This here is actually one of my favorite Bible verses which clearly demonstrates the preciousness of our LORD and God.

Now, this passage CLEARLY refutes the heresy of “lordship salvation”, i.e., that lost sinners must forsake their sins to be saved.
You don’t have to forsake a thing to be saved but your UNBELIEF.
If you want to be saved, all you have to do is to acknowledge the guilt of your sin, and then trust Christ to forgive you and save you because of the blood which He shed to redeem you (1 Pet 18-19; Heb 9:12; 9:14; 9:22; 10:19; Col 1:14; 1:20; Eph 1:7; Rom 3:25; Rom 5:9;)

Here it says, ” to him that worketh NOT”, what does that mean here?
We know that when a workman labours, that workman is justly paid wages for the work which was wrought, in other words, the man receives a recompense for that labour which was done. BUT that principle does NOT apply to salvation.

In view of the context, Abraham did NOT work for his salvation.
So how did he receive it? Abraham received the FREE GIFT of salvation on the basis of the UNMERITED and UNDESERVED favour and grace of God, received by FAITH ALONE (Rom 11:6; Tit 3:5; Eph 2:8-9; Gen 15:6).

May I say unto you, that there is NOTHING that you can do that will merit salvation, but you believe(i.e.,trust) upon God, and God will justify the ungodly, i.e., you and I.

But you may say, “doesn’t God save those that are good?” , and may I say unto you that there is none good, no not one (Rom 3:10; Psa 14:1-3; Rom 3:23; Rom 5:12; Isa 53:6), we are ALL dirty, rotten, hell deserving sinners, who deserve nothing less than hellfire, but thanks be to God for sending His precious Son to die and shed His blood for us (John 3:16). He gave His life for us. What a precious Saviour! He payed a debt that He did not owe because we owed a debt that we could not pay.

Let’s therefore hear the conclusion of the matter. Faith saves, works DOESN’T. Faith is the only way to receive what God has given unto us FREELY.
Abraham’s faith was “counted for righteousness”, that means that Abraham was saved by Christ’s imputed righteousness.
Remember, when you trust Christ to forgive you and save you, Christ’s perfect righteousness is put on your record in heaven, thus God the Father thereafter sees you as He sees His precious Son (Rom 4:22-24),i.e., righteous, and FULLY ACCEPTABLE, but not only was Christ’s righteousness imputed (counted) to Abraham’s record, but Abraham’s sinful record was imputed to Christ. You see, the LORD Jesus became as sin for us and died a sinners death, “For HE ( God the Father) HATH MADE HIM ( God the Son) TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN(i.e., Christ was perfect and sinless); that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (i.e., that we who knew no righteousness, might be made the righteousness of God in Christ)” (2 Cor 5:21).

Commentary by Darien
Posted on: 12/25/2009 05:01 am