Study Desk

They knew only what others were saying: "The man who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith that he once tried to destroy!"

Yet we know that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires. We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be put right with God through our faith in Christ, and not by doing what the Law requires. For no one is put right with God by doing what the Law requires.

so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.

Consider the experience of Abraham; as the scripture says, "He believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous."

You should realize, then, that the real descendants of Abraham are the people who have faith.

The scripture predicted that God would put the Gentiles right with himself through faith. And so the scripture announced the Good News to Abraham: "Through you God will bless all people."

Now, it is clear that no one is put right with God by means of the Law, because the scripture says, "Only the person who is put right with God through faith shall live."

But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, as the scripture says, "Whoever does everything the Law requires will live."

Christ did this in order that the blessing which God promised to Abraham might be given to the Gentiles by means of Christ Jesus, so that through faith we might receive the Spirit promised by God.

But the scripture says that the whole world is under the power of sin; and so the gift which is promised on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ is given to those who believe.

But before the time for faith came, the Law kept us all locked up as prisoners until this coming faith should be revealed.

And so the Law was in charge of us until Christ came, in order that we might then be put right with God through faith.

Now that the time for faith is here, the Law is no longer in charge of us.

It is through faith that all of you are God's children in union with Christ Jesus.

As for us, our hope is that God will put us right with him; and this is what we wait for by the power of God's Spirit working through our faith.

For when we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love.

So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith.