Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Without God in the equation, there will be nothing even remotely close to cooperation on our part, and thus, the glory and credit for cooperation belongs to God, and God alone. This second prominent feature of righteousness by faith is of critical importance for all to understand, for it is Christocentric in nature.
One of the reasons why later on, in his experience, we find Abraham laughing at the promise God made is because at that point he had come to a realization that there was nothing he himself could do, to make the promise become a reality. When God first made the promise to him, he still had some “Juice” in him, and because of this, he did not find the promise to be laughable, for in his mind there was still hope and room for his own efforts.
But several years have now elapsed, between the promise and its fulfilment, and numerous, untiring efforts have been made to bring it to pass, yet, for some reason it seems to be out of Abraham’s reach. And now, with old age taking its toll on his libido, he begins to stagger at the promise, for in his mind, the fulfillment of the promise has become scientifically implausible.
John 15: 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He who abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!