11. Faith is Righteousness
Romans 4:5b His faith is counted for righteousness.
God promises that your faith counts for righteousness. The faith of an ungodly person is considered by God to be righteousness; the ungodly is godly by faith. This means that faith is everything: it does not just count for a lot or most of what is needed but everything that is needed to be counted righteous. I do not need to add anything to the faith; I do not need good works or sincerity in addition; faith is all. Faith is also the only thing; not faith plus but faith alone.
This promise gives me great comfort and absolute confidence. If my righteousness depended on anything more or anything in me I could never be certain if it was enough. But it does not depend on me or anything in me. It all depends completely on God and on what He does. He is the boss; He makes the rules; He decides; He promises; He does it all. I can be sure that it is enough. I have faith, and so I know that I am righteous.
“Faith alone” does not feel to humans like it is enough. “Isn’t there something I must do? Isn’t there something more needed?” Maybe I need to do good works; maybe I need great faith; maybe I need to do penance; maybe I need to pray the “sinner’s prayer.” Surely faith cannot be alone. Such doubts and deceits diminish and contradict the simple and plain promise of the Word; it also tarnishes the completed and finished work of Christ at the Cross and the Tomb.
Simple Faith, even a small grain of faith, receives the full promise of righteousness. It counts. It is sufficient. It doesn’t depend on anything in me, but it depends all on God who does it all. Faith makes the gift of righteousness mine and makes it real. Faith receives the promise; and God makes it count and makes it sure.