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Romans 4:23-24

²³But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, ²⁴but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord . . .

The Holy Spirit spoke to Abraham and told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the night sky. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:5-6). Paul used this passage from the books of Moses to show that salvation is by faith in God and His Word. That Word may come by the Holy Spirit as it did to Abraham, or it may come by the proclamation of the gospel.

When the gospel is proclaimed, people hear the Word of God and the invitation to believe Him and place their trust in Him. Faith is believing that God can do for you what you can't do for yourself. The gospel declares that Jesus died for our sins and rose for our justification. His sacrifice of His own life in our place was accepted by God, who restored Him to life as proof of that acceptance. We can believe that, just as Abraham believed what God spoke to him, and it will be counted as righteousness to us as well.

We should not miss the fact that the only reason that Abraham's faith could be counted as righteousness is that Jesus would, in the future, die for his sins. Jesus' death in our place makes the faith transaction possible for all who have ever lived, because justice was meted out upon Him. Jesus died for Abraham, you, and me.

Consider: We believe God for salvation, but let us also believe Him for the power to live to testify of Him every day so that others can put their faith in Him.