Abraham, formerly known as Abram, lived about 2000 BC. He was about ten generations removed from the godly Noah and his son Shem (Genesis 10:1; 11:10-26). But unlike his godly forefathers, Abraham "served other gods" (Joshua 24:2).

Abraham's conversion to Jesus Christ occurred while he lived in the Chaldean city Ur, in present-day southern Iraq (Genesis 11:31; Acts 7:2f). It is recorded in Genesis 12:1-4: "Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your kindred and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him ...."

The conversion of Abraham presents to us the foremost example of justification by faith alone. To be justified is to be declared righteous by God. On the one hand, justification acquits one of having violated the law of God, thereby rendering him "just as if I had never sinned." On the other hand, justification entitles one to all the privileges of those who have perfectly obeyed the law of God, thereby rendering him "just as if I had always been righteous."

This saving justification is received through faith in God alone, completely apart from any self-righteousness (of which we all are devoid) or the performance of deeds of righteousness (which none of us can perform). Those who believe in God receive thereby the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:20-30).

Holy Scriptures emphatically and repeatedly declare that Abraham was justified by faith alone, apart from works.

1) Abraham was not justified by works. He is included in the accusation that "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10; cp. Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20). There was nothing to commend him to God at the time of his conversion and justification. He was an idolater (Joshua 24:2).

2) Abraham was justified by faith alone. We repeatedly read "And he believed in the LORD, and [the LORD] accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1-3,9,22; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23). To those who aver that a sinner is justified, saved, and/or converted through faith plus deeds such as sabbath-keeping, circumcision, or baptism, we reply: Abraham did not observe sabbaths (the commandment to do so was not given until 500 years after his conversion), and was uncircumcised at the time of his justification (Romans 4:11), and never baptized.

In what way had "Abraham believed in the LORD"? It was more than merely believing God's promise of blessing contingent upon departing his idolatrous homeland and following God to another land (Genesis 12:1-4). Abraham believed the gospel! — the good news that God will justify the nations through faith alone (Galatians 3:8). The preacher of this gospel to Abraham was the preincarnate Jesus Christ, "the God of glory [who] appeared to our father Abraham" (Acts 7:2). (All appearances of God in Old Testament times were in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.) When Abraham "believed in the LORD," he believed in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is Himself is "the righteousness of God" (Romans 3:22; 1 Corinthians 1:30) — and the only person who is. He is in Himself thoroughly righteous, having in every way obeyed God's law (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). When sinners believe in Jesus Christ, God imputes the righteousness of His Son to their account. They are thereby justified, declared righteous. This justification is received through faith alone, not by supposed works of righteousness, whether sabbath-keeping, circumcision, baptism, or any other.

Have you, like Abraham, been justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone? Are you converted to Jesus Christ?