Bible Reading

Romans Chapter 4 - Be Continuously Credited Righteous By Faith

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2 min read

Be Continuously Credited Righteous By Faith

How can we be continuously credited righteous by faith? Not only at the beginning, but also throughout, our life of faith?

In Romans 4, Paul introduces the idea of being “credited as righteousness by faith” (4: 3). This idea is probably the most obvious when we first come to Christ. Before we have any good deeds, Jesus has already died for us. Salvation is gifted to us. By believing in God and in His power to save, we are deemed righteous before Him. Certainly, as Elder James has explained, a body without the spirit is dead, so is faith without deeds (James 2:26). To declare our faith, we must therefore receive water baptism, pray for the promised Holy Spirit, and study and practice God’s words in our everyday life. 

Does that mean being ‘credited righteous by faith’ stops here?

I want to further understand how this idea continues to work in our life of faith after coming to Christ. Here, I try to think through three case studies: Moses, David, and Job.

  1. Moses was deemed the most humble man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). He was a friend of God (Exodus 33: 11). God chose him to lead an estimated 2 million people out of Egypt. Through his many supplications on behalf of the Israelites, we see him as a spiritual man of great compassion. Yet, for two strikes of his rod on the rock, he was disqualified from entering into the land of Canaan (Numbers 20:11). God only allowed Moses to take in a full view of Canaan from Pisgah before God personally buried him (Deut 34: 4). Perhaps we may wonder why such harshness towards Moses? After all, Mose’s impatience and frustration was completely understandable and human. Yet for that incident, God did not let Moses pass.  

  2. David committed double transgressions: murder and adultery (2 Sam 11). He later suffered the consequence of his own action: the death of his son (2 Sam 11: 15), familial disorder, and a mourning nation (2 Sam 24:15). Yet he was forgiven of his sins (Psalms 32 and 51) and remained a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). Perhaps we may marvel at God’s leniency towards David and wonder about God’s bottom line? 

  3. The very first introduction of Job summed it all. He was blameless and upright, a man who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). God was even able to boast about Job before Satan (Job 1:8). Yet God allowed him to lose his entire wealth, children, health, and ultimately the trust of his close allies. He was laid bare, gasping for life on the threshold of death. In his great suffering, Job asked God many questions. Yet none of his questions were answered. Instead, God asked him many more questions in return. He eventually felt silent and reaffirmed God’s absolute sovereignty. 

What if God allowed Moses to enter the land of Canaan? After all, Moses’ merit in life far exceeded that one single venting. What if God did not spare David for his transgressions? Because they were notoriously outrageous. What if Job did get all the answers to why he suffered? After all, he was indeed just. 

If all these ‘what ifs’ were true, we may forever believe that the goodness of one’s life, such as health, prosperity, and companionship, is a result of us ‘being good’. We may also believe that people suffer or ‘fail’ in life because they are ‘being bad’ or inadequate before God. Subsequently, when we encounter hardship and suffering ourselves, we question God’s faithfulness. If Christians have done their best in all things that are required of them, why do they still suffer like anyone else? 

Sufferings are God’s constant reminder that we need to be credited righteous by faith everyday throughout our entire life. In sufferings, we want to continue to believe:

  • God is good. He plans to prosper us and does not harm. He wants to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

  • Everything works together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28).

  • Good has already shown us what is good. To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). 

  • God can transform nothing into something, from hopelessness to hope (Romans 4:18).

  • Even when our good deeds are at their best, they are only relatively good. We still fall short by God’s absolute standard (like Moses and Job). We therefore need His grace to live (like David). 

By continuing to believe and to hold fast to God even in the face of trials and tribulations, we are credited righteous by faith in God’s eyes.



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See Also

Daniel Chapter 4 - Let the Most High God Reign in Your Life

Daniel Chapter 4 - Let the Most High God Reign in Your Life

The story in Daniel Chapter 4 is perhaps not unfamiliar to many of us. King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the great Babylonian empire, the king of kings, being turned into a beast, how spectacular is that? It's not until we read through this chapter for ourselves that we realise something even more spectacular: this whole chapter is told by King Nebuchadnezzar himself. Daniel Chapter 4 is King Nebuchadnezzar's own personal testimony! Isn't King Nebuchadnezzar the infamous evil king? How is it that in this chapter he gives praise to the almighty God? Perhaps the first thing that should catch our attention from today's chapter is the repeated phrase in verses 17 and 32. The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He wills. This phrase can even be said to be the theme of the whole Book of Daniel. This book is mostly set in the time of exile, when there seemingly was no longer any king over the people of God. Yet, in the Book of Daniel we see that though there was no earthly king ruling over Israel, God made it clear to these foreign kings that He is the almighty God. He was still the one who was truly the King. The outcome of this is that the evil king Nebuchadnezzar, probably the greatest and most powerful man during his time, writes this testimony for all peoples, nations, and languages to hear (Daniel 4:1-3). Imagine being a subject in the Babylonian empire, and receiving this declaration from king Nebuchadnezzar praising and glorifying the God of Israel. Though God's people sin against Him and are punished by being taken into exile, the name of God is still magnified. God is not put to shame. Today through baptism we have entered into the Kingdom of God. Yet, it is key for us to consider whether God truly is the King of our lives. It's natural to make many plans for our future, out of a desire to lead our dream lives. But for us Christians, the sovereignty and authority of God is something that we must be well-aware of and fully willing to submit to. If God doesn't let me get that job, are we able to accept it? If God closes the path towards our dreams, are we will to say "Let Thy will be done"? If God takes away all that we have, are we able to be like Job and say "Blessed be the name of the Lord"? If all this is causing us to struggle, remember this: God loves us. He knows what's best for us, He knows what we need. He has already given His life for us, and given us His precious Spirit to dwell within us. Having faith in God's love towards us gives us strength to submit to our King with full assurance that this is the best path for us, this is the way to blessing and to eternal life. Since our God is the highest and rules over the kingdom of man, what then should our response ought to be? Nebuchadnezzar begins and ends his testimony by praising and glorifying God. Giving praises to God is something that we have been often taught but perhaps we have not given enough thought to or taken seriously enough. Yet, throughout the Bible, it's clear that praises are a key part of our worship to God (just read the Book of Psalms). What might we praise God for? Like Nebuchadnezzar, we can praise God for His greatness and His almightiness. Just consider the stars, or the intricacies of the human body. We can praise God for His love and wisdom as seen in His creation as well as in His word. The more we study into the holy scriptures, the more we are filled with awe at how complete, connected, and wonderful these life-giving words are. We can also glorify God for His salvation which He has so freely given to us. Imagine how different our lives might be today if not for His grace and mercy! It's when we decide to finally take the importance of praising God seriously and intentionally set aside some time in our daily prayers to praise God, that we truly experience the blessing that comes along with it. We go through life being filled with joy and gratitude, knowing that we have such a great and powerful Heavenly Father who loves us. In fact, it was when Nebuchadnezzar took the glory for Himself rather than giving all glory to God, that the infamous transformation into a beast took place. This brings us nicely to the final point of reflection for this devotional. Pride - when we take glory for ourselves rather than giving glory to God. Nebuchadnezzar's testimony serves as a stark warning for us. Even just a sentence or thought of pride can greatly displease God. How often have we unknowingly taken credit for ourselves for any achievements we have, or for any divine work that we do? Being puffed up with pride and not keeping to one's proper domain is precisely the sin of satan (1 Tim 3:6, Jude 6-7). If we are filled with pride, what difference is there between us and satan? In fact, while satan exalted himself, God on the contrary lowered Himself, coming in the likeness of man and humbling Himself even to the point of death (Phil 2:5-8). Whose example do we want to follow, that of God or of satan? Let us take warning from the story of Nebuchadnezzar and carefully consider who's example we want to follow. Indeed, God opposes the proud while giving grace to the humble. He blesses the meek, that they might inherit the earth .

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