We wish that our Lord were as greatly honored, respected and loved as He should be, but He is not. Rather He is widely rejected and blasphemed, while many are hypocritical in pretending to worship Him.
Without question the most honored, most respected, most loved man of all history is Abraham, proudly owned as βfatherβ by millions of Jews, millions of Mohammedans and millions of professing Christians. Clearly this is why God used this man to demonstrate to all mankind how we may be declared righteous before a just and holy God. Note what Romans 4:2,3 says about this:
βFor if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to boast; but not before God.
βFor what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.β
Thus God uses the most beloved, respected man of history to demonstrate the fact that salvation is received by faith alone. And thus the Apostle concludes:
βBut to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousnessβ (Rom. 4:5).
In every age men have been saved by doing what God commanded them to do then. Now He tells us to do nothing, but simply to trust in Christ, who died for our sins. This is Godβs plan of salvation. source
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