What grace, wisdom, and glory come to us in Christ.

Romans 4:22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. I’m encouraged in this verse by the fact that God credited Abraham with righteousness. He was an idolater and an ungodly man, and on the basis of God’s work in Jesus Christ, God credited something to his account that He required. Abraham not only lacked that righteousness, but also could not obtain it through his own efforts. Where did that righteousness come from? Did God materialize it out of thin air? Was it just an idea with value created like digital currency? Absolutely not! It was like God gave Abraham a check to be cashed at the bank where the money was deposited to his account. Because God is eternal, not bound by time or sequence of events, He gave Abraham a righteousness that really existed and was performed before Him by Jesus, His Son, when He came to earth and lived perfectly according to God’s Law. Being eternal, He could credit Abraham with the righteousness of Jesus even though He was yet to perform in real earth time. Isn’t this amazing! God does the same with us as we believe in God’s promise that all who believe in Jesus will be justified in Him. His death becomes their death to the Law and its requirements—penalty paid. His life and righteousness becomes their life as they are resurrected with Him. He gives us His life—the Holy Spirit—so that we can live to love with Him for the glory of God. What grace, wisdom, and glory are ours from God through Jesus Christ. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com