In this sermon, the preacher discusses the importance of making contracts and having written agreements in the time of Abraham. He explains that in those days, contracts were made by joining hands and walking through a sacrifice. However, Abraham, being a practical man, asks God for something in writing to confirm his inheritance of the land. God then tells Abraham to believe in Him, and Abraham's belief is counted as righteousness. This verse is later referenced by Paul in the fourth chapter of Romans.

Now, we come today to verse 6, and I'd like to read it here in the 15th chapter. And he, that is Abraham, believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness. Now, here is one of the great chapters of the Bible, and this is one of the great verses of the Bible. You'll recall that God appeared to Abraham after his victory over the kings of the east, and God had protected him, I'm your shield and your exceeding great reward. And this man Abraham is a little disturbed. He asked about the fact that he doesn't have a child. One born in his house is the one that will inherit and be in the line. And God took him by the hand, it was night, and led him out. And said, look yonder toward the stars, if you can number them. Well, you could number your offspring, he couldn't number the stars. He could see approximately about 4,000, but there probably were over 50,000 in that area where he was looking. He couldn't number them, he couldn't number his offspring, you couldn't today. Now, Abraham believed God. Actually, what it means is, Abraham said, amen, to God. God says, I'll do this for you. And Abraham said to God, I believe you, amen. I believe it. And that was counted to him for righteousness. Now, this is so important that we need to make a check on this. Paul used it. For instance, you have him in the 4th chapter of Romans. Paul quotes this verse. And let me read that, beginning with verse 1 of the 4th chapter of Romans. What shall we say, then, that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? Or let me change that reading. Abraham has found as pertaining to the flesh. I think that that brings out the meaning better. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof the glory, but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it, that is, his faith, was counted to him for righteousness, for that's what it was not, but that's what God counted it. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of death. Now, if you can work for your salvation, then God owes it to you. But, my friend, God never saves by any other means except grace. He's never had any other method of saving. And if you ever get saved, it'll be because you believe God. You accept Christ as your Savior. You believe that God has provided this salvation for you. And he makes it very clear here in verse 5. But to him that worketh not, no works at all, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. What kind of folk? Ungodly folk. His faith is counted for righteousness. It's counted for what it's not, and that's for righteousness. Now, Abraham just believed God. He just accepted what God said, and he believed God. That's the way you get saved, is to believe that God has done something for you. That Christ died for you and rose again. And God will declare you righteous by simply accepting Christ. Now, in the 3rd chapter of Galatians, you have that same great truth, by the way. And we're told here in verse 8 of Galatians 3, in the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. And then we're told back in verse 6, Even as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness, so then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. Faith that Abraham had made him faithful to God. But he's not saved by being faithful, he's saved by believing God. That's all important to see. Now, Abraham was a very practical man. He was not filled with a phony piosity, as we see a lot of that today. He's very practical. He now wants to know something, and he'd like to have something in writing. Will you listen to verse 7? He said unto him, I'm the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees to give thee this land to inherit it. Here God again says, I'm giving you this land to inherit it. And Abraham doesn't even have a deed. He has nothing in writing. As I said last time, God told him to go down to the courthouse, and I'll meet you down there, and we'll sign a contract. And you say to me, well, I've read that in my Bible, and it's certainly not there. Oh, it is in your Bible. You just have to read it right, though. Verse 8, and he said, here's Abraham now, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? You've told me that. How shall I know it? I'd like to have it in writing. Now, here's what God said do. And he said unto him, take me an heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another, but the birds divided he not. Now, the thing that God said for him to do is that you get a sacrifice. You get a heifer, she-goat, ram, and you divide them down the middle. That is, split them right down the middle, put one half on one side, one half on the other. Turtle doves you don't divide. You put one turtle dove over here, one over there. Now, when men made a contract in that day, that's the way they made it. They would fix a sacrifice like this, and the two men who were making a contract, if one man agreed to buy sheep from the other one, the party of the first part joins hands with the party of the second part, and then they state their contract. One says, this I agree to do. The other says, then I'll pay you so much. They join hands and walk through that. Now, that in that day corresponded to going down to the courthouse and signing before a notary. That's exactly what took place.