"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."
Today's lesson returns to the last part of yesterdays quote to make a very important point that is overlooked by most of "Christianity" today.
Note that today's quote, referring to the actions of Abraham and the promise that God made to him, said in essence that God did not impute righteousness into Abraham alone, but rather through Abraham, He imputed righteousness into every soul who will come to believe in Him through our Lord Jesus Christ crucified.
The "operation of God", as that phrase is applied in Colossians 2:12, is God's plan for the redemption of mankind. The interaction Paul described between God and Abraham was the beginning of that "operation", or plan.
For all practical purposes, that interaction was the planting of the "tree of life" that provides the fruit of salvation to all who will place their faith in the only begotten Son of God.
In Paul's letter to the Romans he lays out God's plan to perfection. He stresses time and again that it was Abraham's FAITH that made him the "chosen" vessel through which Jesus and eternal salvation would come, Abraham's physical actions or obedience to the law had NOTHING to do with it.
Our ONLY means of salvation today is by God's grace and through absolute faith in the sacrifice He provided for our sins. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31)~
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