Abraham's Extraordinary Faith
[Abraham] believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness.
GENESIS 15:6
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Abraham's Extraordinary Faith
If you should ask whether Abraham was righteous before this time, my answer is: He was righteous because he believed God. . . Abraham's faith was extraordinary, since he left his country when commanded to do so and became an exile; but we are not all commanded to do the same thing. Therefore in that connection Moses does not add: "Abraham believed God, and this was reckoned to him as righteousness." But in the passage before us he makes this addition when he is speaking about the heavenly Seed. He does so in order to comfort the church of all times. He is saying that those who, with Abraham, believe this promise are truly righteous. Here, in the most appropriate place, the Holy Spirit wanted to set forth expressly and clearly the statement that righteousness is nothing else than believing God when He makes a promise.
From Lectures on Genesis (Luther's Works 3:20)
GENESIS 15:6
+
Abraham's Extraordinary Faith
If you should ask whether Abraham was righteous before this time, my answer is: He was righteous because he believed God. . . Abraham's faith was extraordinary, since he left his country when commanded to do so and became an exile; but we are not all commanded to do the same thing. Therefore in that connection Moses does not add: "Abraham believed God, and this was reckoned to him as righteousness." But in the passage before us he makes this addition when he is speaking about the heavenly Seed. He does so in order to comfort the church of all times. He is saying that those who, with Abraham, believe this promise are truly righteous. Here, in the most appropriate place, the Holy Spirit wanted to set forth expressly and clearly the statement that righteousness is nothing else than believing God when He makes a promise.
From Lectures on Genesis (Luther's Works 3:20)
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