[Dr. Warren Wierdsbe]

So if the breastplate of the True Christian's™ armor is the breastplate of righteousness, then how is that righteousness obtained? Let's look to that archetype of faith, Abraham.

Righteousness by faith—Abraham

Romans 4 (AV1611 King James Bible)

1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Now what belief was it that Abraham had in God? That He is perfect? Or that He is Holy? Or that He is omnipotent? Not at all! This most important Promise that God gave Abraham was that he would be able to father children! What a blessing from God to be able to partner with God in producing little Soldiers for Christ!

13For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
(What can we say about this? God had already indicated that Sarah's usefulness was at an end because she was barren. And yet Abraham stayed with her. Why? If she couldn't make warriors for Christ [in anticipation of Him], what good was she? Yet he stayed...a mystery)
20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
(Abraham believed God’s Promise that he would be the father of many nations.)
22And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Wow! One hundred years old! What a miracle that Abraham believed God that he’d be able to get his faith up (this might be called God’s Viagra) and it was counted unto him for righteousness. The greatest thing about this was, apparently God’s Viagra opened things up for Abraham, and he was able to take more wives and bear more children even later in life!


Genesis 25

1Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
2And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

Then, of course, God decided to have a little test for Abraham.

Genesis 22

1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

OH MY! God wanted Abraham to kill and burn the son of the promise. What was Abraham’s response? “God, you are a despot?” “No, God, that’s crazy, you must just be a voice in my head?” “I love my son?” No, he just did as he was told without a word.

3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

And yet, from a life in which we saw such faith and obedience, what was counted to him for righteousness? That he believed God could help him in the bedroom!

And as Abraham got older, of course he had to dispose of the great wealth that God gives to all who follow Him, and he showed not only his righteousness but his Christian love:

5And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
6But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac, discounting all his other sons, and all the sons of the concubines he had. This was because Isaac was his son of the promise! The one God promised Abraham he could make at 100 years old.

So righteousness comes not by works, not by something you can do, and not by anything anyone might tell you to do. It comes from believing God! Now even believing isn’t something you can do. That is God’s gift of grace. And works mean nothing with regard to righteousness. So don’t go out working to try to believe, or to try to attain righteousness. If you are a True Christian™, it will simply be there.

So what can we take from this? We already have this breastplate of righteousness, it’s already on you! God gave it to you, and nothing you can do will make that happen or make it go away! Be righteous! Believe God! Make lots of baby Christians!

In Christ,
Warren