"Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3).Is it then that faith itself is a meritorious thing which is to do duty in the place of good works ? Not at all. Were it so it would be the degree of faith we possess which would be the measure of our righteousness-of our acceptance with God. This would leave us still in bondage and self-righteousness, ever busy with our faith, and thus with ourselves.

Faith is that in us which clings to Another; conscious of our ruin, and of the uselessness of trying to find acceptance before God by works of righteousness which we have done or ever can do, we learn that He has given His Son to accomplish a work- the work of the Cross-by which He can righteously accept us. We cling to Him therefore. We believe in His love for us, and in the gift He made us in sending His Son. We believe what His Son has done. We believe God has accepted that work, and that we are justified by it. Thus it is no longer on the principle of our having done something good that we draw near to Him, but on the principle of what He has done for us because of which our faith clings to Him. When all hope was gone in Abraham in the course of nature to have a son, God promised him one. He believed God, purely and simply because he accounted God faithful and able to do what He promised, and thus he was accounted righteous by God-"his faith was counted to him as righteousness, " " Now it was not written for his (Abraham's) sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Rom. 4:23-25).

Since this is so, have we not indeed a divine title to peace – righteous, holy, perfect, ever-abiding peace? Indeed we have! and so it is added, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:i).
"NOT ASHAMED."