Study Desk

As the Scriptures say, "People in other nations insult God because of you."

Someone might say, "When I lie, it really gives God glory, because my lie makes his truth easier to see. So why am I judged a sinner?"

because no one can be made right with God by following the law. The law only shows us our sin.

God gave Jesus as a way to forgive people's sins through their faith in him. God can forgive them because the blood sacrifice of Jesus pays for their sins. God gave Jesus to show that he always does what is right and fair. He was right in the past when he was patient and did not punish people for their sins. And in our own time he still does what is right. God worked all this out in a way that allows him to judge people fairly and still make right any person who has faith in Jesus.

So do we have any reason to boast about ourselves? No reason at all. And why not? Because we are depending on the way of faith, not on what we have done in following the law.

That's why the Scriptures say, "Abraham believed God, and because of this he was accepted as one who is right with God."

Is this blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who are not circumcised? We have already said that it was because of Abraham's faith that he was accepted as one who is right with God.

Abraham and his descendants received the promise that they would get the whole world. But Abraham did not receive that promise because he followed the law. He received that promise because he was right with God through his faith.

because the law can only bring God's anger on those who disobey it. But if there is no law, then there is nothing to disobey.

They were also written for us. God will also accept us because we believe. We believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from death.

We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory.

And we are also happy with the troubles we have. Why are we happy with troubles? Because we know that these troubles make us more patient.

And this hope will never disappoint us. We know this because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave us.

And not only will we be saved, but we also rejoice right now in what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God's friends.

Sin came into the world because of what one man did. And with sin came death. So this is why all people must die—because all people have sinned.

But from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, everyone had to die. Adam died because he sinned by not obeying God's command. But even those who did not sin that same way had to die. That one man, Adam, can be compared to Christ, the one who was coming in the future.

But God's free gift is not like Adam's sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But the grace that people received from God was much greater. Many received God's gift of life by the grace of this other man, Jesus Christ.

One man sinned, and so death ruled all people because of that one man. But now some people accept God's full grace and his great gift of being made right. Surely they will have true life and rule through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God's grace.