March 2nd Reflection by Bill Lynch

Romans 4:1-12 (NRSV)
Abraham counted righteous by God for his faith
What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:
"Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin."

Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, "Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness." How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Reflection
It's not the good things that we do that make us right with God. We could be perfect in works, yet not be right with God, even though none of us are perfect in works. If we think that we can make things right with God by the things that we do, then we could work our way into being just like God perhaps. Or even we could earn all favor with God that heaven would be open to us now. Perhaps even we could obtain the sinless world here and now.

But it's not about our works. Abraham was right with God even before he was circumcised. In somewhat the same way we can be right with God even though we are sinful. We are brought to God through the acts of Jesus, not our own acts. When we believe this, God will grow our faith. We will hunger for God and seek to be disciples of Jesus. We will do the very acts that God desires for us to do, not to become right with God through our own actions, but because we believe that Jesus made us right with God already.

It seems complicated but is so simple in other ways. Believe in God! Abraham's righteousness didn't depend on his circumcision, it was faith, then justification, then circumcision. The circumcision was a sign or seal. So too in our baptism, we come by belief in God that we are saved through God and are justified by what God has done through Jesus and the gifts of the Spirit. All this before we are sealed with the sign of the cross. Baptism was the confirmation of the covenant made by God just as circumcision was the sign of the covenant made by God with Abraham. It's a gift.

Here is the beauty of the parents that present the child for baptism. The child has been unable to be tarnished with the thought that works may gain God's favor first. The child is open to the belief of the parents that God has given such a great gift that nothing can separate us from God. As the child grows to believe on their own, faith grows and the child can accept this wonderful gift of their own recognition. God gives the faith. Jesus provides the justification. God's covenant is sealed through the act of baptism. We are justified by faith apart from works of the law. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, I believe. Increase my faith and response to what you have done for me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen