Study Desk

There is a lot of difference between Adam's sin and God's gift. That one sin led to punishment. But God's gift made it possible for us to be acceptable to him, even though we have sinned many times.

When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God.

In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God.

But what good did you receive from the things you did? All you have to show for them is your shame, and they lead to death.

For example, the Law says that a man's wife must remain his wife as long as he lives. But once her husband is dead, she is free

Does this mean that the Law is sinful? Certainly not! But if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin is really like. For example, I would not have known what it means to want something that belongs to someone else, unless the Law had told me not to do that.

The Law of Moses cannot do this, because our selfish desires make the Law weak. But God set you free when he sent his own Son to be like us sinners and to be a sacrifice for our sin. God used Christ's body to condemn sin.

In fact, all creation is eagerly waiting for God to show who his children are.

The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free.

And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping.

However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.

In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words.

All of our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God's people.

We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose,

God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else?

Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us.

It is exactly as the Scriptures say, "For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way to be butchered."

and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!

I would gladly be placed under God's curse and be separated from Christ for the good of my own people.

Dear friends, my greatest wish and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.