Counted as Righteous

Readings:
II Chronicles 36
Romans 4:1-8

Focus:
Romans 4:5: "But if someone without any work to his credit simply puts his faith in him who acquits the wrongdoer, then his faith is indeed 'counted as righteousness'."

In these verses Paul first quotes an earlier part of Scripture where it says that Abraham's faith was "counted" as righteousness. He points out that if someone earns a wage, the wage isn't "counted" as something that the worker gets--the worker actually earned it.

By contrast, Abraham is "counted" as being righteous, instead of really being righteous, because of his faith.

That is how we get our righteousness--our salvation. It is "counted" as ours because we put our faith in God, in Christ. We don't earn it. We aren't actually righteous (we know ourselves!) But God counts us as righteous when we put our faith in him, and he sees us as righteous so that he can have us with him where only perfection is allowed.

It's a mystery how it works--but I'm glad for it.