Romans 4:10

Romans 4:10

Genesis 15:6

Good news! Abraham was not circumcised when his offering of faith was accepted by God and a return gift of righteousness was offered to Abraham. This verse in Genesis is before his name was changed from Abram, before he had any children, before he had proven his dedication by offering a sacrifice of his son Isaac. We see all that came afterward and we forget what it was like for Abram in that moment. When we place him in the moment, forgetting all that came afterward, Abram had a deep relationship with the Lord given that we was able to hear the Lord's voice and follow Him absolutely. He was living in Canaan, had already visited Egypt (oops!), was wealthy enough to separate from his nephew Lot, recognized that all his blessings came from God, and was still receiving promises of continued blessings including descendants more numerous than the stars in the sky and the dust of the earth. Abram believed the Lord, not because he saw the promise fulfilled but because he believed in the One making the promise. Because he believed, God made a covenant with him, still twenty years or so before changing his name and asking Abraham to circumcise himself and his household. This is good news for us because the faith came first and the Law only later, bringing us closer to Abraham's level of relationship with God also. We may not be circumcised and we can't follow every letter of the Law, but we can choose to put our faith in the Lord and receive His approval and His righteousness.