Amen! Genesis 15:5 - Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. PRIOR TO THE WORK THAT ABRAHAM ACCOMPLISHED MANY YEARS LATER IN GENESIS 22.
Romans 4:2 - For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it (faith, not works) was accounted to him for righteousness."
Did God say this for His benefit or for ours? Prior to Abraham offering up Isaac on the altar, do you believe that God was clueless whether or not Abraham feared God and would go through with the sacrifice? Was Abraham's faith accounted to him for righteousness before or after Genesis 22:12?
All the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice. NOT, not your faith will finally be accounted to you for righteousness, because you have obeyed My voice. Abraham was NOT saved by works.
Approved for what? We are "shown to be righteous" when we obey afterwards, yet our faith is reckoned for righteousness when we believe, before we obey afterwards (Romans 4:2-6). So why was Abraham's faith accounted to him for righteousness in Genesis 15:6 many years before he obeyed in Genesis 22? So much for salvation by works!
By faith Abel offered a sacrifice (Heb. 11:4). - Abel offered a sacrifice "by" (out of) a faith that "he already had" and confirmed his faith by what he did. Cain demonstrated an evil heart by his evil deeds, while Abel demonstrated a good heart by his righteous deeds (1 John 3:12); and that Abel offered his sacrifice by faith and Cain did not. Because of Cain's faith, God accounted him as righteous. His faith was evidenced in obedience to God's requirement for sacrifice by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. That sacrifice did not make his righteous, but through it he was "shown to be righteous" because of his faith (James 2:18). Cain's sacrifice was evidence that his faith was not genuine. Abel's offering proved something about his faith that was not demonstrated by Cain's offering.
Obtained witness that he was pleasing to God does not equate to salvation by works.
The witness which obedience provides demonstrates that our faith is genuine for all to see, yet God knows the condition of our heart (whether we have genuine faith or not) prior to performing obedient works which follow saving faith.
Noah had already "found grace" (Genesis 6:8), was "a preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5), and "walked with God" BEFORE he built the ark. His obedience was a DEMONSTRATION of his faith, not the origin of it. Noah was already a righteous man because of his faith BEFORE he built the ark. Again, building the ark was a DEMONSTRATION of his faith (not the origin of it) and saved him and his family (physically) from drowning.
Yet when was Abraham saved? When he Abraham's faith accounted to him for righteousness? When he believed God in Genesis 15:6. Not before or after.
The scripture was fulfilled in vindicating or demonstrating that Abraham believed God and was accounted as righteous. Abraham was accounted as righteous because of his faith and not his works (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:2-3) long before he offered up Isaac on the altar and demonstrated the reality of his faith and was "shown to be righteous" in Genesis 22.
Perfected by works means bring to maturity, carry to the end, to complete like love in 1 John 4:18. It doesn't mean that Abraham was finally saved based on his works in Genesis 22. When Abraham performed the work of offering up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22; he fulfilled the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in Genesis 15:6. The work of Abraham did not have some kind of intrinsic merit to save his soul, but it proved or manifested the genuineness of his faith. This is the sense in which Abraham was justified by works, "shown to be righteous." James is discussing the proof of faith in James chapter 2 (says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18), not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God through faith, not works (Romans 4:2-3).
We are justified by faith IN CHRIST alone (Romans 3:24; 5:1).
We are not justified by the kind of faith that "remains alone" (solitary, unfruitful, barren) which demonstrates that this claim of faith is not genuine faith but an empty profession of faith/a dead faith - James 2:14-20. Man is saved through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9); yet genuine faith is vindicated, substantiated, evidenced by works (James 2:14-24). *Please pay close attention - The word "alone" in regards to salvation through faith "in Christ alone" conveys the message that Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption "alone" and not on the merits of our works. It is through faith "in Christ alone" (and not by the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 3:24-28; 4:2-6; 5:1); yet the faith that justifies is never alone (solitary, unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine (James 2:14-24). *Perfect Harmony.*
Obedience simply demonstrates that we have faith, but we are saved through faith/believing in Him prior to accomplishing obedience/works afterwards.
Matthew 7:21 - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
John 6:40 - For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Salvation by works is NOT the will of the Father. *When will you believe?
In Acts 2:38, "for the remission of sins" does not refer back to both clauses, "you all repent" and "each one of you be baptized," but refers only to the first. Peter is saying "repent unto the remission of your sins," the same as in Acts 3:19. The clause "each one of you be baptized" is parenthetical. This is exactly what Acts 3:19 teaches except that Peter omits the parenthesis.
In Acts 10:43 we read ..whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. These Gentiles received the gift of the Holy Spirit - Acts 10:45 - (compare with Acts 2:38 - the gift of the Holy Spirit) when they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ - Acts 11:17 - (compare with Acts 16:31 - Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved) BEFORE water baptism - Acts 10:47 - this is referred to as repentance unto life - Acts 11:18.
So when we properly harmonizing Scripture with Scripture, we clearly see that faith in Jesus Christ "implied in genuine repentance" (rather than water baptism) brings the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 10:43-47; 11:17,18; 15:8,9; 16:31). *Perfect Harmony*
Those who received the word (through repentance/faith) were (afterwards) baptized.
Acts 4:4 - However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
Acts 5:14 - And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. Placing our faith (belief, trust, reliance) in Christ alone for salvation constitutes "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" and you will be saved and this is established BEFORE water baptism.
Testing our faith by obedience and being saved by obedience/works which follow saving faith in Christ are two completely different things. I hope and pray that you will repent and believe the gospel.
