To those who live conscientiously according to God's will, the Lord grants righteousness, and they are restored to a right standing with God. This was already said of the patriarch Abram: And he [Abram] believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness
(Genesis 15:6; see also Psalm 24:4–5; Psalm 106:31). It all comes down to faith manifested in actions. As James writes after pointing to Abraham's shining example: and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone
(James 2:23–24).
In answering the child's question (Deuteronomy 6:20), the parent immediately pointed to God's redeeming actions (Deuteronomy 6:21–22). God's miraculous deliverance by his mighty hand from the harsh land of slavery in Egypt motivates trust in this mighty God and encourages careful obedience to his commandments. A Christian sees God's powerful hand primarily at work in the saving work of Jesus Christ. This very gift encourages a life of gratitude before God. The Heidelberg Catechism therefore states: Because Christ, having redeemed us by his blood also renews us by his Holy Spirit to be his image, so that with our whole life we may show ourselves thankful to God for his benefits and that he may be praised by us
(Lord’s Day 32, Answer 86).
25 And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.’