“Counted”
Romans 4:1-8;13-17
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and
it was counted to him as righteousness.”
From an early age we learn to count. 1, 2, 3….
I remember laying in bed at night, as a child, seeing how high I could
count before falling asleep. We learn
numbers and counting for lots of good purposes in life. But we also quickly learn to count as a way
of keeping track of what is fair. If he
gets three candies and I only get two – wait, no fair! If I’m making $17 an hour and that person
hired after me makes $20! That’s not
right. If I do the dishes and laundry
but all he does is play video games, well, then, the math isn’t gonna
work. The account’s not square and
settled.
But it’s not just numbers.
It’s the broader “counting” of fairness, justice. What is right? The kids on the playground who know that if
your toes are over the line when you make a shot – “it doesn’t count”. And every little lawyer will call out his
objection if anyone says otherwise.
But our counting, like everything we do of ourselves, is
tainted by sin, and applied in a way that benefits self over neighbor. Our sense of justice is often twisted, and so
our measurement of what is right and proper is skewed. We cook the books, as it were, in our own
favor. As a U.S. president once quipped,
“Fuzzy Math”. So also, when Jesus warns
us about judging our neighbor he says, “ For with the judgment you pronounce
you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”
The Old Adam in us is all about the counting, the reckoning,
he keeping track and keeping score. We
are tempted even to do this in our churches.
A whole school of thinking has gripped many churches – which sounds
innocuous enough, “Church Growth”. It
even sounds good! After all, who
wouldn’t want their church to grow? But
this misguided movement imports all manner of worldly wisdom, and often
uncritically so, in order to grow the church (numerically, at least) at all
costs. Counting, counting, counting –
the numbers in the pews, the balance in the bank, the offerings in the plate,
the activity of its members. And if your
numbers go in the wrong direction, then surely your church is going in the
wrong direction! There is little room
for the idea that faithfulness matters most, even if it means a congregation
might numerically wither and die. There
is little room for the idea that spiritual growth, which is often unseen, is
far more desirable than numerical growth, which is often deceptive and
fleeting. So beware of the counting,
church of God! Beware of how we measure
and mark our ministry here at Messiah. It’s
not wrong to count and track things.
It’s not wrong, either, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, even
secular wisdom, to think about these things.
But let us avoid the dangers that lead us away from faithfulness to
Christ and his word, and to a worldliness that runs the way of measurable
results, which is really only of the law.
Now, we could even say that God also counts. He marks and notes, carefully records things. I suppose you could say it’s part of his omniscience – he’s all knowing. Scripture alludes to this with its talk of “books” that are opened for the final judgment (Revelation 20:12) It’s not like we could ever hope to get away with something that escapes his notice. Even your “secret sins” are no secret to him. And if all he considers is justice, that is, what our deeds deserve, then we are in a bad situation to say the least.
But the Psalmist reminds us there is hope:
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could
stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be
feared. (Psalm 130:3-4)
But how does this happen?
How is it that God no longer counts our sins, marks our iniquities, or
considers all the evil we do and have done?
How is it instead, that we can hope to stand before his judgment seat on
the final day and not be condemned? How
is it that with him is forgiveness, that he may be feared?
Of course it’s Jesus.
It’s always Jesus, and that is no surprise to you, dear Christian.
Jesus is numbered among the transgressors for us. He is counted as, reckoned as, made to be,
even, sin, for us – though he had no sin of his own. God imputes our sin to Jesus – that is, he
transfers the balance of our sin account onto Jesus. His debt-load of sin becomes immeasurable,
and in exchange, our ledger is wiped clean.
The great exchange. Christ’s
righteousness in exchange for our sin.
Christ’s death in place of ours.
Christ’s perfect keeping of the law, credited to us. Our guilty deeds go to him, to be put to death in him. It is marvelous, mysterious counting that
runs counter to the reckoning of this world.
It is divine mathematics, and only God can accomplish it.
But again, how does his come to us? How do all the wonderful things that Jesus
has done benefit me, personally? Here’s
where Father Abraham helps to teach us.
Abraham was revered as the great patriarch of the Jewish
people. When Jesus was challenged by the
Jews, they appealed to their status, “We are children of Abraham, and have
never been slaves of anyone!” (Well
that’s not really true, there was that 400 year episode in Egypt.) But nonetheless, they looked up to Abraham,
and some even considered he was so good, so righteous that he was
justified before God by his works! If
that were true, Paul indicates, then he had something to boast about –
especially before men, who fail to measure up to that standard. But Paul quickly dismisses this idea. Abraham can’t boast before God – who knows
even great father Abraham isn’t righteous of himself.
Paul quotes Genesis 15, in which we are told, “Abraham
believed God, and God counted it to him as righteousness”. No, it wasn’t Abraham’s work that counted in
the end, or at all. It certainly wasn’t
his lineage (for he came from a pagan background). It wasn’t his great wealth or family
loyalty. It wasn’t anything else about
Abraham that God regarded as righteousness – but his faith.
God counted Abraham righteous – because
Abraham believed God’s promises. And God
counts you righteous, child of Abraham, because of your faith in those same
promises. And all of this, for the sake
of Jesus Christ.
And what God DOESN’T count against us is our sins. Paul also quotes David, who writes about it
in Psalm 32:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and
whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count
his sin.”
And so we are doubly blessed. God doesn’t count our sins against us. But he does count our faith as righteousness!
Now, Abraham looked forward – God’s promises to him were of
future blessings. I’ll give you this
land. I’ll make you a great nation. All nations will be blessed through
you. Abraham believes, as was counted
righteous, then and there.
These promises find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus
Christ. Through his blood shed for the
forgiveness of sins, and through his life lived for the fulfillment of all
righteousness – God brings blessing to all nations. And all who have faith in
Christ are counted as children of Abraham.
Your faith looks both backwards and forwards. You look back to Christ, to his earthly work
fulfilled. You trust in what he has
done, and that his words are true, “It is finished”. You believe in his glorious resurrection, and
you confess the faith that has been handed down to you in the church through
the ages.
But like Abraham, you also look forward. You look forward to
Christ’s promised return, to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the
world to come. You look forward to his glorious
appearing, to being like him and seeing him as he is. You look forward to the eternal city from
above, to a kingdom that has no end, and to the hand of God wiping every tear
from your eye. You look forward in
faith, and God counts that faith in Christ as righteousness.
So keep the faith, Child of Abraham. Keep the faith, believer in Jesus Christ. Know that your sins were counted against Jesus, and will not be counted to you. But that God counts you as righteous for Jesus’ name’s sake.
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