So often, we strive so hard to attempt to attain our own righteousness and standing before God, thinking that if we do something more that He will somehow love us more. But God does not love like the world loves. It was by the grace of God that He called Abram. It was by the grace of God that He called you. And it is by the grace of God that He blesses you. Not by merit of your works, your faithfulness, or your diligence, but by His grace you experience and receive the blessings of God. I don't expect God to bless me because of who I am. I expect God to bless me because of who He is." My children on occasion would "help" with various chores… this attempt at work did not earn my love or their standing within my household. Their standing and my love is based on the relationship that I have with them.

Consider Abraham, the man of faith and all that he accomplished so far in today's account. We read in Genesis 12:1,4, "Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you."..So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran." We should applaud Abram by this act of faith, though he was only partially obedient (he did take along family and did not leave the land completely at first), in that he left all of his comforts and took a dangerous journey not knowing where he was going. Is this when Abram was declared righteous? No. As we move along a little further, we see that his nephew Lot is taken captive by a massive army in chapter 14. We read in 14:14,16, "Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan...So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people." He prevailed against an entire army with only 318 men, but did this make him righteous before God? No. Abram goes on to give the glory to God in 14:22-23, he doesn't perform circumcision until chapter 17, etc. We come to the answer in Genesis 15:6, "And he believed the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." It was nothing that he did, it was that he believed and THAT gave him his righteousness and standing before God. God now enters into a covenant with Abram in 15:12, 17-18, "Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram,". Our contracts now consist of physically signing, but this was how a contract was ratified in those days, by walking between the bloody carcasses and finalizing the terms of the contract. But notice this covenant was unconditional and only one party did the work, God. Abram was sleeping.

Fast forward 2000 years, and another unconditional, one directional covenant was established at the cross. And 2000 years after this covenant was established, those of us alive now are offered to enter into it. What do we have to do? Simply believe, but this is not a mental ascent, but a change in our heart in which we see ourselves the filthy individuals that we are, and our desperate need for a Savior. We actually bring nothing to the table, Jesus did it all, and all that we must do is repent, believe and allow Him to be the Lord of our lives. Is it really that simple? Absolutely. Like Abram all we must do is truly believe. Like Abram we are invited, not to the middle of the bloody carcasses, but to sit at the base of the cross. Like Abram who slept and did nothing, we can simply allow ourselves to come to the base of the cross and do nothing. Like Abram who did nothing, we simply sit there and allow the blood of our Savior to cover us at the base of the cross and be cleansed by the Savior who did it all for us, because He loves us. We all mess up and wonder if we have broken this covenant. But how can we break something that was accomplished solely by Him in the first place. So, what of all of our works: praying going to church, tithing, fellowship, teaching, etc. Are these for nothing? No, we do all of these things not to achieve a better standing, since again, it is all based on what He has done. We do these things not because we have to, but because we GET TO in response to the One that we love. He accomplished our righteousness. I will finish with these three beautiful verses from Scripture, Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."