I’m not one to look at my bank statement to see where I “stand financially”. I’m not one who pays a lot of attention to what’s in savings . . . to be able to tell how much “I’m worth.” Not that any of that is wrong . . . it’s just that I don’t have much of a mind for that sort of thing. “Long term financial planning” and I never really became well-acquainted. But this morning I was directed to my “heavenly statement” . . . and spent some time taking stock of the debits and credits in my account in the “Bank of Eternal Life.”

According to Romans 4, Abraham was the founding client in the “B of EL”. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness (4:3). Ch-ching! Paul says that faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness (4:9). Ch-ching! Paul says that Abraham “did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore, ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness’ ” (4:20-22). Ch-ching!

And Paul says Abraham isn’t the only one that gets this deal. “Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed (credited) to him, but also for us” (4:23-24a). He is the father of all who believe (4:11). The “righteousness of faith” (4:13) ready to be credited to a personal account in the “B of EL” for all “who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (4:24b-25). Pretty amazing, really. I look at my “deposit slips” and they are all signed by the Father . . . and transacted by the Son. And I look at the balance in my account and it fills me with a fresh sense of awe and gratitude. Righteous! . . . righteous by faith! God credits righteousness apart from works (4:6). If it was based upon my works, I’d have nothing to deposit to my “righteousness account” . . . apart from faith in Christ “all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). Outside of God’s grace, I’m bankrupt. Oh, but by God’s grace . . . and through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross . . . the very righteousness of Christ has been deposited into an account with my name on it . . . Ch-Ching!

But I also know that it’s not just about how much money’s in the bank . . . it’s also about how much you owe. Praise God! . . . He’s taken care of that too. “David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those who lawless deeds are forgiven, and who sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.’ ” (4:6-8). Not only is my account credited with righteousness . . . but my debt has been erased . . . my transgressions forgiven . . . my iniquities covered . . . my record cleared of sin.

Am I blessed? Yeah! So blessed! Can’t really tell you how much I owe on our mortgage or what’s in my 401k (RSP for my Canadian friends). But I sure know what’s happening with my accounts in the “B of EL”. There, I’m debt free . . . the judgment owed for my sin has been paid in full . . . gone . . . as far as the east is from the west. And as for my “saved” account, my last “statement” said that it is maxed out with the righteousness of Christ . . . by the grace of God . . . for His glory!

Ch-Ching!