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
[β¦] unsaved Jews are just as defiled-minded as unsaved Gentiles, but God is willing to have mercy on them all. All He asks is that they believe the only reason theyβre worthy of Heaven is that Christ [β¦]
[β¦] God is rich in mercy and loves us with a βgreat love.β Out of that great love, He sought our greatest and highest good, even though we have nothing in ourselves to commend ourselves to Him. And He sent His perfect Son to die for us, to bear the full punishment for our sins at the Cross (I Cor. 15:3,4). [β¦]
[β¦] friend, it will be to your eternal advantage to plead guilty before God and to cast yourself upon His mercy, βfor the wages of sin is death, but THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR [β¦]