Study Desk

Everything depends on having faith in God, so that God's promise is assured by his great kindness. This promise isn't only for Abraham's descendants who have the Law. It is for all who are Abraham's descendants because they have faith, just as he did. Abraham is the ancestor of us all.

So God accepted him,

God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God.

Christ has also introduced us to God's undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God.

Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die.

Death ruled like a king because Adam had sinned. But that cannot compare with what Jesus Christ has done. God has been so kind to us, and he has accepted us because of Jesus. And so we will live and rule like kings.

The Law came, so that the full power of sin could be seen. Yet where sin was powerful, God's kindness was even more powerful.

What should we say? Should we keep on sinning, so that God's wonderful kindness will show up even better?

When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.

We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so that our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin.

Don't let sin rule your body. After all, your body is bound to die, so don't obey its desires

I am using these everyday examples, because in some ways you are still weak. You used to let the different parts of your body be slaves of your evil thoughts. But now you must make every part of your body serve God, so that you will belong completely to him.

That is how it is with you, my friends. You are now part of the body of Christ and are dead to the power of the Law. You are free to belong to Christ, who was raised to life so that we could serve God.

So I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.

And so, if I don't do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.

Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me. So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin.

He did this, so that we would do what the Law commands by obeying the Spirit instead of our own desires.

But Christ lives in you. So you are alive because God has accepted you, even though your bodies must die because of your sins.

and he has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son would be the first of many children.

I am a follower of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is a witness to my conscience. So I tell the truth and I am not lying when I say