Looking at the Old Testament timeline, Abraham was considered righteous because of the faith he had in God. As we have learned in the King of Kings series, Abraham came before Moses and before the law that God gave Moses on the top of Mount Sinai.
Many times in my walk with God I have drawn the false conclusion that there is some way to earn God’s love; that if I can just follow the rules perfectly, I will have God’s favor. But when we look at how God set up his redemptive plan, we see from the very beginning that our salvation is not dependent on what we do, but on our faith in Him. Our redemption is not dependent on our works. In fact, when I try to follow all the rules and get everything right, it further proves my need for God’s grace. The law is like a mirror, showing me all the reasons I need to rely on God’s strength and love and not my own.
At the very beginning of God’s redemptive plan, he showed that it was by faith, not the law, that brought our justification. That plan has been woven through scripture and is fulfilled on the Cross. Praise God that our freedom through the death and resurrection of Jesus was His plan all along.