The Cart Before

The old saying goes, "Don't put the cart before the horse." In other words, if you have a horse drawn cart, the horse needs to lead. Also, some things must be accomplished before other things can be done. We just finished painting a bathroom. The first thing we had to do was clean the room the best we can, then we applied the paint.

Paul wanted to make sure the Romans understood that there is an order to the relationship between works and faith. He pointed to the "father of faith", Abraham, as an example. The Scriptures are clear. "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:3 and Genesis 15:6). To bring the point home, Paul told his Jewish readers to remember that Abraham was circumcised AFTER his faith began. Circumcision was the outward sign of the covenant between God and His chosen people. Paul said to have circumcision before faith was putting the cart before the horse. If you are depending on a religious ritual or activity to give you a relationship with God, you are doing the same thing.

Believe God! Believe that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the sacrifice for your sins. Believe and act on the belief that He wants you to turn to Him, away from your sins, and become a part of His family.

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Contributed by Michael Ullrich: mike@in-his-steps.com Michael has served in pastoral ministry since 1979. His weekly devotional column appears in numerous newspapers, magazines and online publications, as well as on his Web site. He and his wife, Bonita, have seven children.