The Promise Is by Grace, Not Legal Performance
Romans 4:13–15 (NLT) 13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise […]
Abraham: The Spiritual Father of All Who Believe
Romans 4:9–12 (NLT) 9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he […]
Righteousness: God’s Gift, Not Our Wage
Romans 4:4–8 (NLT) 4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without […]
Righteousness Through Faith
Romans 4:1–3 (NLT) 1 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed […]
Justified by Faith Alone: The End of Boasting and the Law’s True Fulfillment
Romans 3:27–31 (NLT) 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. 29 After all, is God the God of […]
The Cross: Where God’s Justice and Mercy Meet
Romans 3:25c–26 (NLT) 25c This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and […]
God’s Justice Satisfied, His Grace Given Through Christ: The Greatest Love in Action That Restored Us
Romans 3:24b–25b (NLT) 24b He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. Message I. Made Right Through Christ: Grace Given, […]
Grace That Makes Us Right — Without Excusing Guilt
Romans 3:24a (NLT) 24a Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. Message We studied the universal reality of sin and falling short of God’s glory in Romans 3:23. What, then, makes us right with God in His sight? Verse 24a gives the answer: 24a Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us […]
Falling Short of God’s Glory: Sin, Shame, and the Loss of Openness
Romans 3:23 (NLT) 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Message See verse 23. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. God created human beings in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27). They are called Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:20). Their fall is described in Genesis […]
Made Right With God—Apart from the Law and Available to All Who Believe
Romans 3:21–22 (NLT) 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for […]
