“And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” – Genesis 15:6
Scripture reading: Genesis 15:1-7; Romans 4:1-8
Do you ever ask yourself, “What does God think of me?” or “What does God say about me?” Do you know that everything is right between you and God? That’s one of the most important things anyone can know. And from what we read about Abram today, we learn that it is something we can know—by God’s grace. We, too, can be counted righteous before God and have peace with Him.
That’s an amazing truth when we consider how holy and majestic our God is—and then consider our own sin and weakness. But Genesis 15:6 doesn’t say God saw Abram was impressive and therefore counted him righteous. No—we read simply: Abram believed God. It is by faith, not works, that we are justified (Romans 3:28). The focus isn’t on Abram’s strength, but on God’s grace. That’s good news for us weak and struggling sinners: God justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5). There’s hope for you!
In essence, because Abram believed God and the promise of offspring—he believed in Jesus. And the promise is that whoever believes in Jesus will not have their sins counted against them. Jesus paid it all, and His perfect righteousness is credited to us, as if we had never sinned. By faith, we are counted righteous. We have peace with God.
Believe the God of Abram. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Live in that peace today. And let that peace fuel your “so-that” purpose—proclaiming this blessing to others.
Suggestions for prayer
Reflect on the blessing of being counted righteous by faith alone. Pray that the peace of God would shape your life today. Ask for His blessing on the preaching of this good news in church tomorrow.
Pastor John A. Bouwers is pastor of the Hope Reformed Church (URCNA) in Brampton, ON, where he has served since December 2017. He is married to Julie, and they praise God together for His abounding grace and covenant faithfulness. And it is their prayer that together with all of God’s people they and their descendants may be thankful “so-that” people, being taught the ways of the Lord, embracing the promises of the Lord, keeping covenant with the Lord, and then getting out of our comfort zones, “so-that” many more from all the nations may be glad to know God and worship Him. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.
