A friend of mine once told me what he thought of the Bible: a rulebook. A list of do’s and don’ts for how to achieve God’s righteousness. Because, in his opinion, we’re only good enough for God if we do the right work and live the right way. This may be the most common wrong opinion people have about the Bible. What did Abram do right? Virtually nothing—except believe that God was already doing the work for him.
The Bible tells the full story of God’s work in our world. As Abram enters the scene, the gloomy Part One ends, God’s work and his plan of redemption for the world begins to take shape. Abram, an old childless pagan nobody, is invited to take part. God enacts a covenant with him. Usually, covenant entail expectations for both parties, but in this case it’s one-sided. God will give him a miraculous child, make his descendants prosper, and bless the entire world through them. What all does Abram have to do? Believe God.
It's all too common of a misconception for us to think we have to do a thing for God. But if we had to try to get ourselves saved, what sort of gospel would that be? Would we even need God in the picture? Rather, God is doing a thing for us. He has been working out a beautiful plan of salvation for us since Abram’s time. All Abram had to do was get on board. All he had to do was believe, trust in, and rely on God—and God credited it to him as righteousness.
Righteousness comes to us not through our own merits, but by the grace of God. We by no means deserve it; but God is just that good. God’s work in our world, just like in Abram’s, is in action. So we ought to focus our minds not on following the rules but on worshiping the ruler. God is accomplishing our righteousness. Do we truly believe that? If so, that righteousness is already ours.
