Wednesday June 21, 2017

 

The age-old question has been, how to know if we are in the right standing with God. The three major religions of the world have differing answers to this question. For the Jews, the starting point to having right standing with God is all about being adopted into the Hebrew family. For the Muslims, it is all about listening to Allah’s prophets and doing good deeds. Depending on which Christian denomination you ask, you will get a number of responses from you need to keep the ten commandments to you need to be baptized.

 

The only thing all three major religions have in common is the starting point and the starting point was not a place it was a man, Abraham. It is difficult to understand why God chose him since Abraham was such a flawed man. I would venture to guess that had God waited for the perfect man he never would have gotten started. God’s dealings with Abraham began with three promises.

 

The first promise was, “I will make you into a great nation.” (Gen. 12:2 NIV) Looking back at history we can see that God fulfilled that promise. As I stated previously, all three major religions were birthed from Abraham.

 

The second promise, “And I will bless you and make your name great.” (Gen. 12:2 NIV) God also fulfilled that promise. Abraham is perhaps the most famous historical figure that has ever existed even more than Jesus because Jesus was born roughly 1900 years after Abraham.

 

The third promise, “and all the people of the earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:3 NIV) God is still in the process of fulfilling this promise. What a start, the Jews say they are blessed because of Abraham, the Muslims say the are blessed because of Abraham, and we Christians say the same.

 

Back to my original question, how do we know if we are in right standing with God? Let’s move forward in the story; Abraham is now old and his wife is too old to bear him a child. Abraham had no son, no family, much less a nation. The only person who stood in line to inherit Abraham’s fortune was his servant Eliezer. One night, Abraham prayed to God concerning his situation and God showed up and said the following to him:

 

“This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” – Gen. 15:4-5

 

Abram BELIEVED the Lord, and he CREDITED it to him as RIGHTEOUSNESS.

 

It is incredible to think that the answer to one of life’s most complicated questions, (How do we know if we are in right standing with God?) God answered from the very beginning. Abraham believed God’s promises even though they seemed entirely impossible to him. Abraham although deeply flawed was credited with righteous standing with God simply because if believed.

 

Believing God’s promises is the starting point of our faith. When we believe, we too no matter how flawed we are, will be credited with righteous standing with God.

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:17 NIV