James 2:23

"and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness", and he was called the friend of God."the Scripture was fulfilled" -The Scripture under consideration is Genesis 15:6. the same verse that Paul quotes in Romans 4:3. "Fulfilled"-"was actually and fully realized" (Vincent p. 745). "In God's sight his faith was fully approved…and the statement that Abraham believed God was shown to be true beyond any possibility of doubt, and was fully realized to the utmost limit" While the text of Genesis 22:1 doesn't mention the word "justified", the idea of being approved in the sight of God is present, when God re-states His promises to Abraham (Genesis 22:16). The word "reckoned" means to pass to one's account, "credit someone with something" (Arndt p. 476). In other words, Abraham was viewed by God as being innocent and just. This Scripture in Genesis 15:6 was not fulfilled until many years after it was stated. It demonstrates that justification, rather than being. one time act for all time, is. continual process.. continued course of living by. faith that is active is necessary.

Woods makes. good observation on Genesis 15:6. "there was nothing more, at the moment, for Abraham to do but to accept, without hesitation the assurances of such from God…It is. violent perversion of this passage and historic incident from it to assume that because Abraham's faith was accepted as an act of righteousness when there was nothing else required of him at the time that in our case faith will suffice without the performance of those conditions which are required of us now" (p. 146). In the book of Romans the faith that results in OUR justification includes confession (Romans 10:9) and baptism (James 6:1-5)."he was called the friend of God" -"loved by God" (Alford p. 1608). (2 Chronicles 20:7 "Abraham thy friend forever"; Isaiah 2:8 "the seed of Abraham thy friend"). "To this day it is said that Abraham is known among the Arabs as "El Khalil" equivalent to "the Friend" (Pulpit Commentary p. 32).