“Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3).

Has it ever occurred to you that the most loved, the most honored, the most respected person of all history is — not Christ, but Abraham.

Of course Christ ought to be most loved, honored and respected, but Abraham is. Besides the millions of professing Christians there are untold millions of religious Jews and Mohammedans who speak with reverence of “our father Abraham.”

Clearly this is why God used Abraham man to show how to be saved and justified before a holy God. You should note that “faith” is always the key element of salvation in every dispensation. As Paul is God’s great example of God’s “grace,” so Abraham is God’s great example of “faith” — saving faith.

“If Abraham were justified by works,” says Rom. 4:2, he has something to boast about — but not before God, who sees and knows all.

But Abraham was justified. How?

“What saith the Scripture? Abraham Believed God and it (his Faith) was counted to him for righteousness” (verse. 3).

To be “justified” is beyond being forgiven of our sins, to be justified is  to be counted righteous in God’s eyes.

God, of course, had planned salvation through the redemptive work of Christ and has always saved anyone who simply trusts Him and takes Him at His Word. Since Abraham, of course, more of God’s Word has been revealed and we know the details of Christ’s death for sinners.

If we now take God at His Word and simply trust Christ as Savior we are completely justified, for salvation is not; cannot be, by works:

“But to him that worketh NOT but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

“…through this Man (Christ) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could NOT be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39).

Therefore Paul wrote these verses in his great doctrinal epistle to all men in this age of grace.

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” (Romans 3:28)

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5:1)