Abram’s Dependence
So we've seen this week that we're just humans, not angels, but the question is: how do we deal with this humanness?
Sure, it's ok to get despondent. It's ok to doubt. It's ok even to go through times of darkness. Abram did. But then what?
Here's the key to it all: Abram didn't depend on a lack of these things to be right with God. He depended only on faith, to make him right with God.
Faith, Not Perfection, Makes Us Righteous
Perhaps the greatest verse in the entire Old Testament is this one: "Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6). You see, many people think that a righteous person is one who is always upbeat. Always believing. Always happy.
Many people think that to get right with God, you've got to turn from all despondency, go along with Him unthinkingly, and never get sad again. But Abram didn't depend on such things to get him right with God. And the reason that this verse is probably the greatest in the Old Testament is because it shows us that to get right with God you don't have to have it all together!
God's covenant with His people was not get it all together and you'll be righteous! It was come with your humanness... your despondency, your doubt, your darkness... and depend on Me to make you righteous!
Abram would never have been considered righteous by his deeds, his lifestyle, his works. He fell short too much. He was too human! Like us! But God called him righteous because of his simple faith that God was God.
Our Faith in Christ's Perfect Work
In fact Paul refers to this story in his great words about Christian faith in Romans 4, let's read them: "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness - for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:22-25)
We can be righteous in God's eyes. Not because we never get despondent, or doubt and question, or have dark moods come over us. But because we believe in Jesus Christ who lived, died, and was raised again.
He is our God, and we are fully persuaded that what He did is what saves us.
So - when life doesn't work out and we're despondent because God's not doing what we want Him to, we don't stop believing that Christ is our Saviour and His death and resurrection saved us.
And - when we're thinking through God's promises and even doubting whether or not they come true, we don't stop believing that Christ is our Saviour and His death and resurrection saved us.
And - when we are depressed and overwhelmed and darkness is over us, we don't stop believing that Christ is our Saviour and His death and resurrection saved us.
And God will look at us and say that's My righteous child. They're safe with Me, because they believe.
Don't think your humanness will get in the way of God's grace. It didn't with Abram because he depended on God, and not His own perfection, in simple faith.
