Study Desk

What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe.

For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands.

Does this happiness that David spoke of belong only to those who are circumcised? No indeed! It belongs also to those who are not circumcised. For we have quoted the scripture, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous."

For if what God promises is to be given to those who obey the Law, then faith means nothing and God's promise is worthless.

And so the promise was based on faith, in order that the promise should be guaranteed as God's free gift to all of Abraham's descendants—not just to those who obey the Law, but also to those who believe as Abraham did. For Abraham is the spiritual father of us all;

Abraham believed and hoped, even when there was no reason for hoping, and so became "the father of many nations." Just as the scripture says, "Your descendants will be as many as the stars."

The words "he was accepted as righteous" were not written for him alone.

They were written also for us who are to be accepted as righteous, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from death.

This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us.

For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose.

It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person.

But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!

For surely you know that when we were baptized into union with Christ Jesus, we were baptized into union with his death.

For since we have become one with him in dying as he did, in the same way we shall be one with him by being raised to life as he was.

For when we die, we are set free from the power of sin.

For we know that Christ has been raised from death and will never die again—death will no longer rule over him.

Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves to sin to be used for wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.

Sin must not be your master; for you do not live under law but under God's grace.

But thanks be to God! For though at one time you were slaves to sin, you have obeyed with all your heart the truths found in the teaching you received.

(I use everyday language because of the weakness of your natural selves.) At one time you surrendered yourselves entirely as slaves to impurity and wickedness for wicked purposes. In the same way you must now surrender yourselves entirely as slaves of righteousness for holy purposes.