believe

There’s a simple technique to be counted righteous - simple, yet nearly impossible. Just follow the example of Abraham.

Romans 4:3: “What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’”

God made a lot of promises to Abraham - the promise of a child in his old age, the promise that his people would become a great nation. And Abraham believed God. Even with all the good things he did in his life, this is the one Paul pointed out. And will all the dumb things he did, his belief still counted as righteousness.

So do I believe God? Do I first of all believe all the things he tells me about creation and the flood and his miraculous deliverance of his people? Or do I try to explain away the Old Testament as allegorical? Do I see contradictions between scripture and science, and choose to believe humans instead?

Then, do I believe God’s promises? Do I believe he has a plan to prosper me? That he will never leave me or forsake me? That when I walk through the river I won’t be swept away, and when I walk through the fire I won’t be burned? That he has a place for me in heaven?

All it took for Abraham to be counted by God as righteous was belief. I want to say, as was said more than once in scripture, “I do believe! Help me in my unbelief!”