Saturday, May 9, 2009

Spiritual Banking....



I will be the first one to admit that I don't always do really well with my checkbook. There have been many times that I have forgotten to write down a debit card purchase... only to realize later in the week that I am overdrawn. Now.... I don't know about you... but if I am overdrawn... I really don't have any extra money to give the bank for the fee. But... they take it anyway. Which only makes my bad situation worse. My checking account has money going in.... and money going out.

Imagine my thrill this week while I was listening to a Beth Moore teaching CD on the book of Romans. She was teaching in chapter 4. This is what verse 3 says...


"What does Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness"

then in verse 9...

"Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumsied? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness."

and yet again in Genesis 15:6

"Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness"

She explained that the word "credited" is a banking term. It is added to our account. Like our spiritual checking account... picture that.... God making a deposit into MY account. I was thrilled to think of God filling out a deposit slip for my account. That was enough to make me jump up and down.

She then moved down to verse 7 and 8...

"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

The word "count" is also an accounting term. She explained that this verse tells us that our sins are not counted against us... they don't get deposited into an account. They are gone. There is not a "sin account".... only a righteousness account. Well.... that thrilled me again.

God is not making a list of our sins... they are thrown into the sea of forgetfulness. Sins that are confessed... God promises to forgive them. (1 John 1:19)

The only thing that gets deposited into our spiritual righteousness account is when we exercise our faith. It is our faith... that makes God get out the deposit slips and make a deposit into our account. Okay... I could grasp that..... BUT then she said....

"not even our righteousness gets deposited into the righteousness account..." Did you get that?? All the righteous things that we do don't even make a difference in our righteousness account. The only deposits that are made is when we exercise faith.

Now... I don't know... that might not do a thing for you. Or maybe you had already thought that one out before. If so, just pardon me while I get excited about it.

Think about it... when we exercise our faith... our account just gets bigger and bigger. When we sin... it doesn't decrease the balance in our account. When we "do" all those righteous things that we do... our account doesn't get bigger. Just faith... Believing God... Trusting God... makes our account get fatter.

Maybe if my regular bank account worked like that I could keep from overdrawing... deposit... deposit... deposit.... nothing coming back out. Don't you wish it really worked like that at the bank.

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9 comments:

Amanda said...

All over this a few weeks ago. Wrote two posts called, "Believing Him unto Salvation" on this very subject. It is what Paul was always up in arms about when the church kept trying to put rules back onto their freedom. (Read Galatians). I grew up being taught you had to "keep" the law perfectly to "keep" yourself saved. Hogwash!! Only my belief is "credited to me as righteousness". Another neat thing is guess whose righteousness goes into my account? HIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thus why my works have nothing to do with my salvation or my account only my simple hearted beief and trust in HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!! Makes me want to dance and shout too!!

Jennifer said...

This has me thinking....exciting!

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

A wonderful teaching; I want to hold an Abraham faith. He makes me want to take courage and to step out in full belief that God steps with me as I go.

Happy Mother's Day, Lynn. Hope your son is doing well.

peace~elaine

Beverly said...

I'm so thankful God continues to make deposits in my life.
Thanks Lynn. Love ya

Regina said...

I am RICH beyond all I could ever imagine.

Pamela (His maidservant) said...

My husband does our bills-I will have our checking account so messed up. On the otherhand, I totally get this spiritual bank Beth Moore was talking about!!

Great post!!

In His Graces~Pamela

JeanMac said...

A good post - and Happy Mothers Day.

Yolanda said...

Lynn,

Thank you for sharing this beautiful truth with us. One I needed to hear this morning as I've found my faith wavering from time to time concerning health issues. I'm BELIEVING God.

Lovingly,
Yolanda

Kim@Seasons of My Heart said...

What great thoughts you've shared!!!

I'm truly BLESSED that God keeps depositing..into my heart, soul, and life.

Blessings.