Romans 3:1 Then what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision?
2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.
3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful?
4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about Him, "You will be proved right in what you say, and You will win Your case in court."
5 "But," some might say, "our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn't it unfair, then, for Him to punish us?" (This is merely a human point of view.)
6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would He be qualified to judge the world?
7 "But," someone might still argue, "how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights His truthfulness and brings Him more glory?"
8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, "The more we sin, the better it is!" Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.
10 As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous-not even one.
11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one."
13 "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies." "Snake venom drips from their lips."
14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15 "They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don't know where to find peace."
18 "They have no fear of God at all."
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.
20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
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 everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.
24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. 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. 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 just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.
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 Jews only? Isn't He also the God of the Gentiles? Of course He is.
30 There is only one God, and He makes people right with Himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
Rom. 4:1 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 God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."
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 working for it:
7 "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin."
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 was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!
11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous-even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith.
12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
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 is pointless.
15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.
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 creates new things out of nothing.
18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping-believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!"
19 And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead-and so was Sarah's womb.
20 Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.
21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises.
22 And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous.
23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded
24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in Him, the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God.
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Psalms 108:1 A song. A psalm of David. My heart is confident in You, O God; no wonder I can sing Your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.
3 I will thank You, LORD, among all the people. I will sing Your praises among the nations.
4 For Your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May Your glory shine over all the earth.
6 Now rescue Your beloved people. Answer and save us by Your power.
7 God has promised this by His holiness: "I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, My helmet, will produce My warriors, and Judah, My scepter, will produce My kings.
9 But Moab, My washbasin, will become My servant, and I will wipe My feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia."
10 Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over Edom?
11 Have You rejected us, O God? Will You no longer march with our armies?
12 Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless.
13 With God's help we will do mighty things, for He will trample down our foes.
Ps. 109:1 For the choir director: A psalm of David. O God, whom I praise, don't stand silent and aloof
2 while the wicked slander me and tell lies about me.
3 They surround me with hateful words and fight against me for no reason.
4 I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them!
:5 They repay evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 They say, "Get an evil person to turn against him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial.
7 When his case comes up for judgment, let him be pronounced guilty. Count his prayers as sins.
8 Let his years be few; let someone else take his position.
9 May his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 May his children wander as beggars and be driven from their ruined homes.
11 May creditors seize his entire estate, and strangers take all he has earned.
12 Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children.
13 May all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in a single generation.
14 May the LORD never forget the sins of his fathers; may his mother's sins never be erased from the record.
15 May the LORD always remember these sins, and may his name disappear from human memory.
16 For he refused all kindness to others; he persecuted the poor and needy, and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.
17 He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don't you bless him.
18 Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats.
19 Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt."
20 May those curses become the LORD's punishment for my accusers who speak evil of me.
21 But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD, for the sake of Your own reputation! Rescue me because You are so faithful and good.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain.
23 I am fading like a shadow at dusk; I am brushed off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones.
25 I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.
26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me because of Your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is Your doing, that You Yourself have done it, LORD.
28 Then let them curse me if they like, but You will bless me! When they attack me, they will be disgraced! But I, Your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD, praising Him to everyone.
31 For He stands beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them.
Ps. 110:1 A psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at My right hand until I humble Your enemies, making them a footstool under Your feet."
2 The LORD will extend Your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem; You will rule over Your enemies.
3 When You go to war, Your people will serve You willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and Your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
4 The LORD has taken an oath and will not break His vow: "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek."
5 The Lord stands at Your right hand to protect You. He will strike down many kings when His anger erupts.
6 He will punish the nations and fill their lands with corpses; He will shatter heads over the whole earth.
7 But He Himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way. He will be victorious.
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