5Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.G3767G1344G1537G4102G2192G1515G4314G2316G1223G2257G2962G2424G55472Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.G1223G3739G2532G2192G4318G4102G1519G5026G5485G1722G3739G2476G2532G2744G1909G1680G1391G23163We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.G1161G3756G3440G235G2744G1722G2347G2532G1492G3754G2347G2716G52814And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.G1161G5281G1382G1161G1382G16805And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.G1161G1680G2617G3756G2617G3754G26G2316G1632G1722G2257G2588G1223G40G4151G3588G1325G22546When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.G1063G2257G5607G2089G772G2596G2540G5547G599G5228G7657Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.G1063G3433G5228G1342G599G5100G599G1063G5029G5228G18G5100G5111G2532G5111G5998But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.G1161G2316G4921G1438G26G1519G2248G3754G2257G5607G2089G268G5547G599G5228G22579And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation.G4183G3123G3767G1344G3568G1344G1722G846G129G4982G575G3709G1223G84610For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.G1063G1487G5607G2190G2644G2316G1223G2288G846G5207G4183G3123G2644G4982G1722G846G222211So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.G1161G3756G3440G235G2532G2744G1722G2316G1223G2257G2962G2424G5547G1223G3739G2983G3568G2983G2643
Adam and Christ Contrasted
12When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.G1223G5124G5618G1223G1520G444G266G1525G1519G2889G2532G2288G1223G266G2532G3779G2288G1330G1519G3956G444G1909G3739G3956G26413Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.G1063G891G3551G266G2258G1722G2889G1161G266G1677G3756G1677G5607G3361G355114Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.G235G2288G936G575G76G3360G3475G2532G1909G264G3361G264G1909G3667G76G3847G3739G2076G5179G319515But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.G235G3756G5613G3900G3779G2532G5486G1063G1487G3900G1520G4183G599G4183G3123G5485G2316G2532G1431G1722G5485G3588G1520G444G2424G5547G4052G1519G418316And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.G2532G3756G5613G1223G1520G264G1434G1063G3303G2917G1537G1520G1519G2631G1161G5486G1537G4183G3900G1519G134517For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.G1063G1487G1520G3900G2288G936G1223G1520G4183G3123G2983G4050G5485G2532G1431G1343G936G1722G2222G1223G1520G2424G554718Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.G686G3767G5613G1223G3900G1520G1519G3956G444G1519G2631G2532G3779G1223G1345G1520G1519G3956G444G1519G1347G222219Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.G1063G5618G1223G1520G444G3876G4183G2525G268G3779G2532G1223G5218G1520G2525G4183G2525G134220God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant.G1161G3551G3922G2443G3900G4121G1161G3757G266G4121G5485G524821So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.G2443G5618G266G936G1722G2288G2532G3779G936G5485G936G1223G1343G1519G166G2222G1223G2424G5547G2257G2962
Sin’s Power Is Broken
6Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?G5101G2046G3767G1961G266G2443G5485G41212Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?G3361G1096G4459G3748G599G266G2198G2089G1722G8463Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?G2228G50G3754G3745G907G1519G2424G5547G907G1519G846G22884For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.G3767G4916G846G1223G908G1519G2288G2443G5618G5547G1453G1537G3498G1223G1391G3962G3779G2249G2532G4043G1722G2538G22225Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.G1063G1487G1096G4854G3667G846G2288G2071G235G2532G3866We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.G1097G5124G3754G2257G3820G444G4957G2443G4983G266G2673G3371G2248G1398G3371G1398G2667For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.G1063G599G1344G575G2668And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.G1161G1487G599G4862G5547G4100G3754G4800G2532G4800G8469We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.G1492G3754G5547G1453G1537G3498G599G3765G2288G2961G3765G2961G84610When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.G3739G1063G599G599G266G2178G1161G3739G2198G2198G231611So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.G3779G3049G5210G2532G1438G1511G3498G3303G266G1161G2198G2316G1722G2424G5547G2257G296212Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.G936G3361G266G3767G936G1722G5216G2349G4983G1519G5219G846G1722G1939G84613Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.G3366G3936G5216G3196G3696G93G266G235G3936G1438G2316G5613G2198G1537G3498G2532G5216G3196G3696G1343G231614Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.G1063G266G2961G3756G2961G5216G1063G2075G3756G5259G3551G235G5259G548515Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!G5101G3767G264G3754G2070G3756G5259G3551G235G5259G5485G3361G109616Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.G1492G3756G3754G3739G3936G1438G1401G1519G5218G1401G2075G3739G5219G2273G266G1519G2288G2228G5218G1519G134317Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.G1161G2316G5485G3754G2258G1401G266G1161G5219G1537G2588G5179G1322G1519G3739G386018Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.G1659G1161G1659G575G266G1402G134319Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.G3004G442G1223G769G5216G4561G1063G5618G3936G5216G3196G1401G167G2532G458G1519G458G3779G3568G3936G5216G3196G1401G1343G1519G3820When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.G1063G3753G2258G1401G266G2258G1658G134321And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.G5101G3767G2590G2192G5119G1909G3739G1870G3568G1870G1063G5056G1565G228822But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.G1161G3570G1659G575G266G1161G1402G2316G2192G5216G2590G1519G38G1161G5056G166G222223For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.G1063G3800G266G2288G1161G5486G2316G166G2222G1722G2424G5547G2257G2962
135Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord,H1984H3050H1984H8034H3068H1984H5650H30682you who serve in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.H5975H1004H3068H2691H1004H4303Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music.H1984H3050H3068H2896H2167H8034H52734For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.H3050H977H3290H3478H54595I know the greatness of the Lord—that our Lord is greater than any other god.H3045H3068H1419H113H4306The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.H3068H2654H6213H8064H776H3220H84157He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.H5387H5927H7097H776H6213H1300H4306H3318H7307H2148He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home, both people and animals.H5221H1060H4714H120H9299He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his people.H7971H226H4159H8432H4714H6547H565010He struck down great nations and slaughtered mighty kings—H5221H7227H1471H2026H6099H442811Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan.H5511H4428H567H5747H4428H1316H4467H366712He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession to his people Israel.H5414H776H5159H5159H3478H597113Your name, O Lord, endures forever; your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation.H8034H3068H5769H2143H3068H1755H175514For the Lord will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants.H3068H1777H5971H5162H565015The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.H6091H1471H3701H2091H4639H120H302716They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.H6310H1696H5869H720017They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.H241H238H3426H7307H631018And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.H6213H98219O Israel, praise the Lord! O priests—descendants of Aaron—praise the Lord!H1288H3068H1004H3478H1288H3068H1004H17520O Levites, praise the Lord! All you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!H1288H3068H1004H3878H3373H3068H1288H306821The Lord be praised from Zion, for he lives here in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!H1288H3068H6726H7931H3389H1984H3050
Dublin, OH
; do not give in to sinful desires.G936
