1950 This Means Everlasting Life - A2Z.org

NO SELF-SALVATION BY THE LAW 49
coming birth of Abraham's son Isaac, God laid
upon Abraham and his descendants the obligation
to be circumcised. But Abraham had had righteousness
reckoned to him long before circumcision
. The circumcision was given him merely
as a sign of the righteousness which he already
had through faith and obedience. Abraham had
now a son named Ishmael by Hagar the slavegirl
of his wife . Yet Abraham's seed was not to be
reckoned through Ishmael, but to be reckoned
through the coming son, Isaac . When God told
Abraham that Ishmael was rejected as the channel
of Abraham's promised seed, God said : "In
Isaac shall thy seed be called ."-Genesis 17 :9-27 ;
21 :12 ; Romans 9 :7 .
3 Righteousness is now counted to imperfect
humans through faith in Jehovah God . In proof
the apostle writes : "Since we say, His faith was
counted to Abraham as righteousness .' Under
what circumstances, then, was it counted? When
he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not
in circumcision, but in uncircumcision . And he received
a sign, namely, circumcision, as a seal
confirmation of the righteousness by the faith
he had while in his uncircumcised state, that he
might be the father of all those having faith while
in uncircumcision, in order for righteousness to
be counted to them." Romans 4 :9-11, NW Further
showing that a righteous standing with the
God of perfection is possible now only through faith
in him coupled with works to correspond, the in-
3 . How is righteousness now counted to men? What
illustrates it?