Justified by Faith (Genesis 13-15)

I don't know if you realize it or not, but you just read a little verse tucked into Genesis 15 that surfaces later in the Bible. Genesis 15:6 is only a few words long: "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (NIV), but it packs a powerful theological punch.

Here's why. Paul first makes the point Abraham is declared righteous by faith in Romans 4. In fact, Paul argues this declaration of righteousness came even before Abraham was circumcized (see Romans 4:10) to underscore the point that Abraham did nothing to earn righteousness before God. Of course, you and I already know Abraham wasn't perfect - he lied about his relationship with Sarah when he went into Egypt (see Genesis 12:10-20). Think about it for a second: In the same chapter God calls to Abraham (Genesis 12), we clearly see Abraham's NOT perfect.

Paul also makes this point in Galatians 3. He teaches us salvation is by faith and not by works, and this is obvious from Abraham's life. Look at it this way: You've been reading the Bible from the beginning, right? Okay. Have you read anything about God's Law (or the Ten Commandments), yet? No. Why? Because God hasn't given His Law, yet. In fact, He won't give His Law until the book of Exodus. So if a person is declared righteous by obeying God's Law, how could Abraham be declared righteous if he lived hundreds of years before the Law was even given (see Galatians 3:17)? It's because righteousness doesn't come from obeying God's Law but through faith, and Abraham is a powerful example of this!

So we can see here salvation is by God's grace through faith and not of works (see Ephesians 2:8-9). Of course, James stresses to us that true saving faith is alive and demonstrates itself in works (see James 2:14-26). There's not a contradiction here at all; rather, this point has been phrased this way: Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone. In other words, works never lead to salvation, but they certainly flow from salvation. Clearly, we are justified before God by faith and not by works!