Study Desk

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.

So people get what God promised by having faith. This happens so that the promise can be a free gift. And if the promise is a free gift, then all of Abraham's people will get that promise. The promise is not just for those who live under the Law of Moses. It is for all who live with faith as Abraham did. He is the father of us all.

As the Scriptures say, "I have made you a father of many nations." This is true before God, the one Abraham believed—the God who gives life to the dead and speaks of things that don't yet exist as if they are real.

There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, "You will have many descendants."

Abraham was almost a hundred years old, so he was past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham was well aware of this, but his faith in God never became weak.

He never doubted that God would do what he promised. He never stopped believing. In fact, he grew stronger in his faith and just praised God.

Abraham felt sure that God was able to do what he promised.

So that's why "he was accepted as one who is right with God."

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.

Jesus was handed over to die for our sins, and he was raised from death to make us right with God.

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

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.

Christ died for us when we were unable to help ourselves. We were living against God, but at just the right time Christ died for us.

But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.

We have been made right with God by the blood sacrifice of Christ. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God's anger.

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 was in the world before the Law of Moses. But God does not consider people guilty of sin if there is no law.

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.

After Adam sinned once, he was judged guilty. But the gift of God is different. His free gift came after many sins, and it makes people right with him.

So that one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people. But in the same way, Christ did something so good that it makes all people right with God. And that brings them true life.