March 8 - Epislte

Second Sunday of Lent

Romans 4:3-25

"Therefore his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness" Rom. 4:22

"We hold that a person is justified but faith apart from works prescribed by the law." Rom. 3:28

That we all fall short of the glory of God because we have sinned has been declared. Justification by grace has been asserted - and that grace affirmed as a gift from God through Jesus Christ.

In a section that seems to have the Jewish believers as its target audience Paul draws on the example of Abraham, and uses the Hebrew Scriptures in support of his argument.

Abraham was "reckoned to be righteous" - and that reckoning came before he was circumcised. It is faith that counts for righteousness, not circumcision - and the law was introduced well after the practice of circumcision. It is not the law and obedience to it that makes us righteous, it is faith,

The term 'reckoned' is apparently an accounting term. It refers to the idea of taking an account.

Abraham's journey of obedience to God had been a long one. He had not always acted in straightforward manner, especially when it came to ensuring his own survival (Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Yet his faith in saying YES to God and leaving Haran, his faith in saying YES to God and offering his son, his faith in saying YES to God and believing in God for descendants was credited, accounted, or reckoned to him as righteousness.

Moses was the great law-giver, but Abraham preceded him. Without having the law, without the rules and regulations to follow, Abraham was counted a righteous man because of his faith in God. This did not mean he was without his flaws, far from it, but it did mean that his faith in God was seen in his actions, and it was recognized by the One who called him. His faith in God resulted in Abraham being the father of a mighty nation.

None of us are without flaws, but through faith in Christ we can also be reckoned as righteous. Like Abraham of old, our faith will then be evidenced by our obedience.