However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Four steps of  a great and priceless truth.

This verse is one of the greatest verses of Hope that has been burning in my heart for several days.  It is a wonder and is adorable to me.  Let us see below the surface of the words  and into the  four steps of  a great and priceless truth.

Step 1: –  To the one who does not work:   This is not a lazy person.  This is not someone who feels they are owed life or someone who sees themselves as perfect and everyone else as flawed.  No, this is one who recognizes there is not enough goodness in me to achieve the needs of life.  It is someone who knows he does not have the tools to become a righteous person.  He know the nature of falling man is too selfish and too broken to ever achieve a right standing with a Holy God.  He stands without any hope. So he stands looking at the Gospel.  At what God has promised and done.  He recognizes the only hope of becoming right with God and himself is from outside himself.

He does not work.

Step 2: but trusts God:  This is where all the effort of the man is focused.  It is in trusting.  It is in believing God can do what He promised.  This trust comes from reading scripture and seeking God.  Trusting God requires one to go against all human nature.  It is to place trust in something that you have never seen.  It is believing in an eternal supernatural presence that can somehow effect your daily life and interactions with others.  It is a belief that God can somehow change you and empower you to become right with Himself.

He trusts God

Step 3: – God justifies the wicked:  God sees this trust and the first order of business is to justify the ungodly.  To forgive the sinner.  To take the load of sin and dirty laundry of the heart away.  Sin is a burden and a weight.  As a sinner you carry this weight of sin everywhere you go and it constantly reminds you of your failure and hopelessness.  This weight of disappointing yourself and others is a constant burden to life.  It brings on more sin and depression.  It convinces us there is no hope…Then because of step one and two, God justifies the sinner.  The weight has dropped off our hearts.  For once we can stand straight and walk upright before God.  We are justified by Him.

God justifies the wicked.

Step 4: – Faith is credited as Righteousness:  WOW.  Not only are we free from the weight of sin but a righteousness not our own has become our own.  It is credited to us from God.  This righteous is not just a right relationship with God,  it is a working righteousness.  It brings with it the covering of God,  the power of the blood of Jesus,  and the power and direction of the Holy Spirit.  This righteousness is much more than a status in life.  IT IS LIFE.  This righteousness  begins to strengthen and heal and correct our vision of what is important in life. It creates in us not only a right relationship with God but an active Godliness in us to spread His love and lightnside presence around to a lost world.

Faith credited as righteousness.

The wonderful progression:  Man does not work.  He Trusts God.  God justifies the wicked. Righteousness is credited to man. Man becomes a carrier of God and revels to others the hope of transformation.