The place came apart with laughter! I was conducting the wedding of young couple a few years out of high school. She was a sweet young lady with plenty of personality. He, on the other hand, was the strong silent type, not particularly expressive. Rehearsal had gone well. We walked through all the elements of the ceremony, but instead of going through the vows I just basically explained them.
The day of the wedding arrived. Everyone did and everything went just as rehearsed. Before reciting the vows, I typically give a wedding charge to the couple of what God expects from both of them. After completing my challenge to them I immediately went into the vows. I turned to the groom and asked the traditional questions, "Do you promise to take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love...?" The groom stood their stoically as usual and then simply responded in a monotone, almost expressionless voice, "I reckon." The place exploded.
God's reckoning of righteousness to Abraham was a little different. Genesis 15 and Romans 4 say that Abraham believed God and reckoned that to him as righteousness. Reckoned, in this sense, is an accreditation to Abraham's account. Because of Abe's faith, which was demonstrated by his action, God reckoned or credited or considered Abe as righteous. He applied the righteousness of Christ to Abraham even though Christ hadn't yet come and died.
Paul's point in this passage is that one can't earn righteousness. If you earned it, righteousness would have been owed you as a result of your effort, just like you work for wages. Paul says if you worked for it, you couldn't be reckoned or credited with righteousness. So obviously we have a choice; we can either stand before God based upon our own works of godliness or we can stand before God trusting Him. I can apply to heaven based upon my own righteousness. Or I can apply for heaven on the basis of Christ's righteousness. What's it gonna be? Since my righteousness is as filthy rags compared to Christ's righteousness, I think I'll take the latter.
God, I can be a pretty good guy sometimes, but that's the problem, sometimes. It's the other times that bother me. I think I'll take your reckoning process. I'm trusting in you. I'm acting in faith. I'm believing in you and surrendering to you just like Abraham.
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