It was counted for Righteousness !

[savedbymercy]

Gen 15:6

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Rom 4:3

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

What was counted to Abraham for Righteousness ? The antichrist crowd have sorely abused this passage, and would have us believe that Paul is teaching here as well as Moses in the previous in Gen 15 that God counts one Righteous because of an act of believing ! You see, it cannot mean that because believing is an act of man, and God nowhere reckons man righteous because of an act of man, but only for the act of Christ. Paul writes that by the obedience of ONE, that being Christ, shall many be made Righteous Rom 5:19

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Believing is man's obedience Gal 3:1

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? See Gal 5:7 also !

You see what I mean, if one is made righteous because of their believing or act of Faith, then that overturns the clear Truth of Rom 5:19 that the many are made righteous by the obedience of one, that being Jesus Christ !

So what was it that was accounted to Abraham as Righteousness ? First lets understand that it is first said that Abraham believed God ! This means God said something or revealed something to him in order for him to believe ! What was it that God revealed to him ?

God revealed to him a promise Rom 4:20-22

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Now what was the promise ? The first promise scripture gives that was made to Abraham and was continually developed was this one Gen 12:1-3

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Now Paul reveals to us later in the NT that this promise was the Gospel preached unto Abraham Gal 3:8

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

The Gospel revealed to Abraham was that Christ , His Seed should die for his sins 1 Cor 15:1-3

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

Now, Paul also wrote that in it [The Gospel] that the Righteousness of God is Revealed to Faith Rom 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

This Righteousness of God is made to us because God made Christ to be sin for us, why ? 2 Cor 5:21

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Now how was Christ made sin for us ? Was it not by imputation ? How are we made the Righteousness of God ? By Imputation.

The word imputation is the same word for counted in Rom 4:3

So you see, the word impute or counted is used in regards of sin or righteousness, that is Our sins to Christ or His Righteousness to us is what is imputed or counted.

So what was imputed to Abraham for Righteousness in Rom 4:3 ? It was Christ Righteousness, the object of His Faith after it [Christ Righteousness] was revealed to him in the Gospel Gen 12:3; Gal 3:8; Rom 1:16-17

Christ's imputed Righteousness was counted to Abraham for Righteousness and that is what Abraham believed God About !

Now for those who hold that Abraham's Faith as in his act of believing in and of itself is his righteousness, you are guilty of preaching a false gospel, a gospel of works !

 

[savedbymercy]

It was counted for Righteousness ! Pt 2



Christ is what God promised to perform and it was through Him and By Him the Abrahamic Seed was made Righteous. This is what Abraham believed and what was counted to him for Righteousness.

Rom 4:20-25

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that promise to be performed. Now this is seen here Lk 1:67-75


67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

He is the Righteousness and Holiness imputed to Abraham, the performance of the promise, that Abraham Believed God about !

That is what had been Imputed to him for Righteousness, Christ ! For Christ is the Righteousness of the believer, not their act of believing ! Jer 33:16

In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

Faith imputed to him as Righteousness Rom 4:5

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

This means, instead of working or meeting conditions for Righteousness, Faith embraces the revealed Righteousness we have, by what Christ [the object of our Faith] accomplished, and His Righteousness is what was imputed, so we read Rom 4:6

6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Works here meaning nothing we have done. It is the greek word ergon and means:

business, employment, that which any one is occupied

a) that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking

2) any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind

3) an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work

Now believing is something done by the Mind or heart of a Man ! So it would be inconsistent with Paul's point if Abraham or us are Righteous because of our act of believing or Faith, thats works, and Righteousness is imputed without works says the scripture of truth ! Rom 4:6

6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

 

[Chowmah]

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

So what was it that was accounted to Abraham as Righteousness ? First lets understand that it is first said that Abraham believed God ! This means God said something or revealed something to him in order for him to believe ! What was it that God revealed to him ?

GENESIS 26 [3] Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, AND UNTO THY SEED, I will give all these countries, and I WILL PERFORM THE OATH WHICH I SWARE UNTO ABRAHAM thy father; [4] And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; [5] BECAUSE THAT ABRAHAM OBEYED MY VOICE, and kept my charge, MY COMMANDMENTS, my statutes, and MY LAWS.

Honest Abe heard Gods "voice" and so he kept His commandments

Today if you hear His voice...

 

[billwald]

In other words, "righteousness" is a legal fiction. It was only COUNTED as righteousness. Sort of like illegal aliens voting and being counted as Americans.

 

[Michael Wrenn]

In other words, "righteousness" is a legal fiction. It was only COUNTED as righteousness. Sort of like illegal aliens voting and being counted as Americans.

Yes, that's what forensic justification amounts to. It's a false doctrine of justification.

 

[savedbymercy]

GENESIS 26 [3] Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, AND UNTO THY SEED, I will give all these countries, and I WILL PERFORM THE OATH WHICH I SWARE UNTO ABRAHAM thy father; [4] And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; [5] BECAUSE THAT ABRAHAM OBEYED MY VOICE, and kept my charge, MY COMMANDMENTS, my statutes, and MY LAWS.

Honest Abe heard Gods "voice" and so he kept His commandments

Today if you hear His voice...

Everyone Jesus Christ died for keeps God's commandments , no exceptions !

Also, God's promises to Abraham were not contingent upon his personal obedience, you are interjecting works into the equation ! Rom 4:2

For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

 

[The Biblicist]

Yes, that's what forensic justification amounts to. It's a false doctrine of justification.

No, it is not a false doctrine but it is the truth of scripture. What many fail to understand is that imputation by faith or justification does not occur apart from impartation by regeneration. Therefore, in initial salvation (regeneration/conversion) legal righteousness is imputed and literal righteousness is imparted. The first is completely finished while the latter is progressive and unfinished until glorification.

John 5:24 and "passed from death unto life" and "shall not come into condemnation" refers to justification and legal life or the righteousness of Christ imputed to us so that we are completely justified at the point of faith so there is no further judgement in regard to eternal life and death that lays before us in the future.

 

[Moriah]

Believers in Christ are credited with righteousness. Our faith in Jesus is credited to us as righteousness, and not works of the law like circumcision, and sin offerings.

 

[Moriah]

Everyone Jesus Christ died for keeps God's commandments , no exceptions !

Also, God's promises to Abraham were not contingent upon his personal obedience, you are interjecting works into the equation ! Rom 4:2

For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

The people in Calvinism and those believing in any amount of total depravity get their false doctrines engrained in their heads for one reason is because they cannot tell the difference between a works of the law like circumcision from an action showing obedience to God by a willing heart.

Our faith is DEAD when not accompanied by action. It is NEVER the saving kind of faith.

Before Abraham was circumcised, he OBEYED God.

Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

Paul, the one you misunderstand and believe you can and should do nothing, he is explaining that BY FAITH Abraham’s actions worked together with his faith.

Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,

BY FAITH, Abraham obeyed and went to a place he did not know. By faith, Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice.

Read the next scripture, James explains this also, like Paul was explaining!

James 2:21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

James 2:22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

Genesis 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

Circumcision is a work of the law; the works of the law is circumcision, sin offerings, and they no longer save us , but we STILL ARE SAVED BY OBEDIENCE TO GOD.

 

[billwald]

>Everyone Jesus Christ died for keeps God's commandments , no exceptions !

Please provide a list so I may keep them.

 

[Moriah]

>Everyone Jesus Christ died for keeps God's commandments , no exceptions !

Please provide a list so I may keep them.

Purchase a Bible. Go to the New Testament, there you will find Jesus’ teachings.

 

[savedbymercy]

The bib

What many fail to understand is that imputation by faith or justification does not occur apart from impartation by regeneration.

Thats false doctrine. Abraham like all the Elect were Justified, declared Righteous by the Death of Christ before they are born or born again. The Resurrection of Christ from the Dead declares all for whom Christ bare their iniquites or transgressions, declares them Justifed before God's law anf Justice. Rom 4:25

25 He was delivered over to death for[or because] our sins and was raised to life for[or because of] our justification.

When the Elect are born dead in trespasses and sins, and by nature enemies to God, children of wrath as others, they are nevertheless Justified and Righteous in God's sight because of Christ's Death alone !

 

[billwald]

Agree! Not Paul's teachings.

 

[Yeshua1]

Agree! Not Paul's teachings.

paul taught that sinners ONLY hope to be saved/justified before God was to receive by faith ALONE the rightousnes that jesus had purchased for their behalf by His blood shed while atonement was made to God the father upon the Cross!

 

[savedbymercy]

From the standpoint of God's Eternal Purpose in Christ Jesus, all the Elect of God are born accounted Righteous in Christ Jesus !

Due to that Purpose they were given grace in Him before the World began 2 Tim 1:9

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

There also has never been any condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Also, they are in Christ Jesus before they walk after the Spirit, so they are not condemned before they walk in the Spirit !

 

[billwald]

>paul taught that sinners ONLY hope to be saved/justified before God was to receive by faith ALONE the rightousnes that jesus had purchased for their behalf by His blood shed while atonement was made to God the father upon the Cross!

When he was writing to Jews. For gentiles, it was "bt grace through faith."

 

[Yeshua1]

>paul taught that sinners ONLY hope to be saved/justified before God was to receive by faith ALONE the rightousnes that jesus had purchased for their behalf by His blood shed while atonement was made to God the father upon the Cross!

When he was writing to Jews. For gentiles, it was "bt grace through faith."

same message to both jews/gentiles!

 

[savedbymercy]

What is the it which was imputed to Abraham ?

Rom 4:20-22

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

What is the it here which was imputed to him for righteousness ? This word imputed is the greek word logizomai and means:

to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over

a) to take into account, to make an account of

1) metaph. to pass to one's account, to impute

2) a thing is reckoned as or to be something, i.e. as availing for or equivalent to something, as having the like force and weight

b) to number among, reckon with

c) to reckon or account

2) to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate

3) by reckoning up all the reasons, to gather or infer

a) to consider, take into account, weigh, meditate on

b) to suppose, deem, judge

c) to determine, purpose, decide

It was the object of Abraham's Faith, the Promise. What was Abraham promised ? Lk 1:67-73

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

That Promise was Christ Our Righteousness ! 1 Cor 1:30

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Abraham looked for the promise mercy of Christ being his Righteousness and Sanctification or Holiness before God !

That is the it that was imputed to Abraham for Righteousness, the promised mercy.


Abraham like any other believer had the Righteousness of God revealed to him by the Gospel, for it is written Gal 3:8

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

And like it was in the day of Paul and forward the Gospel is according to Rom 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein[The Gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Christ's imputed Righteousness was revealed to Abraham in the Gospel Preached to him, and that is the it, that was imputed to him for Righteousness. For only Two things are ever referred to in scripture as imputed, that be sin and Righteousness, faith is not imputed, it is given !

Rom 4:3

3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Again what is the it that was counted or imputed to him for Righteousness ? It was the Promise that was believed, that was his Righteousness. God unconditionally stated to him Gen 15:1

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Now Paul asked Rom 4:4

4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

God did not announce to Abraham that He was his exceeding great reward because of anything Abraham did or believed, but it was an announcement of God's Grace unto him.

God first announced this great blessing to Abraham here Gen 12:1-3

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

All this being revealed to Abraham was God's Sovereign promising, and what had already been settled in His Eternal Decrees, He was now only beginning to reveal to Abraham his interest in these Eternal settlements !

 

[billwald]

Did Abraham believe that a person was "saved" by believing? If not, then what did Abraham believe?

Jesus taught that the bottom line commandment was to love God and be a good neighbor. I believe than anyone who tries to love God and tries to be a good neighbor is probably OK in the long run.

 

[Yeshua1]

Did Abraham believe that a person was "saved" by believing? If not, then what did Abraham believe?

Jesus taught that the bottom line commandment was to love God and be a good neighbor. I believe than anyone who tries to love God and tries to be a good neighbor is probably OK in the long run.

what makes one acceptable to God is to belive on/receive Jesus, and walk in the love of Him towards your neighbor!