Rom.4.16

This is why the fulfillment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God's promise arrives as pure gift. That's the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it, those who keep the religious traditions and those who have never heard of them. For Abraham is father of us all. He is not our racial father--that's reading the story backwards. He is our faith father.

Rom.4.16

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by 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.

Rom.4.16

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

Rom.4.16

So that's why faith is the key! God's promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.

Rom.4.17

We call Abraham "father" not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, "I set you up as father of many peoples"? Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing.

Rom.4.17

As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Rom.4.17

(as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Rom.4.17

That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn't exist before.

Rom.4.18

When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, "You're going to have a big family, Abraham!"

Rom.4.18

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Rom.4.18

who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be."

Rom.4.18

When God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, Abraham believed him. God had also said, "Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars," even though such a promise seemed utterly impossible!

Rom.4.19

Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up.

Rom.4.19

Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead.

Rom.4.19

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

Rom.4.19

And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children.

Rom.4.20

He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God,

Rom.4.20

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

Rom.4.20

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

Rom.4.20

Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.

Rom.4.21

sure that God would make good on what he had said.

Rom.4.21

being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Rom.4.21

and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Rom.4.21

He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised.

Rom.4.22

That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right."

Rom.4.22

This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."

Rom.4.22

And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness."

Rom.4.22

And because of Abraham's faith, God declared him to be righteous.

Rom.4.23

But it's not just Abraham;

Rom.4.23

The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone,

Rom.4.23

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him,

Rom.4.23

Now this wonderful truth--that God declared him to be righteous--wasn't just for Abraham's benefit.

Rom.4.24

it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless.

Rom.4.24

but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Rom.4.24

but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,

Rom.4.24

It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead.

Rom.4.25

The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God.

Rom.4.25

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Rom.4.25

who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Rom.4.25

He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.

Rom.5.1

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us--set us right with him, make us fit for him--we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus.

Rom.5.1

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Rom.5.1

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Rom.5.1

Therefore, 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.

Rom.5.2

And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand--out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

Rom.5.2

through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Rom.5.2

through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Rom.5.2

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

Rom.5.3

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us,

Rom.5.3

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

Rom.5.3

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

Rom.5.3

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure.

Rom.5.4

and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.

Rom.5.4

perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Rom.5.4

and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Rom.5.4

And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.

Rom.5.5

In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary--we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Rom.5.5

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Rom.5.5

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.

Rom.5.5

And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Rom.5.6

Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway.

Rom.5.6

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom.5.6

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom.5.6

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

Rom.5.7

We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice.

Rom.5.7

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

Rom.5.7

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

Rom.5.7

Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good.

Rom.5.8

But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

Rom.5.8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom.5.8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom.5.8

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Rom.5.9

Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way.

Rom.5.9

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

Rom.5.9

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Rom.5.9

And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's judgment.

Rom.5.10

If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life!

Rom.5.10

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Rom.5.10

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Rom.5.10

For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life.

Rom.5.11

Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!

Rom.5.11

Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Rom.5.11

And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Rom.5.11

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God--all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.