Abraham would’ve had something to boast about if he was justified by works, but not before God. The Scriptures say, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Wages for work are not a gift but what someone is due. The one who doesn’t work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. David even recognized this in Psalm 32:1-2. This is a blessing regardless of circumcision. How was faith counted to Abraham as righteousness? (1) It was before circumcision, (2) the purpose was to make him father of all who believe without circumcision, (3) so that righteousness would be counted to the uncircumcised too, and (4) make Abraham the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of faith that Abraham had before he was circumcised. God’s promise to Abraham and his offspring did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. It depends on faith, in order that the promise [of God] may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his [Abraham’s] offspring, not only to those who obey the law, but to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. In hope Abraham believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” His faith didn’t weaken when (1) he considered his good as dead body (he was about 100 years old), or (2) Sarah’s barrenness. Unbelief didn’t hinder his faith, he was fully convinced that God would do what he had promised. The words, “it was counted to him,” weren’t written for Abraham’s sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Praise God that we have a hope of a righteousness, so that when we stand before His judgment that we have a surety in Christ. Our righteousness is not our own. Praise God. Because even if we did good things and tried to obey the law perfectly, we would still fail. We have no hope in our works. We have no hope in the works of others. There’s no good that we could do that could overcome and wipe away our sin. But Jesus Christ is able. How can we get the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us? Faith. Believe in Christ. And this faith isn’t something that came from you. You can’t take credit for your faith. Why? Because God gave it to you as a gift, so there is no boasting in men, but only in God who is the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ.