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How Faith Makes Us Right with God

May 21, 2026
00:00

Through faith, we enjoy the credit of Christ’s righteousness to our account. That is the basis of our standing before God.

Guest (Male): Open the Bible with Colin Smith.

Colin Smith: How does faith in Jesus make us right with God? Well, suppose you have a credit card debt and a friend decides to help you. He asks you how much you owe. "It’s $10,000," you say. Your friend offers to wire you the money, and when the transfer is made, your debt is paid, but your gain is his loss.

What is counted to you is counted against him, and that’s the language of the Bible: Abraham believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Now, if Jesus credits righteousness to us, he must assume a massive debt, and that’s what he did at the cross.

All of our debt was loaded onto Jesus, and when you believe in him, the Father will credit his righteousness to you.

Guest (Male): Are you open to learning the Bible story? Well then, come to openthebible.org.

This transcript is provided as a written companion to the original message and may contain inaccuracies or transcription errors. For complete context and clarity, please refer to the original audio recording. Time-sensitive references or promotional details may be outdated. This material is intended for personal use and informational purposes only.

Featured Offer

Grow in Faith by Colin Smith

Everyone longs for hope. Everyone needs love. And everyone needs something–or someone–to believe in. The Christian life is marked by three enduring gifts—faith, hope, and love. In Grow in Faith, you’ll spend 30 days learning to trust God more deeply, anchoring your heart in His promises and strengthening your confidence in Him each day. This book can be read on its own or alongside Grow in Hope and Grow in Love as part of a devotional journey through the enduring gifts of faith, hope, and love.

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About Open the Bible Minute

Open the Bible is the teaching ministry of Pastor Colin Smith. Our mission is to use a broad array of modern media to help people around the world meet Jesus. We do this by opening the Bible for them, helping them open the Bible themselves, and equipping them to open the Bible with others.

About Colin Smith

Colin Smith is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a thriving, multi-campus church located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and Founder and Teaching Pastor of Open the Bible.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, he trained at the London School of Theology where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Theology and Master of Philosophy. Before coming to the States in 1996, Colin served as senior pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London.

He is the author of several books including Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings through the Beatitudes; Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross; Jonah: Navigating a God-Centered Life; The One Year Unlocking the Bible Devotional; 10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible; The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life; as well as others. His preaching ministry is shared around the world through Open the Bible.

Colin and his wife Karen reside in Arlington Heights, Ill., and have two married sons and five granddaughters.

Contact Open the Bible Minute with Colin Smith

Mailing Address
Open the Bible
P.O. Box 3454
Barrington, IL 60011
Telephone
1-877-OPEN-365