The mathematics of faith

After Romans 4:1-12

It’s about subtraction

and addition. Faith,

that is. The formula:

sin is subtracted, evil

is taken away, wiped clean.

Guilt is washed away.

Righteousness is added,

a transfer of assets 

to our bank account,

counted as payment

in full, sufficient by itself,

sufficient in itself.

The mathematics of faith

turns mathematics on its head.

It’s a gift, underserved,

unmerited, unearned but

freely offered and

freely given.

Photograph by Annie Spratt via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Faithful Abe

After Romans 4:1-12

It’s almost a question of math,

this counting business. Simple

addition on a tally sheet as

you keep track of each work,

each good thing you do (no

one keep a tally of their bad

works). So you add them up

and you get exactly nothing,

because they don’t count,

works don’t count. Ask Abe.

Abe had more than sufficient

works to his credit, works he 

could boast about. Yet it

wasn’t what he did that made 

the final addition, the summary

on the scoresheet. Only one thing

added up, only one thing counted.

He believed.

Photograph by Antoine Dautry via Unsplash. Used with permission.