When was Abraham justified?

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De_Maria

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Our separated brethren say that Abraham was justified by faith alone. So, then, when was Abraham justified?

When he first came to faith?
Hebrews 11:8
**By faith **Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

This corresponds to Genesis 12 when Abraham was still known as Abram and had just been introduced:
Genesis 12

**1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: **
** 2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: **
** 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. **
** 4So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. **

Or when Abraham was visited by God in a dream:
Genesis 15

**1After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. **
** 2And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? **
** 3And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. **
** 4And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. **
** 5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. **
** 6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. **

Or when he sacrificed Isaac on the mount:
Hebrews 11:17
**By faith **Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

James 2:21
**Was not Abraham our father justified by ****works, when he had offered **Isaac his son upon the altar?

Genesis 22:12 (King James Version)
**12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Sincerely,

De Maria
**
 
The Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavin program, Our Father’s Plan explains this wonderfully in the third to last episode.If I can find a link, I will be sure to post it.
 
It seems to me like the scriptures are saying that justification is more than a once only event.

Is this true?
 
De_Maria said:
Our separated brethren say that Abraham was justified by faith alone. So, then, when was Abraham justified?

When he first came to faith?
Hebrews 11:8
**By faith **Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

This corresponds to Genesis 12 when Abraham was still known as Abram and had just been introduced:
Genesis 12

**1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: **
**2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: **
**3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. **
**4So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. **

Or when Abraham was visited by God in a dream:
Genesis 15

**1After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. **
**2And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? **
**3And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. **
**4And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. **
**5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. **
**6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. **

Or when he sacrificed Isaac on the mount:
Hebrews 11:17
**By faith **Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

James 2:21
**Was not Abraham our father justified by ****works, when he had offered **Isaac his son upon the altar?

Genesis 22:12 (King James Version)
12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Sincerely,

De Maria
Click to expand...
Great Question! If you read James 2:14-24 you will see that the “Work” James is talking about is Abraham’s justification before God. It refers to Gen 22:9 when Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac. Notice that the only ones present were Abraham, Isaac and God so this does not refer to “Works before men” as the protestants say. He was justified in Gen 12:1, Gen 15:6 and Gen 22:9 which shows that it is a process. Rom 4:3-5 shows that you are not justified by works Apart from the grace of God as does Eph 2:8-9.
 
De_Maria said:
Our separated brethren say that Abraham was justified by faith alone. So, then, when was Abraham justified?

When he first came to faith?
Hebrews 11:8
**By faith **Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

This corresponds to Genesis 12 when Abraham was still known as Abram and had just been introduced:
Genesis 12

**1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: **
** 2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: **
** 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. **
** 4So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. **

Or when Abraham was visited by God in a dream:
Genesis 15

**1After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. **
** 2And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? **
** 3And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. **
** 4And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. **
** 5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. **
** 6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. **

Or when he sacrificed Isaac on the mount:
Hebrews 11:17
**By faith **Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

James 2:21
**Was not Abraham our father justified by ****works, when he had offered **Isaac his son upon the altar?

Genesis 22:12 (King James Version)
**12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Sincerely,

De Maria
**
Click to expand...
Yes, when he first came to faith.
 
Justified repeatedly, at every point along the way, when Abram would BELIEVE and ACT upon his belief.

Salvation is not a ‘once and done’ event. Its has its beginning point for sure, but its our day-by-day experience of confession/obedience. Its Relational / Covenantal - Familial.

Apart from the Catholic Church and it Sacraments … the odds of our Perseverance are remote. Christ knew we needed the aid of the Church … and provides it to us. Its the ‘shining light on the hill’ … that can REPEATEDLY provide us the Justification we need.
 
It is appointed to mankind to respond to the God’s call, and answer Him.

Despite the circumstances (which the Lord already was aware of) when the Voice of the Lord was walking in the garden, He called Adam and required Adam, and Eve, to answer Him. (Note there was no opportunity given to the serpent to answer Him)

How many times is it said in scripture “Here I am Lord”, or something similar. God called Abram and Abram responded trusting the Word of the Lord God. Which justified Him, for it is God that justifies faith in Him and His Word. If you do not trust what God says, you don’t trust God to fulfill what He has said. Hence your trust in Him is justified. And in Jesus Christ is the fulfilment, that even Abraham trusted. Prophesying to the world that through the chosen, beloved, sacrificed, son provided by God shall the world be blessed.

And Jesus Christ is the Justification of all who trust in Him.
 
Genesis 26:4-5,
I (God) will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.
:tiphat:
 
Romans 4: 1-6
The Bible in a Verse

But now once at the conclusion of the ages Jesus has
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Hebrews 9: 26b
 
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