.
- Abram believed in the blessing of the world that God promised to bring about through his offspring. What, or better, who was that blessing? Jesus Christ. Abram had faith in Jesus Christ’s coming to deal with sin. He didn’t know his name. He didn’t know when he would come. He didn’t know how he would come. He had very little details; but what details he had, he believed with all of his heart. Through that faith Abram was counted as righteous.
- Now it’s important to ask the question: If righteousness was imputed (or applied) to him on account of his faith, whose righteousness was it? God is not simply letting one slide here. If Abram is receiving a righteousness because of his faith, and he himself is not righteous, where does this righteousness come from? It comes from God.
- God’s righteousness is credited to Abram’s account. And this is possible because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. Jesus lived the righteous life that Abram couldn’t live. And God, looking forward to Christ’s sacrifice, credits Abram with a foreign righteousness.
- Abram was saved by Jesus Christ; just like we are. We know now more than he did then, but we have the same Savior. In fact, here is the next thing I want us to see:
OUR FAITH IS CREDITED TO US AS RIGHTEOUSNESS
- If we are ever to have a right standing before the holy God of the universe, it must come through faith. In Romans 4:22-25 Paul writes: That is why his faith [Abraham’s faith] was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
- Because Abraham believed that God would bring the blessing of salvation to the world through his seed, it was counted to him as righteousness. But Paul says the same thing is true of us. When we believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead as the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that faith is counted to us a righteousness.
- Can you see the grand scheme that unfolded in Scripture? Can you see the promise God made concerning Eve’s seed beginning to unfold? Can you see that from the very beginning the story was about salvation by grace through faith? This is the only right answer to the question posed at the outset. How do I please God? I don’t. I accept in faith his pleasing sacrifice on my behalf.
- But that doesn’t mean that how we live is unimportant. That doesn’t mean that good works and obedience to God’s commands are not needed. It simply means that those things are the natural response of a person who has saving faith. And that is our last point as we close:
GOOD WORKS DO NOT EARN SALVATION; SALVATION PRODUCES GOOD WORKS
- See the religions of the world have it backwards. They answer the question of how to please God by responding with good works to earn his favor. Biblical Christianity teaches that good works are extremely important, yes, but they are the effect, not the cause of salvation.
- Paul is not the only New Testament writer to quote Genesis 15:6 to make his point. James does so as well. In that familiar passage in James 2 it says: What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?...So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead...Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God...For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
- In other words, Abraham was justified by faith alone; but his faith revealed itself in how he lived. So this doctrine of being made right with God through faith alone is not a cop out for sinful behavior. But the biblical writers knew that some would take it that way. That’s why Paul wrote in Romans 6:15: What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! That’s an emphatic negative in Greek: μὴ γένοιτο – may it never be! If you think salvation by faith is a license to sin – no, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong!
CONCLUSION
- Now here is how I want you to apply this to you own life. As a follower of Christ, you were justified by faith in Jesus alone. That faith produces new behavior in your life. But there is a tendency for us to think that once we know Christ we can get to the finish line on our own. We flip flop the roles of works and faith in our lives; and we get tricked into thinking that our continued acceptance before God is based upon things that we do. We must fight against that. We come into the family of God through faith and we continue in the family of God through faith.
- Listen to how Paul warned the Galatians about this is Galatians 3: O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? (There’s that line again.) Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
- So my encouragement to us today is this: may we understand like Abram did that it is faith alone that makes us accepted before God; and may we continually integrate that understanding into our Christian walk – knowing that by grace through faith we started this race, and by grace through faith we will finish it.
- Let’s bow our hearts before Christ; and confess our sins of self-sufficiency when we know we rely on his grace alone. And let’s ask for faith like Abram – faith that not only made him righteous before God, but carried him throughout his life until he finally met his Savior face to face.
