Study Desk

In the same way, my brothers and sisters, your old selves died and you became free from the law through the body of Christ. Now you belong to someone else. You belong to the one who was raised from death. We belong to Christ so that we can be used in service to God.

In the past we were ruled by our sinful selves. The law made us want to do sinful things. And those sinful desires controlled our bodies, so that what we did only brought us spiritual death.

He did this so that we could be right just as the law said we must be. Now we don't live following our sinful selves. We live following the Spirit.

But before the two sons were born, God told Rebecca, "The older son will serve the younger." This was before the boys had done anything good or bad. God said this before they were born so that the boy he wanted would be chosen because of God's own plan. He was chosen because he was the one God wanted to call, not because of anything the boys did.

In the Scriptures God says to Pharaoh: "I made you king so that you could do this for me. I wanted to show my power through you. I wanted my name to be announced throughout the world."

He waited with patience so that he could make known the riches of his glory to the people he has chosen to receive his mercy. God has already prepared them to share his glory.

Christ ended the law so that everyone who believes in him is made right with God.

As the Scriptures say, "God caused the people to fall asleep." "God closed their eyes so that they could not see, and he closed their ears so that they could not hear. This continues until now."

Let their eyes be closed so that they cannot see. And let them be troubled forever."

You might say, "Branches were broken off so that I could be joined to their tree."

And now they are the ones who refuse to obey, because God showed mercy to you. But this happened so that they can also receive mercy from him.

All people have refused to obey God. And he has put them all together as people who don't obey him so that he can show mercy to everyone.

But be like the Lord Jesus Christ, so that when people see what you do, they will see Christ. Don't think about how to satisfy the desires of your sinful self.

That is why Christ died and rose from death to live again—so that he could be Lord over those who have died and those who are living.

Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. Those things were written so that we could have hope. That hope comes from the patience and encouragement that the Scriptures give us.

Christ also did this so that the non-Jewish people could praise God for the mercy he gives to them. The Scriptures say, "So I will give thanks to you among the people of other nations; I will sing praise to your name."

to be a servant of Christ Jesus for those who are not Jews. I serve like a priest whose duty it is to tell God's Good News. He gave me this work so that you non-Jewish people could be an offering that he will accept—an offering made holy by the Holy Spirit.

It has now been shown to us. It was made known by what the prophets wrote, as God commanded. And it has now been made known to all people so that they can believe and obey God, who lives forever.

He will keep you strong until the end so that on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes, you will be free from all blame.

God did this so that no one can stand before him and boast about anything.