The Gospel in Real Life

The Abrahamic Covenant is a covenant of promise. The gospel was announced in advance to Abraham (Galatians 3:8) and imputation is introduced in the Abrahamic Covenant.  Abraham experienced the forgiveness of sin and received the gift of saving faith and imputed righteousness, apart from anything he did – apart from works.  Likewise, all who believe get everything Christ purchased for them placed freely into their account (imputed righteousness) apart from law or works. At its core, the Abrahamic covenant is a proclamation of the gospel and it clearly introduces imputation and justification by faith alone. Abraham had freely received the gift of saving faith and because he took God at his word, his faith, even though it was a gift, was counted as righteousness. Abraham experienced the forgiveness of sin and was justified by a foreign righteousness placed freely into his account, apart from anything that he did. This imputation of a foreign righteousness which results in justification and the forgiveness of sin, is the same righteousness offered in the gospel to us.

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather 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 counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. (Romans 4:1-5)

There was nothing that Abraham did or could do to earn the righteousness that was freely placed into his account, or imputed to him. Abraham was justified by faith alone. Paul continues his discussion about Abraham,

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted 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 father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:9-12)

The message of the gospel is that a person can have their sins forgiven and be accepted by God by faith alone, apart from what they do. Paul illustrates this with Abraham by telling us that he was justified and experienced the forgiveness of sin and imputed righteousness before he was circumcised. In other words, he was justified apart from works to show that those who would be justified after him would also be justified apart from works. That’s the gospel and that is what was preached to Abraham. The Abrahamic covenant introduces imputation and justification by faith alone.

For more reading on the Abrahamic Covenant, see Gospel Pictures: The Abrahamic Covenant or grab the Adobe Acrobat version [HERE].