The fact that we are under the law of the Spirit of life shows that we are still under a law—the law of Christ (see Galatians 6:2 and 1 Corinthians 9:21). We are not called to lawlessness, and no believer can rightly be said to be totally free from all law. The law of Christ is to love God with all our being and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:32–33)


Romans 8 reminds us that salvation is primarily a work of God in us. It is the Holy Spirit who indwells and sanctifies us to be more like Christ


Galatians 6:2 states, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (emphasis added). What exactly is the law of Christ, and how is it fulfilled by carrying each other’s burdens? While the law of Christ is also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:21, the Bible nowhere specifically defines what precisely is the law of Christ. However, most Bible teachers understand the law of Christ to be what Christ stated were the greatest commandments in Mark 12:28–31, “‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’”

The law of Christ, then, is to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In Mark 12:32–33, the scribe who asked Jesus the question responds with, “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” In this, Jesus and the scribe agreed that those two commands are the core of the entire Old Testament Law. All of the Old Testament Law can be placed in the category of “loving God” or “loving your neighbor.”

Various New Testament scriptures state that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Law, bringing it to completion and conclusion (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23–25; Ephesians 2:15). In place of the Old Testament Law, Christians are to obey the law of Christ. Rather than trying to remember the over 600 individual commandments in the Old Testament Law, Christians are simply to focus on loving God and loving others. If Christians would truly and wholeheartedly obey those two commands, we would be fulfilling everything that God requires of us.

Christ freed us from the bondage of the hundreds of commands in the Old Testament Law and instead calls on us to love. First John 4:7–8 declares, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” First John 5:3 continues, “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.”

Some use the fact that we are not under the Old Testament Law as an excuse to sin. The apostle Paul addresses this very issue in Romans. “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15). For the follower of Christ, the avoidance of sin is to be accomplished out of love for God and love for others. Love is to be our motivation. When we recognize the value of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, our response is to be love, gratitude, and obedience. When we understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us and others, our response is to be to follow His example in expressing love to others. Our motivation for overcoming sin should be love, not a desire to legalistically obey a series of commandments. We are to obey the law of Christ because we love Him, not so that we can check off a list of commands that we successfully obeyed.
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Romans 8:16 states, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” The theme of this passage is that believers are heirs with Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us great assurance of our position in God’s family.

Romans 8 begins with the declaration that there is “now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, ESV). Because there is no condemnation, believers are perfectly secure in Christ. Their sins are forgiven, and they will not face judgment in the form of condemnation. Paul goes on to contrast life in the flesh, characterized by sin and death, with life in the Spirit, characterized by righteousness and life (Romans 8:5–11). The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit marks believers as God’s children.

When Paul says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God children” (Romans 8:16), he is pointing to an intimate interaction between the Holy Spirit and our inner being. The Greek word translated as “testifies” here means “bears witness, confirms, or affirms truth.” The truth being confirmed is that we are God’s children.

The testimony of the Holy Spirit also provides believers with assurance of salvation and of our adoption into God’s family. In Romans 8:15, Paul writes, “You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father!” (ESV). The Holy Spirit’s confirmation of us as children of God is significant. He assures us that we are not just servants or followers of Christ, but beloved children of God. We can call God our Father or “Abba,” an Aramaic term that conveys intimacy and affection.

The Spirit’s testimony is also mentioned in Galatians 4:6, where Paul states, “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” This reinforces the idea that the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. He is the sign and seal of our adoption.

The assurance of our adoption into God’s family is rooted in the objective work of Christ on the cross. Ephesians 1:13–14 speaks of the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our precious inheritance in Christ: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (ESV).

Can God justly condemn someone who is ignorant of the Mosaic Law? Paul says the answer is “yes”: “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them” (ESV).

In the book of Romans, there are several passages that seem to support the idea that ignorance of the Mosaic Law pardons sinful behavior. For instance, in Romans 5:13, Paul says, “Sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law” (ESV). And in Romans 7:7, Paul asks, “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’” (ESV). A reasonable inference is that God cannot condemn people who are ignorant of the Mosaic Law, but is that a proper conclusion to draw?

According to Paul, God can justly condemn people for sin because the “law is written on their hearts” (Romans 2:15, ESV). No, not the Mosaic Law, but God’s absolute and universal moral law. God’s moral law is manifest to everyone—both Jew and Gentile. Paul says, “The wrath of God is revealed from against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse” (Romans 1:18–20, ESV). Creation, then, reveals enough about God to hold people accountable for sin and unbelief.

Gentiles may not have the Mosaic Law, but they naturally “do what the law requires” (Romans 2:14, ESV). How can this be? Again, they possess an internal awareness of God’s moral law. This makes them a law to themselves, even though they do not have the Mosaic Law. There are many unsaved people who believe that it is wrong to murder someone or commit rape or steal someone’s possessions or commit adultery. The list goes on. These things reveal that God’s “law is written on their hearts” (Romans 2:15, ESV).

Whether they are Jew or Gentile, God justly condemns people for sin and unbelief. He has provided sufficient evidence for His existence and righteous demands, yet sinners suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Those who suppress the truth cannot stand before God and say they were ignorant of it. No, they will all give an account some day: “The Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done” (Matthew 16:27).


In his letters, the apostle Paul warned the believers in the churches in Rome and Galatia not to place their hope for salvation in the works of the law. To the Roman Christians, he said, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his [God’s] sight” (Romans 3:20). To the Galatian believers: “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16; cf. 3:5). To justify is to declare righteous.

The “works of the law” are the actions performed to fulfill the Mosaic Law found in the first five books of the Old Testament. Keeping the Sabbath, being circumcised (the issue before the Galatian churches), eating “clean” foods, and other ceremonies are powerless to justify us in the sight of God. In addition, following the morality of the law (not murdering, not committing adultery, not stealing) is insufficient to make us right in God’s eyes. No act on the part of sinful creatures can result in God’s declaring them to be righteous in His sight.

Why can’t the works of the law save us? First, because the works of the law can never be done completely. The standard is perfection, and that means “good enough” won’t pass muster. Paul explains to the Galatians: “All who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law’” (Galatians 3:10, emphasis added). James further explains that anyone who offends in just one point is guilty of breaking the whole of the law (James 2:10). There are over six hundred individual commandments in the Mosaic Law, and breaking just one of them one time renders a person guilty. No one but Jesus ever kept the law perfectly.

Second, the law was never intended to justify anyone; it was given to show us our sinfulness and to reveal the perfect holiness of the Lawgiver (Romans 3:20). Without the law, we would not know what sin is (Romans 7:7). The law is holy because God is holy. Just as a straightedge reveals the crookedness of a line, so the law of God exposes our lack of holiness. No one measures up to God’s standard (Romans 3:10). The law cannot justify; it can only condemn. No one can stand before a holy God on the basis of his own efforts, even if those efforts include a hearty attempt at keeping the works of the law.

If the works of the law justify no one, and serve only to reveal our own sinfulness and our desperate state, what are we to do? The Bible offers the only solution to the problem of sin: “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:21–22). This is why “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17, NKJV).

We can only be declared righteous “by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28), and that faith must rest in the only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). To continue to attempt to earn a place in heaven through the works of the law is to ignore the sacrifice of Christ: “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21).

The context of Romans 4 is salvation by faith. Paul uses the example of the patriarch Abraham to show how our relationship with God is based on faith and not the works of the Law. Romans 4:17 states, “As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’ [Abraham] is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.”

The truth that God “calls into being things that were not” is expressed various ways in various translations: God “calleth those things which be not as though they were” (KJV), “calls into existence the things that do not exist” (ESV), “calls into being that which does not exist” (NASB), and “summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do” (NET).

It is possible to understand the last part of Romans 4:17 as meaning that God has the ability to create ex nihilo. This idea is brought out in translations that say that God “creates new things out of nothing” (NLT) or simply “creates new things” (CEV). The “nothing” in this context would be the deadness of Sarah’s womb (verse 19), and the “new things” that God creates would be Abraham’s offspring mentioned in verse 18. God gives life to the dead and creates something from nothing.

The other translations emphasize the decree of God—the fact that He “calls” or “summons.” When God speaks, it’s as good as done. He changed Abram’s name to Abraham (“father of a multitude”) while Sarah was still childless. God spoke of Abraham’s descendants when as yet there were none. God truly has the ability to speak of impossible things and, in the speaking, make them possible.

Abraham heard God’s promise and believed it. That faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness (Genesis 15:6) and provides the example of all who would later exercise faith in God (Romans 4:11). Looking into the future, God can speak of things that do not exist as if they do exist. God has power over death and the ability to create life. Abraham believed this, and so do we, if we are spiritual descendants of Abraham (see Galatians 3:29).

Some Word of Faith groups misuse Romans 4:17 to teach the name-it-claim-it doctrine. According to this false doctrine, we can speak God’s Word over our finances, our bodies, our automobiles, etc., and see miraculous results to our benefit. All we need is a “confession” and enough faith, and God will transform the physical realm into an environment of blessing. We can “speak those things that are not as though they are,” sit back, and enjoy the fruit of our words. Of course, Romans 4:17 is not remotely about the power of our words; it is about the power of God’s promises and His faithfulness to keep those promises. Isaac, the son of promise, was not born because Abraham “confessed” or “declared” certain words but because God promised he would be.

​Paul’s Epistle to the Romans is important in that it explains the mercies of God and what we are expected to do in light of those mercies. In Romans 1—3:20 Paul explains that all people fall short of God’s standards, are unrighteous, and need His grace. In Romans 3:21—4:25, Paul explains how God expressed His grace in His good news (or gospel) of righteousness. Romans 5—8 describes the results of that grace applied in salvation through Jesus Christ and what that means for those who have believed in Him. It is in that section that Paul asserts that where sin abounded grace abounded more (Romans 5:20). Romans 9—11 illustrates God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His salvation promises by using the example of Israel and explaining how one day the entire people of Israel will be delivered. Romans 12—16underscores the responsibilities believers have to walk in the mercies that God has shown.

As Paul is explaining in Romans 5—8 the results of salvation by grace through faith, in order to show the magnificence of God’s grace, Paul first illustrates the human need for grace. We have been justified (declared righteous by God), and now we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). Before that we were helpless (Romans 5:6), and we were enemies of God (Romans 5:10). We were in bondage under sin because we were born from Adam, whose sin left a stain on all those who would follow in his line (Romans 5:12–19). As if sin wasn’t grievous enough, sin was amplified by law or ethics and rules of behavior in general (Romans 5:20) and was later amplified even further by the Law of Moses, which became a tutor to show people their need for Christ (Galatians 3:17–24). But in His grace God did not leave us in this hopeless and helpless position. While we were still helpless, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6), expressing the ultimate gift of grace and providing for our justification by faith in Him. The result is peace with God.

No longer are we enemies of God or children of wrath as we once were (Ephesians 2:1–3), because where sin abounded grace abounded more (Romans 5:20). Even when human law and the Law of Moses brought increased opportunity for sin (Romans 7:7–8), God’s grace still covered all of it through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross, because while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Paul explains this later as the essence of the gospel—that Christ died for our sin (1 Corinthians 15:1–3). Because where sin abounded grace abounded more (Romans 5:20), we can have justification and new life through Jesus Christ by believing in Him.

Because of God’s grace expressed through the blood of Jesus poured out as a substitute for us, we are no longer in bondage to sin and are now free to live in Christ (Romans 6:6–8). This is why Paul could exclaim that he was not ashamed of the gospel—it is how God has provided for the salvation of all who believe in Jesus Christ, no matter their past (Romans 1:16–17). Where sin abounded, grace abounded more (Romans 5:20), and because of God’s abounding grace, we can now be filled with joy, peace, and hope (Romans 15:13).

In Romans 1, Paul addresses the Gentile believers at Rome and begins by explaining his mission, which was to preach the gospel to everyone. He concludes his explanation by saying, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Romans 1:16–17; cf. Habakkuk 2:4).

The word translated “ashamed” means “disgraced” or “personally humiliated.” A person “ashamed” in this way is like someone singled out for misplacing his confidence—he trusted in something, and that something let him down. The word can refer to being dishonored because of forming the wrong alliances. So, when Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel, he is saying his confidence in the gospel is not misplaced. There is no disgrace in declaring it. Paul had given his life to proclaiming the truths that Jesus Himself had revealed to him (Acts 9:3–6; 2 Corinthians 12:2–4). He explained to the Romans why he did not believe that he had wrongly identified with Jesus and why proclaiming Jesus’ message was his life’s work.

The application can extend to us as well. Just as Paul placed his confidence in the gospel of Christ, so can we. We can proclaim with boldness the truths that God has revealed in His Word, with no fear that our confidence is misplaced. “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame” (Romans 10:11; cf. Isaiah 28:16). We can rest in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of Scripture never changes (2 Peter 1:21; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). What was true thousands of years ago is still true. The offer of salvation that was presented to people of the first century is still open to us (Acts 2:39; John 17:20).

From faith to faith is an expression found in some versions of Romans 1:17, such as the King James Version, the New American Standard Bible, and the Christian Standard Bible. The English Standard Version uses the wording “from faith for faith” instead. The meaning of the phrase becomes more evident in the New International Version: “by faith from first to last.” And perhaps the most transparent rendering of the verse for today’s reader is found in the New Living Translation: “from start to finish by faith.”

To fully understand what from faith to faith means, we must consider the phrase in context. In the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, the apostle introduces himself to the church in Rome. While many of the believers there would have heard of Paul, they had not yet met him personally. In preparation for a future visit, Paul wants the members of the church to know him sufficiently to discern fact from fiction concerning his identity.

In Romans 1:16–17, Paul reaches the high point of his introductory greeting to the church in Rome: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (NLT).

Nothing mattered more to Paul than fulfilling God’s will for his life, which was to preach the good news of salvation. Without the good news of the gospel, and without the power that is the gospel, there can be no salvation, no freedom from sin, no redemption, and no life. The power of the gospel is the theme of Paul’s letter to the Romans and the ambition of his life.

Paul writes with full knowledge that the church in Rome is facing persecution and suffering under Roman oppression. Many of the believers there are experiencing humiliation and shame because of their faith in Christ. Paul wants them to be assured that the worldly power of Rome cannot hold a candle to the mighty power of God—the gospel of Jesus Christ. That gospel is God’s limitless power directed toward the salvation of men and women. For every person who believes, whether Jew or Gentile, man or woman, black or white, the gospel effectively becomes the saving power of God.

Paul tells the Roman Christians that “in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed” (Romans 1:17). Righteousness is thus a complete and total work of God. Humans tend to view righteousness as something we can achieve by our own merit or actions. But the righteousness of God is different. It is a right standing before God that has nothing to do with human accomplishment or worth. It is received by faith. There is nothing we can do to deserve or earn it.

The exact meaning of Paul’s phrase from faith to faith has been debated, with several plausible explanations proposed. Some understand it in relation to the origin of faith: “From the faith of God, who makes the offer of salvation, to the faith of men, who receive it.” In simpler terms, “Salvation comes from God’s faith (or faithfulness) to our faith.” This was Karl Barth’s impression of the phrase from faith to faith, that salvation is accomplished through God’s faithfulness, which comes first, and our faith in response to that.

Others believe that Paul had the spreading of faith through evangelism in mind: “From the faith of one believer to another.” A third and widely accepted understanding is that from faith to faith speaks of a progressive, growing development of faith “from one degree of faith to another” akin to the “ever-increasing glory” of 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Another view is that Paul meant that from day one of our journey of faith until the very last day, we (the righteous) must live by faith. Whether we are brand-new followers of Christ or seasoned, mature believers who have walked with the Lord for many years, we must trust God “from start to finish” and rely on His mighty power—the power of the gospel—to change our lives and the lives of those we encounter.

In Romans 2:3–4, the apostle Paul addresses a Jewish audience (see Romans 2:17), cautioning them against hypocrisy and judgmentalism. He points out that their condemning of the Gentiles for sins they also committed showed contempt for the patience, tolerance, and goodness of God that they themselves had received: “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (NKJV).

“The goodness of God” simply refers to His kindness. In the original Greek, the term translated as “goodness” (KJV, NKJV) or “kindness” (NIV, ESV) means “the quality of being warmhearted, considerate, humane, gentle, and sympathetic.” Paul often spoke of the Lord’s extraordinary kindness toward us and how the goodness of God ought to motivate us to be kind to others (Romans 11:22; Ephesians 2:7; Titus 3:4).

King David observed how God’s people have long celebrated His “abundant goodness” (Psalm 145:7; cf. Exodus 18:9; Isaiah 63:7; Psalm 27:13). Because of His goodness, God made an everlasting covenant with Israel, saying, “I will never stop doing good to them” (Jeremiah 32:40). God blessed Israel with rich physical and spiritual resources. He gave them a “good land” flowing with milk and honey (Deuteronomy 8:7; see also Exodus 3:8, 17; 33:3; Numbers 13:27; Deuteronomy 26:9) where He promised to shepherd, protect, and care for them (Psalm 23; 28:9; 121:3–5). In His goodness, God laid out the law so that, through obedience, they “might always prosper and be kept alive” (Deuteronomy 6:24).

God established the tabernacle (and later the temple) so His people would have a tangible reminder of His presence (Exodus 25:8; 33:9–10; 40:34–35). He gave them a system of worship and the priesthood to make atonement for their sins (Leviticus 9:7). All these Old Testament blessings pointed to God’s Son, the Messiah, whom He would send as Israel’s Savior—the ultimate demonstration of God’s goodness and kindness (Acts 10:38; Hebrews 9:11; 2 Corinthians 9:15). Even though Israel rejected the Messiah and crucified Him, God continued to give them every opportunity to be saved, pouring out His grace and delaying His judgment (John 1:16–17).

It is not fear of judgment or punishment that leads people to repent of their sins and be saved, but the goodness of God and “the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us” (Ephesians 2:7, NLT). God is not a heartless dictator but a merciful, forgiving, loving God (Psalm 25:6; Daniel 9:9; Ephesians 2:4; James 5:11; 1 Peter 1:3). He is patient with sinners who deserve judgment because He “wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4, NLT; see also Isaiah 30:18; Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9).

God’s children—those who know and have experienced the goodness of God—must never forget to show His kindness and mercy to others. Jesus said, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1, NLT; see also Romans 14:13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; James 5:9). Jesus wasn’t suggesting that we ignore immorality in others (see Matthew 18:15–18; Hebrews 3:13). Both Jesus and Paul were speaking against the self-righteous, hypocritical tendency to point the finger at someone else and not realize that three fingers are pointing back at us.

Believers can evaluate the character and actions of others and recognize sin. But whenever we confront sin in someone else, we must remember that God’s goodness leads people to repentance. As we attempt to bring correction, healing, and restoration, we must maintain an attitude of love, gentleness, and humility, carefully keeping an eye on our own spiritual state (Psalm 141:5; 1 Corinthians 4:21; Hebrews 12:13; Galatians 6:1–2; 2 Timothy 2:25; James 5:19–20).

n Romans 5:12–21, the apostle Paul discusses the widespread problem of sin, which “entered the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (verse 12). In Romans 6:3–7, Paul introduces the solution to this universal human problem of sin: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3–4, ESV).

Water baptism serves as a visual representation of the profound spiritual reality in which born-again believers are identified with the second Adam, who is Jesus Christ (see Romans 5:14–21; 1 Corinthians 15:47). Through spiritual baptism, believers become partakers in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the source of their new life in Christ: “For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead” (Colossians 2:12, NLT). Adam’s “one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,” whereas Christ’s “one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people” (Romans 5:18).

Paul’s message in Romans 6 is that believers in Jesus Christ are no longer condemned to a life of sin and death. At the moment of salvation, we are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ’s death and subsequent resurrection (John 3:5; Ephesians 2:18; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 8:12; 10:44–48). Our death sentence, which we inherited through Adam, is reversed through our union with Jesus Christ and our participation in His death, burial, and resurrection. We are not literally crucified as Christ was, but when we believe in Him and what He did—that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose to life—we are spiritually baptized into His death.

The word baptized means “submerged or immersed in.” As believers, we are all “in Jesus Christ . . . through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26–27). We have become spiritual participants who are wholly immersed in Christ’s death so that “we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4, ESV) in Him. Since we are “united with him in his death,” we are also “raised to life as he was” (Romans 6:5, NLT). Our old sinful nature is “crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin” (Romans 6:6–7, NLT).

Before salvation, we “were dead because of [our] disobedience and [our] many sins. [We] used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world . . . following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. . . . But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead” (Ephesians 2:1–4, NLT).

Being baptized into His death signifies our death to sin (Galatians 2:20). Christ’s atoning sacrifice breaks the power of sin over us (Romans 6:9–14), liberating us to live for God’s glory (Romans 6:10, 13) and to “become slaves to righteous living” (Romans 6:18, NLT). Our previous identification with Adam in sin, shame, judgment, and death is now replaced by an alliance with Christ in righteousness, justification, freedom, and life.

Warren Wiersbe expounds on the believer’s identification with Christ through baptism into His death: “I am in Christ and identified with Him. Therefore, whatever happened to Christ has happened to me. When He died, I died. When He arose, I arose in Him. I am now seated with Him in the heavenlies! . . . Because of this living union with Christ, the believer has a totally new relationship to sin” (The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1, Victor Books, 1996, p. 531).

In Romans 5 Paul explains some of the marvelous benefits of being justified (declared righteous) in God’s sight, but what does it mean when He says that “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5)?

The full verse is “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5, NKJV). In the context, Paul explains that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1); because of that, we stand in His grace and we rejoice, looking forward to the unveiling of His glory (Romans 5:2). As we look forward in hope and anticipation, we can even rejoice in our tribulations (Romans 5:3a). We don’t take joy in the tribulations themselves; rather, we rejoice in what they accomplish in our lives. Paul lays out the progression of results from the difficulties we encounter: “Knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance” (Romans 5:3b, NASB). Encountering hardship strengthens us and can enable us to withstand even more.

Another word for perseverance is longsuffering—when we encounter tribulations, it can help us “suffer long” and endure. Perseverance brings about proven character (Romans 5:4a). The quality of our character is tested in trials, and when we have endured, our character is no longer hypothetical; it is proven. Proven character brings about hope (Romans 5:4b). When we have endured, and our character has been tested and shown to be faithful, that helps us to have a strong hope—not simply a wish for something, but an anticipation of what will certainly come.

Finally, Paul adds that “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5) or “hope does not put us to shame” (ESV). That kind of hope is certain because it relies upon God’s power, His promises, and His sacrifice (Romans 5:6–11) and not our own merits. That kind of hope is certain because of what He has accomplished, not because of any work on our part. Because Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), we have been justified, and we will be delivered from the future wrath of God (Romans 5:9). We were not saved based on our own righteousness; rather, we were reconciled (given peace with God) even while we were enemies of God, and so we will be saved by His life (Romans 5:10).

While each of us will encounter difficulties—even tribulations or trials—Paul helps us recognize that those circumstances are part of God’s recipe for our growth. “Hope does not disappoint.” James offers a similar exhortation: “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4, NASB). Trials and difficulties are designed to produce in believers an eternal benefit. It is for this reason—“hope does not disappoint”—that we can and should rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Sometimes it helps to have an example of how “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5), and Paul provides such an example for us in Philippians 4 as he explains that he has learned how to be content in any circumstances (Philippians 4:11). He can deal with humble means or prosperity, being filled or being hungry, having much or suffering need (Philippians 4:12). Whether in good or bad circumstances, Paul had learned to persevere because he recognized that he “can do all things through Him who strengthens” (Philippians 4:13, ESV). The same one who strengthened Paul to have that kind of contentment and courage strengthens us, working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), and that ultimate good is that we will be more Christlike. Because it is His power at work, we know that His kind of “hope does not disappoint.”

The world is presently under a curse pronounced by its Creator because of sin and rebellion (Genesis 3:14, 17). Along with everything else in creation, the children of God groan under the heavy weight of that curse (see Romans 8:19–23). This dark and broken world is all we know right now. But one day, the curse of sin will be lifted (Revelation 22:1–5). The newly created heavens and earth and all who are made new in Christ will bask in God’s glory (Revelation 22:1–5). Until then, believers experience a foretaste of that future glory: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:22–23, ESV).

Firstfruits is an Old Testament term indicating the first and best portion of the harvest, which God designated for Himself and His priests (Leviticus 2:12; 23:10; Deuteronomy 18:4). Here in Romans 8:23, the apostle Paul uses the expression firstfruits of the Spirit as a metaphor for God’s transformative work of the Spirit in His people—a work of sanctification that will eventually culminate in resurrection glory. We groan now because we live in a fallen world, but we know the best is yet to come.

At salvation, when we receive the Holy Spirit, we get a taste of the entire, all-you-can-eat spiritual buffet that will be ours in heaven when we come into our full inheritance as God’s children. Paul tells the Corinthians that God has “set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:22; see also 2 Corinthians 5:5).

Paul writes to the Ephesians, “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:13–14, see also Ephesians 4:30). The firstfruits of the Spirit are equivalent to a deposit or a down payment from God providing the certainty that one day we will be given of our complete spiritual inheritance as adopted sons and daughters of God.

Having the firstfruits of the Spirit enables us to “lay aside every weight” of sin (Hebrews 12:1). It also allows us to endure hardship in our current state because “what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18, NLT). We can be “pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed, . . . perplexed, but not driven to despair, . . . hunted down, but never abandoned by God, . . . knocked down, but we are not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9, NLT).

The firstfruits of the Spirit empower us to “rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance” (Romans 5:3, NLT; see also James 1:1–12; 5:7–12). And we don’t give up or lose hope because, “though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:16–17, NLT). We know with all assurance “that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us . . . to himself” (2 Corinthians 4:14).

The firstfruits of the Spirit remind us daily as we groan in this life that this world is not our permanent home: “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. . . . [W]e want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:1–4, NLT).

One day we will stand before Jesus face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will see Him, and we will be like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:49), and we will live with Him and serve Him forever in glory (Romans 6:8; 2 Timothy 2:11; 4:18; 1 John 2:25; 5:11; Revelation 1:6; 20:6).

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The Bible uses symbolism to deepen the message God has for His people. One such symbol is that of potter and clay. The most detailed example is found in Jeremiah 18. God instructed the prophet Jeremiah to go to a potter’s house where God would illustrate His relationship with Israel. Verses 2–6 say, “So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.’”

Although God allows human beings freedom to make moral choices, He demonstrates often that He is still sovereign and in control of His universe. He does whatever He wills with His creation (Psalm 135:6; 115:3; Daniel 4:35; Isaiah 46:9–11). We need frequent reminders that God is over all and can do as He pleases whether we understand His actions or not (Romans 9:20–21). He owes us nothing yet chooses to extend to us the utmost patience, kindness, and compassion (Jeremiah 9:24; Psalm 36:10; 103:4, 17). The potter working with the clay reminds us that God is at work in us “for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Isaiah 45:9 says, “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’?”

God has created each of us the way He wants us (Psalm 139:13–16; Exodus 4:11). It is our responsibility to take what He has given us and use it for His glory and pleasure. In doing so, we find our ultimate fulfillment. Rather than live with disappointment and dissatisfaction with what God has or has not given us, we can choose to thank Him in everything (Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:15). Just as the clay finds its highest purpose when it remains pliable in the hands of the potter, so our lives fulfill their highest purpose when we let our Potter have His way with us.

Romans 1

Paul Greets the Saints in Rome

1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God— 2the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
5Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: 

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.



Unashamed of the Gospel

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world. 9God, whom I serve with my spirita in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10in my prayers at all times, asking that now at last by God’s will I may succeed in coming to you. 11For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,12that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

13I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visitingb until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. 14I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks,c both to the wise and the foolish. 15That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek. 17For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish,d just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

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God’s Wrath against Sin

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

21For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise!f Amen.

26For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents.31They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless.

32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.


Footnotes:

9 a Or in my spirit 
13 b Literally but have been prevented 
14 c Literally to Greeks and barbarians 
17 d Literally For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith 
17 e Habakkuk 2:4
25 f Or forever blessed 



Romans 2

God’s Righteous Judgment

(Psalm 75:1–10)

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
5But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”a 7To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.
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9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek; 10but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Greek. 11For God does not show favoritism.

12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

14Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them 16on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus,b as proclaimed by my gospel.


The Jews and the Law

17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;19if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness,20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26If a man who is not circumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?27The one who is physically uncircumcised yet keeps the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.


Footnotes:

6 a Psalm 62:12
16 b BYZ and TR through Jesus Christ 
24 c Isaiah 52:5 (see also LXX)



Romans 3

God Remains Faithful

1What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?2Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very wordsa of God.

3What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?4Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: 

“So that You may be proved right when You speak 

and victorious when You judge.”

5But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.6Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world? 7However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? 8Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!


There Is No One Righteous

(Psalm 14:1–7; Psalm 53:1–6; Isaiah 59:1–17)

9What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. 10As it is written: 

“There is no one righteous, 
not even one.
11There is no one who understands, 
no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away, 
they have together become worthless; 
there is no one who does good, 
not even one.”c
13“Their throats are open graves; 
their tongues practice deceit.”d
“The venom of vipers is on their lips.”e
14“Their mouths are full 
of cursing and bitterness.”f
15“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery lie in their wake,
17and the way of peace they have not known.”g
18“There is no fear of God 
before their eyes.”

19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.20Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.


Righteousness through Faith in Christ

(Philippians 3:1–11)

21But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

25God presented Him as the atoning sacrificei through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

29Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.


Footnotes:

2 a Or the oracles 
4 b Or when You are judged ; Psalm 51:4 (see also LXX)
12 c Psalm 14:1–3 and Psalm 53:1–3 (see also LXX)
13 d Psalm 5:9
13 e Psalm 140:3
14 f Psalm 10:7 (see also LXX)
17 g Isaiah 59:7–8 (see also LXX)
18 h Psalm 36:1
25 i Or as a propitiation 



Romans 4

Abraham Justified by Faith

(Genesis 15:1–7; Psalm 32:1–11; Hebrews 11:8–19)

1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered? 2If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”a
4Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.5However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7“Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, 
whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man 
whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

9Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.

11And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.



Abraham Receives the Promise

(Genesis 15:8–21)

13For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.14For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless, 15because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.

16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”d He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.

18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”e 19Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb. 20Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.22This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”

23Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham, 24but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.


Footnotes:

3 a Genesis 15:6
8 b Psalm 32:1–2 (see also LXX)
10 c Literally How then was it reckoned—being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 
17 d Genesis 17:5
18 e Genesis 15:5
22 f Genesis 15:6



Romans 5

The Triumph of Faith

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we havea peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoiceb in the hope of the glory of God.

3Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.


Christ’s Sacrifice for the Ungodly

(John 3:1–21)

6For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him! 10For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! 11Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.


Death in Adam, Life in Christ

(Genesis 3:1–7)

12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned. 13For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.14Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who did not sin in the way that Adam transgressed. He is a pattern of the One to come.
15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many! 16Again, the gift is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment that followed one sin brought condemnation, but the gift that followed many trespasses brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18So then, just as one trespass brought condemnation for all men, so also one act of righteousness brought justification and life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20The law came in so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


Footnotes:

1 a Or let us have 
2 b Or exult ; also in verses 3 and 11



Romans 6

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

(2 Corinthians 4:7–18)

1What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?2Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? 3Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.

5For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. 6We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. 10The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. 11So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. 13Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.


The Wages of Sin

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not! 16Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

20For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness.21What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death. 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.



Romans 7

Release from the Law

(Galatians 3:15–25)

1Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? 2For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. 3So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress, even if she marries another man.

4Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death. 6But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.


God’s Law Is Holy

7What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”a 8But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

9Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death. 11For sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through the commandment put me to death.

12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

Struggling with Sin

13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.16And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good. 17In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. 20And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. 23But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! 
So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.


Footnotes:

7 a Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21
23 b Literally captive to the law of sin being in my members. 



Romans 8

Walking by the Spirit

(Ezekiel 36:16–38; Galatians 5:16–26)

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.a 2For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set youb free from the law of sin and death.3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin.c He thus condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.8Those controlled by the fleshd cannot please God.

9You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alivee because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the deadf will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.


Heirs with Christ

12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.


Future Glory

(2 Corinthians 5:1–10)

18I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. 23Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.27And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.


God Works in All Things

(Ephesians 1:3–14)

28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. 29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.


More than Conquerors

(Psalm 44:1–26)

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: 

“For Your sake we face death all day long; 
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Footnotes:

1 a BYZ and TR in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 
2 b BYZ and TR me 
3 c Literally in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin 
8 d Literally Those being in the flesh ; similarly in verse 9
10 e Or yet the Spirit is life 
11 f NA, BYZ, and TR raised Christ from the dead 
36 g Psalm 44:22



Romans 9

Paul’s Concern for the Jews

1I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit. 2I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood, 4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. 5Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise!a Amen.


God’s Sovereign Choice

(Genesis 25:19–28; Malachi 1:1–5)

6It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”b 8So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring. 9For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

10Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.11Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, 12not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”d 13So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not! 15For He says to Moses: 
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, 
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

16So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”g18Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.

19One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?” 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”h 21Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?

22What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction? 23What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory— 24including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles? 25As He says in Hosea: 
“I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, 

and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”
26and, 
“It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 

‘You are not My people,’ 
they will be called 
‘sons of the living God.’ ”j
27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: 
“Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, 
only the remnant will be saved.
28For the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earth 
thoroughly and decisively.”k
29It is just as Isaiah foretold: 
“Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, 
we would have become like Sodom, 
we would have resembled Gomorrah.”



Israel’s Unbelief

30What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written: 
“See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling 
and a rock of offense;m
and the one who believes in Him 
will never be put to shame.”n


Footnotes:

5 a Or forever blessed 
7 b Genesis 21:12
9 c Genesis 18:14
12 d Genesis 25:23
13 e Malachi 1:2–3
15 f Exodus 33:19
17 g Exodus 9:16 (see also LXX)
20 h Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9
25 i Hosea 2:23
26 j Hosea 1:10
28 k Isaiah 10:22–23 (see also LXX)
29 l Isaiah 1:9 (see also LXX)
33 m Isaiah 8:14
33 n Isaiah 28:16 (see also LXX)



Romans 10

The Word Brings Salvation

(Isaiah 65:1–16)

1Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.2For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. 3Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.
5For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”a 6But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’b (that is, to bring Christ down)7or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’c (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

8But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”dthat is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

11It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”e 12For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”g
16But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”h 17Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

18But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: 
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth, 
their words to the ends of the world.”i
19I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: 
“I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; 
I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”j
20And Isaiah boldly says: 
“I was found by those who did not seek Me; 
I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.”k
21But as for Israel he says: 
“All day long I have held out My hands 
to a disobedient and obstinate people.”l


Footnotes:

5 a Leviticus 18:5; see also Ezekiel 20:11, 13, and 21.
6 b Deuteronomy 30:12
7 c See Deuteronomy 30:13.
8 d Deuteronomy 30:14
11 e Isaiah 28:16 (see also LXX)
13 f Joel 2:32
15 g Literally good news of good things ; BYZ and TR How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of peace, who bring good news of good things ; Isaiah 52:7
16 h Isaiah 53:1
18 i Psalm 19:4 (see also LXX)
19 j Deuteronomy 32:21 (see also LXX)
20 k Isaiah 65:1
21 l Isaiah 65:2 (see also LXX)



Romans 11

A Remnant Chosen by Grace

1I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: 3“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”a?
4And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”b
5In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

7What then?

What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did.

The others were hardened, 

8as it is written: 
“God gave them a spirit of stupor, 
eyes that could not see, 
and ears that could not hear, 
to this very day.”d
9And David says: 
“May their table become a snare and a trap, 
a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, 
and their backs be bent forever.”

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles
​
11I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?f Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.12But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!

13I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, 18do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly notg spare you either.

22Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!



All Israel Will Be Saved

25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 

“The Deliverer will come from Zion; 

He will remove godlessness from Jacob.

27And this is My covenant with them 
when I take away their sins.”

28Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. 29For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

30Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, 31so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.i 32For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.


A Hymn of Praise

(Isaiah 40:9–31)

33O, the depth of the riches 
of the wisdom and knowledge of God! 
How unsearchable are His judgments, 
and untraceable His ways!
34“Who has known the mind of the Lord? 
Or who has been His counselor?”j
35“Who has first given to God, 
that God should repay him?”k
36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. 
To Him be the glory forever! Amen.


Footnotes:

3 a 1 Kings 19:10, 14
4 b 1 Kings 19:18

6 c BYZ and TR include But if it is by works, then it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 
8 d See Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10.
10 e Psalm 69:22–23 (see also LXX)
11 f Or did they stumble so as to lose their share?  Literally did they stumble that they might fall? 
21 g Or He will perhaps not ; SBL, NE, and WH He will not 
27 h Isaiah 27:9 and Isaiah 59:20–21; see also LXX
31 i Literally may now receive mercy through your mercy ; BYZ and TR may receive mercy through your mercy 
34 j Isaiah 40:13 (see also LXX)
35 k Job 41:11

​

Romans 12

Living Sacrifices

(1 Corinthians 3:16–23; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20)

1Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.a2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.

6We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; 7if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.


Love, Zeal, Hope, Hospitality

(John 13:31–35; 1 John 3:11–24)

9Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.

11Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.
13Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.


Forgiveness

(Matthew 18:21–35)

14Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”b
20On the contrary, 

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; 
if he is thirsty, give him a drink. 
For in so doing, 
you will heap burning coals on his head.”c
21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.


Footnotes:

1 a Or your reasonable service 
19 b Deuteronomy 32:35 (see also LXX)
20 c Proverbs 25:21–22 (see also LXX)



Romans 13

Submission to Authorities

(1 Peter 2:13–20)

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. 2Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. 4For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.

5Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work. 7Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.


Love Fulfills the Law

(Leviticus 19:9–18)

8Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,”a and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”b 10Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

The Day Is Near

11And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Instead, clothe yourselves withc the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.


Footnotes:

9 a Exodus 20:13–17; Deuteronomy 5:17–21
9 b Leviticus 19:18
14 c Or put on ; see verse 12.



Romans 14

The Law of Liberty

(Matthew 7:1–6; Luke 6:37–42)

1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions.a 2For one person has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes a special day does so to the Lord;b he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

7For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9For this reason Christ died and returned to life, that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11It is written: 

“As surely as I live, 
says the Lord, 
every knee will bow before Me; 
every tongue will confess to God.”c
12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.


The Law of Love

(Ezekiel 14:1–11; 1 Corinthians 8:1–13)

13Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
14I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.

16Do not allow what you consider good, then, to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.

22Keep your belief about such matters between yourself and God.e Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.


Footnotes:

1 a Or without quarreling over disputable matters 
6 b BYZ and TR include he who does not regard the day, to the Lord he does not regard it; 
11 c Or will give praise to God  or will acknowledge God ; Isaiah 45:23 (see also LXX)
21 d SBL, BYZ, and TR include or to be hindered or weakened .
22 e Literally Keep the faith that you have to yourself before God 
23 f Some manuscripts place the text of Romans 16:25–27 here.

​
Romans 15

Accept One Another

1We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.”a 4For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

5Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus, 6so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ the Servant of Jews and Gentiles

7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God.8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, 9so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: 

“Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; 
I will sing hymns to Your name.”

10Again, it says: 
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

11And again: 
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, 
and extol Him, all you peoples.”d
12And once more, Isaiah says: 
“The Root of Jesse will appear, 

One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; 
in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”

13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

​
Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another. 15However, I have written you a bold reminder on some points, because of the grace God has given me 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

17Therefore I exult in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, 19by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God.f So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

20In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21Rather, as it is written: 
“Those who were not told about Him will see, 
and those who have not heard will understand.”

22That is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.



Paul’s Travel Plans

(1 Corinthians 16:5–9)

23But now that there are no further opportunities for me in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to visit you, 24I hope to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey.

25Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there. 26For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.

28So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you. 29I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessingh of Christ.

30Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, 32so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
33The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.i


Footnotes:

3 a Psalm 69:9
9 b 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49
10 c Deuteronomy 32:43
11 d Psalm 117:1
12 e Isaiah 11:10 (see also LXX)
19 f SBL the power of the Spirit ; NE and WH the power of the Holy Spirit 
21 g Isaiah 52:15 (see also LXX)
29 h TR and BYZ include of the gospel .
33 i Some manuscripts do not include Amen.  One early manuscript places the text of Romans 16:25–27 here.


Romans 16

Personal Greetings and Love

1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servanta of the church in Cenchrea.2Welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her with anything she may need from you. For she has been a great help to many people, including me.

3Greet Priscab and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4who have risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.5Greet also the church that meets at their house. 

Greet my beloved Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.c
6Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you.
7Greet Andronicus and Junia,d my fellow countrymen and fellow prisoners. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.


8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.
10Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. 
Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.
11Greet Herodion, my fellow countryman. 
Greet those from the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, women who have worked hard in the Lord. 
Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord.
13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.
14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers with them.
15Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.
16Greet one another with a holy kiss. 
All the churches of Christ send you greetings.



​Avoid Divisions

(Titus 3:9–11)

17Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.

20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christe be with you.



Greetings from Paul’s Fellow Workers

(Colossians 4:7–14)

21Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow countrymen.
22I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23Gaius, who has hosted me and all the church, sends you greetings. 
Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you greetings, as does our brother Quartus.


Doxology

(Jude 1:24–25)

25Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past26but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faithg — 27to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.


Footnotes:

1 a Or deaconess 
3 b Prisca  is a variant of Priscilla ; see Acts 18:2.
5 c Literally in Asia ; Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey. 
7 d Some translators Junias 
20 e NA, NE, and WH Lord Jesus 
23 f SBL, BYZ, and TR include 24May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 
26 g Literally the obedience of faith 
27 h Some manuscripts place the text of verses 25–27 after Romans 14:23 or after Romans 15:33.


​

​Jesus, God’s incarnate Son,

is the perfect intermediary,

better than Moses

because He alone

is appropriately qualified to be the

one

​mediator between God and man.


Only Jesus Christ

is

​fully human and fully divine

(John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 2:17).



As man and God,


Jesus is uniquely equipped to represent both sides.

He alone

​stands in the gap between God and man.

He alone

​ meets the righteous requirements of the law,

opening the way into God’s presence

once and for all

through His death on the cross and

resurrection to life


(John 1:17; Hebrews 3:1–6; 9:15, 22; 10:10; 12:24)


Only the sacrifice of the sinless, spotless Lamb of God could fully pay the ransom required to set people free from sin and eternal death. Jesus took our punishment on Himself, making it possible for us to experience forgiveness of sin and freedom from its destructive control.

There is one mediator between God and man means that Christ is the only way to God the Father. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). If we want to experience peace with God and a restored relationship of joy in His presence, we must come

“by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body” (Hebrews 10:19–20).

Jesus Christ is the one mediator—the one and only Savior of the world (John 1:29; 1 Timothy 1:15). There is no other go-between. We come to God through faith in His Son, who is the only means of salvation. Religion cannot save us. Good works won’t make us right with God.

​Nothing but faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient to bridge the gap between sinful humanity and a Holy God.

As the one mediator between God and man,

Jesus Christ

​now rules in the hearts of believers and

“is at the right hand of God . . . interceding for us”

(Romans 8:34, ESV).

We can live in the secure knowledge that, in the end,

​Christ will put every enemy “under his feet,”

including “the last enemy,” which is death itself

(1 Corinthians 15:24–27).


​Faith


is so vital to the Christian life

​that Scripture tells us that,

without it, it is impossible to please God

(Hebrews 11:6)


Yet faith is such a powerful gift from God

(Ephesians 2:8–9)


Christ told His disciples that,

with just a tiny measure of it,

the size of a mustard seed,

they could move mountains.


So, what does it mean to have


​ “mustard seed faith”?


We see the reference to “mustard seed faith” twice in Scripture.

​First, in Matthew 17:14–20, we see Christ’s disciples unable to exorcise a demon from a young boy, even though Jesus had previously given them the authority to do this very thing (Matthew 10:1).

​When they inquired of Jesus why they were not able to drive the demon out, the Master replied, “Because you have so little faith.

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move; Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:14–20).

Next, in Luke 17:6, Jesus tells His disciples, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

By using the uncommonly small mustard seed as an example, Jesus is speaking figuratively about the incalculable power of God when unleashed in the lives of those with true faith.

We know that this statement

​ about moving

mountains and uprooting trees

by faith

is not to be taken literally. The key to understanding the passages is the nature of faith, which is a gift from God.

The power of faith reflects the omnipotent nature of the God who bestows faith on His own.

The mustard seed is one of the tiniest seeds found in the Middle East, so the conclusion is that the amount of faith needed to do great things is very small indeed. Just as in the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31–32), Jesus uses rhetorical hyperbole to make the point that little is much when it comes from God.

The mustard seed in the parable grows to be a huge tree, representing the tiny beginnings of Christianity when just a few disciples began to preach and teach the gospel. Eventually, the kingdom grew to huge proportions, encompassing the entire world and spreading over centuries.

Isaiah 6 describes how the prophet Isaiah,

​through a vision from the Lord,

begins his ministry for God. In the vision,

the Lord asks, ““Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

(Isaiah 6:8a).

Isaiah’s response was to volunteer for service

: “Here am I; send me”

(verse 8b, KJV).

After a 52-year reign of relative peace, King Uzziah of Judah died of leprosy in 739 BC (2 Chronicles 26:16–23), the same year Isaiah began his prophetic ministry. In a vision Isaiah saw the Lord, “high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).

The Lord had a message to deliver to the nation of Judah, and He expresses His desire for a messenger in verse 8. Isaiah’s exclamation

“Here am I; send me” marked the very beginning of his ministry; the priest was now a prophet, and the Lord’s message for Judah eventually became the book of Isaiah.

Before Isaiah could say, “Here am I; send me,” he had a problem that had to be addressed. Isaiah 6:5 describes how Isaiah was made aware of his own unworthiness: “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

Standing in the Lord’s presence, Isaiah is made painfully aware of his sin, and he is broken about it in the same way as were Job (Job 42:6) and Peter (Luke 5:8) when they were confronted with the presence of the Lord. God was preparing Isaiah for his cleansing and commission.

After Isaiah acknowledges his sin, a seraph takes a burning piece of coal from the altar, touches Isaiah’s lips with it, and says, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:7). Some details are important here:

Isaiah could not remove his own guilt, the atonement is made possible by the altar—the place of sacrifice—and the purification is specifically applied to the point of Isaiah’s sin—his lips—making Isaiah acceptable as a minister of God’s words.

It is only after Isaiah is cleansed of his sin that

he says, “Here am I; send me.”

Prior to that point, he saw himself as an unworthy messenger; once he was forgiven, he immediately desired to serve the Lord in whatever way possible. The Lord asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”—He wants willing volunteers in His service—and a grateful and enthusiastic Isaiah doesn’t hesitate in taking the opportunity:

“Here am I; send me.” And for the rest of his life, Isaiah serves the God who had forgiven and saved him.

Jesus made many statements recorded in the Gospels that garnered great controversy in His day. He said that He came from heaven

(John 3:13),

had the authority to forgive sins (Luke 7:48–50), and is the “Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28).

​But perhaps His most surprising assertion was given in response to the Jews in John 8.

Amid a heated debate over His identity, Jesus told them, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58).

​This declaration is especially significant given that the phrase I am was used as a title for God (Exodus 3:14).

When analyzing Jesus’ comment, it is important to notice what Jesus did not say.

He did not say that “before Abraham existed, I existed.”

Or, “Before Abraham was, I was.” Rather,

He declared that

before Abraham was even born,

​ “I am.”

Before Abraham was (past tense),


Jesus is (present tense).

Jesus was claiming pre-existence.

When Jesus claimed to exist before Abraham, His hearers “picked up stones to stone him” (John 8:59).

They knew immediately that Jesus’ statement was tantamount to claiming equality with God,
and the penalty for blasphemy under Jewish law was stoning (Leviticus 24:16).

Jesus’ opponents were unsuccessful, however.

John records that “Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple” (John 8:59)

Later, in John 13:19, Jesus again applies the divine name I AM to Himself: “I am telling you now before it
happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.”

The words echo God’s statements in Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’”

and in Isaiah 41:4,

“Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from

​the beginning?

I, the LORD, the first, and with the last;

​I am he.”

One day, “the LORD appeared to Abraham” (Genesis 18:1). Throughout the conversation,
the Lord is alternately called a “man” and “the Lord” (verses 2, 13, 16, 17, 22).

This is a case of an Old Testament Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ). 

Genesis 18 provides further support for Jesus’ claim that He existed before Abraham.
Jesus visited Abraham and Sarah in their tent and ate a meal with them.

Yes, the Bible certainly teaches that Jesus existed before Abraham.

Jesus was “with God in the beginning”

(John 1:2; see also John 1:14; Colossians 1:16–17),

and that predates Abraham by quite a while.

Jesus claimed to be divine on numerous occasions,

and one such claim was that

He existed prior to Abraham.

Not only did Jesus exist prior to Abraham, but Abraham gave Him honor

(Genesis 18:2–5).

As Jesus’ resurrection from the dead made clear, Jesus’ divine claims were true!

So Jesus’ use of the name “I am” was not blasphemy as the Pharisees had supposed. Such an identification with
Yahweh was entirely appropriate given who Jesus is.

He is the

“Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,

the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13).

​He is “God over all” (Romans 9:5) and “the Savior of the world”

​ (1 John 4:14).

He was then and will forever be

​the great “I AM.”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.

This is what you are to say to the Israelites:

​‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).

The phrase translated “I am who I am” in Hebrew is ehyeh asher ehyeh. The word ehyehis the first person common singular of the verb to be. It would be used in any number of normal situations: “I am watching the sheep,” “I am walking on the road,” or “I am his father.” However, when used as a stand-alone description, I AM is the ultimate statement of self-sufficiency, self-existence, and immediate presence.

God’s existence is not contingent upon anyone else. His plans are not contingent upon any circumstances. He promises that He will be what He will be; that is, He will be the eternally constant God. He stands, ever-present and unchangeable, completely sufficient in Himself to do what He wills to do and to accomplish what He wills to accomplish.

When God identified Himself as I AM WHO I AM, He stated that, no matter when or where, He is there. It is similar to the New Testament expression in Revelation 1:8, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’”

This is true of Him for all time, but it would have been especially appropriate for a message in Moses’ day to a people in slavery and who could see no way out. I AM was promising to free them, and they could count on Him!

Moses and Aaron delivered the message to Pharaoh: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’”

Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5:1–2).

Pharaoh stood in opposition to the LORD. Pharaoh was not willing to concede that there was a power higher than himself. He was not willing to yield his plans to the One who was all-powerful and all-sufficient. In essence, Pharaoh was saying “I am who I am, and therefore I will not yield to another.”

This seems to be the besetting sin of humanity. God is “The Great I AM,” but we continually want to be our own “I AM.”

God is the only One who can accurately describe Himself as “I AM.” Jesus claimed the title I AM for Himself in John 8:58.

​ For the rest of us, “I am” is a false claim to self-sufficiency. We are not eternally constant or ever-present.

Our only hope is to abandon claims of our own

sovereignty and sufficiency

and cast ourselves upon the mercy

​of I AM.

The Hebrew word for “seed” here means “offspring,” which is how many translations render it (e.g., NIV, ESV, CSB). The figurative language in Genesis 3:14 (“dust you shall eat,” ESV) indicates that the subsequent verse speaks of a spiritual war between Satan (the serpent) and humanity (the seed of the woman).

The woman spoken of is Eve, the mother of humanity (Genesis 3:20). The prophecy is that her offspring would be continually harassed by Satan and his followers (the offspring of the serpent). Sin entered the world through Adam’s disobedience, and we all suffer because of it (Romans 5:12–14). The perpetual war Satan wages against humanity began in the Garden of Eden.

There is an indication of number in Genesis 3:15 that we cannot overlook. The woman’s offspring is referred to by the singular noun seed, and that seed is immediately antecedent to the singular pronouns he and his. So, the seed of the woman is individualized. There is one Seed in particular who is to come. The sole tempter will be countered by the sole Savior.

Also, Genesis 3:15 speaks of the seed of a woman rather than the seed of a man. This unusual wording could indicate that the woman’s offspring would not have an earthly father. In that case, the protoevangelium is certainly fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Luke 1:34–35).

The enmity spoken of in Genesis 3:15 is ultimately between Satan and Christ. Satan “bruised the heel” of the Savior when Jesus was crucified—Jesus suffered in His flesh. But the story does not end there. On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave. In so doing, He crushed the power of Satan, sin, and death—He crushed the serpent’s head.

Jesus is the Seed of the woman who has won the victory over the tempter and enemy of mankind. And, to His eternal praise, He grants victory to everyone who believes in Him (John 16:33). “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21).

The question “who are the seed of Abraham?” can be answered several ways, and it is important to make some distinctions.

There is the Seed of Abraham

(Seed being singular);

​there is the seed of Abraham physically (descendants of Abraham according to the flesh); and there is the seed of Abraham spiritually (those who, like Abraham, have faith in God).

The (singular) Seed of Abraham is Christ, as Galatians 3:16, quoting Genesis 12:7, says, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.”

The passage goes on to explain that an inheritance was promised to Abraham’s Seed (Christ) apart from the Law. Later, the Mosaic Law was introduced, but it did not annul the promises made to Abraham or to Abraham’s Seed (Christ).

Just as Abraham believed God and his faith was counted as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), so are all today who believe in God’s Son justified apart from the Law. In this way, Abraham is the “father” of all who believe (Romans 4:11–17).

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

Of course, the seed of Abraham can also refer to the Hebrew people who descended from Abraham through Isaac.

Still more broadly, the seed of Abraham could include Arabs,

who trace their lineage through Ishmael.

This is the physical seed of Abraham.

The spiritual seed of Abraham

(believers in Jesus Christ)

is comprised of people of all nationalities and ethnicities.

​
The Jewish religious leaders of the first century took pride in that they

were Abraham’s seed.


They saw their physical connection

to Abraham

as a guarantee of God’s favor.


This attitude kept them from seeing their

​need for repentance of the heart—and

​ brought condemnation from John the Baptist,

who warned them to repent.

​
Anticipating their fallback argument that they were

​the seed of Abraham,

John said, “Do not think you can say to yourselves,

‘We have Abraham as

our father.’

I tell you that out of these stones

God can raise up

children for Abraham”


(Matthew 3:9)


Jesus dealt with the same issue later. In speaking to the unbelieving Jews, Jesus emphasized
their need to receive His words as truth and obey His commands.

They replied, “We be Abraham’s seed” (John 8:33, KJV).

Jesus then rebukes them for plotting ways to murder Him;

their stubborn response was again, “Abraham is our father” (verse 39a).

At this, Jesus makes a distinction between the physical seed of Abraham and the true, spiritual seed of Abraham: “If you were Abraham’s children . . . then you would do what Abraham did” (verse 39b). The conversation heats up as the Jews for a third time reference their connection to Abraham: “Are you greater than our father Abraham?” they ask Jesus (verse 53).

Jesus provokes them further: “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad” (verse 56). The Jews’ are incredulous that Jesus would claim to be a contemporary of Abraham, and that’s when Jesus brings the exchange to a climax with a claim to full deity: “Very truly I tell you, . . . before Abraham was born, I am!” (verse 58).

In a fury, the Jews attempted to stone Jesus (verse 59), again proving that being the physical seed of Abraham is not enough—they had to be born again (John 3:3).

Paul sums up the difference between the seeds of Abraham in Romans 2:28–29: “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.”
​

In a world where faith often faces derision from skeptics and cynics, Scripture reminds us of its value:

“These [trials] have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold,
which perishes even though refined by fire

—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed”

(1 Peter 1:7).

The apostle wrote his letter to encourage persecuted Christians, as revealed in verse 6. Peter explains that trials act as a refining fire, assuring that our faith will bring rewards when we come before Christ. But how is genuine faith more valuable than gold?

First, Peter emphasizes durability. Gold is precious and long-lasting, but it won’t endure for eternity. Like any other material object, gold has its limits. However, genuine faith has an eternal effect. Not only does salvation come through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9),

it also leads to a fulfilling relationship with God that extends beyond this world.

Another quality that makes faith more valuable than gold is its benefit. Both gold and faith are assets,
so to speak, for they provide their owners with gain beyond the initial cost, but there’s a difference in value.

While gold yields monetary returns, genuine faith leads to rewards that cannot be destroyed.

As James stated, “Blessed is the man who has remained steadfast under trial, for when
he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him”

(James 1:12).

Undoubtedly, the crown of life is worth more than billions of dollars!

Furthermore, the level of satisfaction gold brings cannot rival that of genuine faith.
Gold and other forms of material possessions may offer some form of comfort and happiness,
but they are temporary. In fact,
the more wealth we have, the more we must spend to protect and maintain it

(Ecclesiastes 5:10–11).

Genuine faith, on the other hand, leads to a new life,
perfect righteousness, reconciliation with God,
indwelling of the Spirit,
and godly fruit. Anything that connects us to
the Source of Life is infinitely better
than perishable wealth. Indeed, a relationship with God
enables us to steward
any level of wealth without becoming enslaved to it.

Speaking of “new life,” the transformed lifestyle that comes from genuine

faith cannot be acquired with gold or any form of treasure.

Faith produces virtues like love, forgiveness, self-control, and even selflessness,

all of which are intangible qualities without a price tag.

All the gold in all the world cannot buy love or produce good character.

To conclude, there is a similarity between gold and genuine faith.

For gold to become pure, it is heated to remove the impurities.

Similarly, our faith is shown to be genuine when we go

through the “fire” of trials.

The apostle Paul agrees,

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings,

knowing that suffering produces endurance,

and endurance produces character, and character produces hope”

(Romans 5:3–4).

Suffering is hard,

but it is also a comfort to know our suffering is not in vain.

Rather, in suffering God continues to sanctify us,

so our faith

will become like purified gold.

The word translated here as “called” specifies a summoning in the original Greek

​ It identifies someone whose involvement or presence has been officially requested,
especially a summoning to which refusal is not an option, as in a subpoena.
Many Bible passages speak of the believer’s calling:

​“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord”

(1 Corinthians 1:9; see also 1 Corinthians 7:17; Galatians 1:15; Ephesians 4:1, 4).

Paul explains to Timothy that God “has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because
of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time”

(2 Timothy 1:9).

Even before He created the world, “God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:4–5, NLT).

God has called us into a relationship with Jesus Christ for the purpose of being “conformed to the image of his Son”

(Romans 8:29).

God’s purpose in calling us is twofold: for our good and His glory

(2 Thessalonians 2:13–14; 1 Peter 2:9)


The noun purpose in Romans 8:28 means

“intention; an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides

planned actions.” In the Christian life, God’s purpose is the guiding force, the most critical reality.

Sometimes God’s purpose includes suffering and frustration (Romans 8:17).

Nevertheless,

Paul assures that “it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”

(Philippians 2:13).

We can rest assured that God is sovereign. He is acting in every circumstance of life. His will and purpose
control everything in His eternal plan (Ephesians 1:11; 3:11). Those who love God and are called according
to His purpose can know that not one thing in this life escapes Him. When we belong to Jesus, nothing
can happen to us outside God’s plan for our good.

God is continuously working in the hearts and lives of people who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
The Lord is causing everything to fit together for our good and His glory.

Standing on this solid truth reframes our difficulties.

We can face them with confidence, trusting that every challenge is part of God’s ultimate
plan to transform our old nature into what He has purposed for us to be: “And we all, who with
unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit”

(2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Ephesians 4:22–24; Colossians 3:9–10).

As the apostle Peter opens his first letter, he includes a section
of thanksgiving to God for the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ

(1 Peter 1:3–12).

God’s gift of salvation produces great anticipation
of an indestructible, pure, and eternal inheritance:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy
has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”

(verses 3–5, NKJV).

The recipients of Peter’s letter are identified as “God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1, NLT).

These regions of Asia Minor were where the believers had likely been scattered due to persecution.

Peter wrote to encourage them as they struggled to maintain their Christian identity and testimony.

He wanted them to know that, even though they were far away from the core community

of God’s people and Christ’s church

and possibly feeling the pressure of separation,

they were still “kept by the power of God through faith for salvation.”

In the original Greek, the word translated as “kept” in 1 Peter 1:5 means

“to be guarded, shielded, or watched over.”

It is a military term that describes how a soldier protects his charge.

The verb tense shows continuous action and indicates that believers are under God’s perpetual, round-the-clock protection.

“God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see”

(1 Peter 1:5, NLT),

declared Peter to these isolated believers. They needed to know they were not forgotten or insignificant.

Like all believers everywhere, they were shielded and secure by God’s power through faith.

Later in the same letter, Peter reminded them that their struggle was only temporary:

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you”

(1 Peter 5:10, ESV).

Our present sufferings do not negate the certainty of our future inheritance. The apostle Paul affirmed, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”

(Romans 8:17–18)

Being guarded or kept by the power of God does not mean we get a free pass from pain, suffering, and hardship in this life. It means our heavenly Father watches over our salvation. He is “able to keep [us] from falling away and will bring [us] with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault” (Jude 1:24, NLT).

When we place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, our reservation in heaven is guaranteed--

not because of anything we have done, but because the power of God guards us through faith.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”

(Ephesians 2:8).

Our faith unites us to Jesus. Then His power keeps us (2 Corinthians 3:5).

We are not kept secure by our own strength or obedience, but by His divine power and abundant faithfulness

(Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 55:22; Romans 8:31; 2 Peter 1:3: 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 2 Corinthians 9:8).

Our part on this journey is to keep believing and growing in our relationship with Christ.

As we feed on His Word, yield to the control of the Holy Spirit, commune with God in prayer, and submit our will to His,

we are increasingly transformed into Christ’s image.

We experience a foretaste of the salvation that will be fully revealed when Jesus returns

(1 Peter 1:8–9; Romans 8:19–23).

As we commit ourselves to Christ by faith, we are kept by the power of God.

Even though we suffer, like Paul, we can confidently say,

“I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust,

and I am sure that he is able to guard

what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return”

(2 Timothy 1:12, NLT).

Faith has many dimensions. One crucial facet of faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1:

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Biblical faith takes present-day possession of things not yet seen with our eyes but hoped for in the future.

What God has revealed in His Word becomes our inner reality today.

Rather than looking at life with our earthly eyes,

faith sees through the lens of God’s promises.

The apostle Paul said, “We walk by faith and not sight”

(2 Corinthians 5:7)

Faith does not put trust in bank account balances, headline news, or the doctor’s report.
“We don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.
For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever”

(2 Corinthians 4:18, NLT).

When the world seems to be falling apart, our faith stands secure on the rock-solid,

trustworthy promises of God and His Word.

Faith begins with God. It is His gift, not the result of any human effort or achievement.

God initiates the relationship between Himself and humans by revealing Himself to them

(Ecclesiastes 3:11; Romans 1:19–20)

and lovingly persuading them to come to Him

(Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Isaiah 30:18),

just as Jesus called the disciples to follow Him

(Matthew 4:18–22).

But then God expects us to respond to Him in faith: “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, NLT).

Failure to trust God was at the heart of the first sin (Genesis 3:1–7). Ever since the fall of man, God has been calling people back to faith—to a place of trust and obedience to Him.

Faith is and always has been the only means of salvation. In the Old Testament, the covenantal bond was the believer’s expression of faith. God initiated the covenant, and believers responded in faith,
actively obeying His Word and trusting in the Lord to fulfill His promises. In Genesis 15:6,

Abraham “believed the Lord, and the Lordcounted him as righteous because of his faith” (NLT; see also Romans 4:22; Galatians 3:6).

The prophet states, “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.
But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God” (Habakkuk 2:4, NLT).

In the New Testament, it is by faith that people receive God’s grace in Jesus Christ and, through Him, the gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8–9). Paul emphasized the centrality of faith in the believer’s life: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight.

This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (Romans 1:16–17, NLT; see also Romans 3:27–28; 10:9–10).
​
From faith to faith is an expression found in some versions of Romans 1:17, such as the King James Version, the New American Standard Bible, and the Christian Standard Bible. The English Standard Version uses the wording “from faith for faith” instead.

The meaning of the phrase becomes more evident in the New International Version: “by faith from first to last.”

And perhaps the most transparent rendering of the verse for today’s reader is found in the New Living Translation: “from start to finish by faith.”

To fully understand what from faith to faith means, we must consider the phrase in context.

In the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, the apostle introduces himself to the church in Rome.

While many of the believers there would have heard of Paul, they had not yet met him personally.
In preparation for a future visit, Paul wants the members of the church to know him sufficiently
to discern fact from fiction concerning his identity.

In Romans 1:16–17, Paul reaches the high point of his introductory greeting to the church in Rome: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith.
As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (NLT).

Nothing mattered more to Paul than fulfilling God’s will for his life, which was to preach the good news of salvation.
Without the good news of the gospel, and without the power that is the gospel, there can be no salvation, no freedom from sin, no redemption, and no life. The power of the gospel is the theme of Paul’s letter to the Romans and the ambition of his life.

Paul writes with full knowledge that the church in Rome is facing persecution and suffering under Roman oppression.
Many of the believers there are experiencing humiliation and shame because of their faith in Christ.
Paul wants them to be assured that the worldly power of Rome cannot hold a candle to the
mighty power of God—the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That gospel is God’s limitless power directed toward the salvation of men and women. For every person who believes, whether Jew or Gentile, man or woman, black or white, the gospel effectively becomes the saving power of God.

Paul tells the Roman Christians that “in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed” (Romans 1:17).

Righteousness is thus a complete and total work of God.

Humans tend to view righteousness as something we can achieve by our own merit or actions.

But the righteousness of God is different. It is a right standing before God that has nothing to do with human accomplishment or worth. It is received by faith. There is nothing we can do to deserve or earn it.

​The first recorded instance of Jesus saying, “Your faith has made you well” is found in 

Matthew 9:22 (ESV)

 where Jesus heals the woman with the issue of blood. The KJV translates

Jesus’ words as “Thy faith hath made thee whole,” and the NIV says, “Your faith has healed you.”

The same incident is also recorded in Mark 5:34,
where Jesus says, “Daughter, your faith has made you well;
go in peace, and be healed of your disease” (ESV).

Jesus also says, “Your faith has made you well,”

to a leper He had healed (Luke 17:19)

and a blind beggar (Luke 18:42)

Other times Jesus links faith and healing without

using the exact words, “Your faith has made you well,”

such as in Matthew 8:13 and 15:28.

The healing that these people experienced is expressed, in Greek, by a form of the word sozo, which means “to preserve, rescue, save from death, or keep alive.” Sometimes, sozo refers to spiritual salvation, which is also linked to a person’s faith.

For example, when the penitent prostitute washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, He told her much the same thing: “Your faith has saved you” (Luke 7:50; for other examples, see Mark 10:52 and Luke 17:19).

When Jesus spoke of the faith of the woman with the issue of blood in Matthew 9,

His healing was very likely more than physical; it was a spiritual healing as well, as she is told to “go in peace” (Mark 5:34).

When Jesus said to certain people, “Your faith has made you well,” He was saying that their faith (their confidence in Him)
had been the means of their restoration.

The power of Christ was what effected the cure, but His power was applied in connection with their faith. Just as the faith of some enabled them to receive healing, so healing was sometimes stymied by a lack of faith

(see Matthew 13:58).

In the same way, salvation comes to a sinner through faith. Everyone who is saved must believe,
but it is the power of Christ that saves, not the power of faith. Faith is only the instrument, not the power itself.

In other words, the value of one’s faith does not come from the one who expresses it but from the object in which it rests

(Mark 10:52; 11:22).

Ultimately, healing is not contingent upon the quality of one’s faith, but upon the Healer.

It was through Christ that the woman in Matthew 9 was able to receive a bodily peace as well as a spiritual peace.

We must recognize that Jesus did not indiscriminately heal all the people all of the time. For example,
in the scene of the disabled man at the pool of Bethesda where multitudes gathered to be healed,
Jesus chose only one man to heal (John 5:1–11),

and his is an interesting case. Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be made well.

His answer was steeped in superstition: there was no one to carry him to the pool, and he wasn’t fast enough to get into the water at the right time. This confused and needy man was healed by God’s grace. He had no faith in Jesus; he didn’t even know it was Jesus who had healed him until later (John 5:12–13).

Another example of someone who was healed before faith is the man born blind in John 9. He did not ask to be healed, but from many others, he was chosen to be healed—another example of God’s grace.

​In the case of the man born blind and in the case of the man at the pool, Jesus dealt with their physical problems separately from dealing with their spiritual need—the man in John 9 later comes to a full realization of who Jesus is and exercises faith in Him (verse 38). Jesus’ healing of these men was not about their faith as much as it was about His will.

Everyone whom Jesus willed to be healed was healed. Sometimes He healed those who expressed their faith in Him,
and He made a point of emphasizing the condition of their heart: “Your faith has made you well.”

Other times, in His great mercy,
​He healed those who had no faith and later drew them to Himself.

Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation
of every one who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Romans 3:9-11, “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.’”

Romans 3:21, “But now a righteousness from God apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and Prophets testify.”

Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:9, “You however, are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”

Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:37-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Romans 12:19, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath,
for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Romans 16:17, “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles
in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”

​
According to various interpretations of the books of Daniel and Revelation,
the Revived Roman Empire is either a generic world political system or a
specific nation under a specific ruler.
Various interpreters have centered this empire in Rome itself, in Turkey, or in the Middle East.

The Revived Roman Empire is commonly associated with the fourth beast of Daniel chapter 7.
This beast is described as “terrifying and frightening and very powerful” (Daniel 7:7).

This ten-horned beast is a prophetic picture of the Roman Empire (verses 19–24),
but, as Daniel watches, a little horn rises from the beast, with “eyes like the eyes of a
human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully” (verse 8).

This final horn is the Antichrist, who will somehow be connected with the Roman Empire.
Since the Roman Empire has been defunct since the fifth century, we expect it to be “revived”
in some way to fulfill the end-times’ prophecies.

The Revived Roman Empire has also been linked to the

fifth and final

​kingdom mentioned in Daniel chapter 2

(Daniel 2:41—43).

This passage concerns Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of an image made of various metals. The iron legs represent the Roman Empire, and the feet made “partly of iron and partly of baked clay” (Daniel 2:33) represent the final world empire.

The fact that it shares the element iron with the fourth kingdom suggests a connection to Rome, and the ten toes could imply a ten-nation confederacy

​ (matching the ten horns in Daniel 7:20) led collectively by a single powerful ruler.

Other commentators point to Revelation chapter 13, which describes a beast coming from the sea having ten horns and seven heads

​(Revelation 13:1).

This depiction connects it to the fourth beast of Daniel 7, which also has ten horns.

Revelation describes this government

as “blasphemous” (verse 1)

and

tyrannical, requiring absolute

submission

in financial, spiritual, and political matters

(verses 4–8)