“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Rom 4:3
“And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness”. Gen 15:6
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Heb 11:8-10
Abraham was made rightious long before there was a law or a Jewish nation. He was basically a Gentile. Abraham was righteous before God by his faith and belief just as we are today. Catholics attempt to convince people that somehow we need to go back under the law of works. The Catholics do follow Peter in one respect and that is in his errors one of which was trying to put them back under the law of works.
Galatians 2:14 “But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”
The Jews thought that the Christians should become Jews first and be controlled by laws and Peter fell into that trap. Catholics today would try to do the same thing by insisting we need to live under a set of laws and rules. Paul’s words to Peter apply to them as well.
True believers are not under the law but are under grace and covered by the blood of Jesus. They can try to condemn us but scripture teaches different.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Rom 8:1-2
“…. confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Rom 10:9-11
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
You imagine, crossing the desert is not works?