Amplify Your Belief

I love the Amplified Bible.  Friends at a bible study would make fun of me because when it was my turn to read it would take twice as long, but I love that the translators went to the trouble to make absolutely sure you knew what the writers were trying to say.  In reading this morning a couple of words stuck out to me.

"And He brought him outside [his tent into the starlight] and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars--if you are able to number them. Then He said to him, So shall your descendants be.  And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God)."

Genesis  15:5-6 (Amplified Bible) 

Abram's belief in God's Word was so much more than just being persuaded of the truth of a statement.  He trusted in that truth and made decisions based upon it.  He relied upon God standing behind those words and he took actions.  And he remained steadfast to that truth in the face of waiting years from God's promise to come to pass.  Abrams belief wasn't a mental click.   His life lived out his belief because he trusted in, relied on, and remained steadfast to God and His promise.

And this lead to Abram's righteousness with God.  What does right standing mean?  Think of the end of the movie "US Marshals."  Marshal Gerard asks Sheridan how it feels to be exonerated and he replies, "Righteous!"  He's been on the run and outside of the law.  He could never relax and be comfortable.  The next person to turn the corner could be someone arresting him.  But now he was righteous.  He was in right standing with the law.  And he was at peace.  He could smile, relax, and enjoy his life.

Our right standing with God gives us peace.  Sin puts us on the run.  Sin requires punishment and that punishment is death.  So we try to run from punishment and end up going nowhere.  But why run?  God has said that His Son took the punishment for us.  Christ died for the sins that we commit.  All we have to do is believe what God told us to be true.  And then trust, rely on and remain steadfast to that truth.  And you'll be in right standing with God.