Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. He also said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” Genesis 15:6 HCSB
There are many religions in the world that focus on good deeds. Some think that a person must do something or perform certain actions to be acceptable to God. The focus is on good actions rather than on believing, faith, and trust. When we focus on right actions, we will always fall short. No one can be good enough to be acceptable to God. We are all sinners and deserve death and separation from God. The only way to have a right relationship with a holy God is through believing in His Son, Jesus Christ. We must believe that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day to conquer death.
This is the first time that the word “believe” is mentioned in the Bible. When Abram believed, the Lord credited it to him as righteousness. It is through belief that we are made righteous and acceptable in the sight of God.
Challenge: You can have a right relationship with God by believing. Your outward actions such as church attendance, tithing, and other good deeds will not make you right with a Holy God. A right relationship is based on faith. Believe that God is who He says He is and will do what He says. Your right actions should naturally follow as a product of your right relationship with God. (Read Romans 4:1-5)