Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!
How impossible it is for us to understand
his decisions and his ways!
For who can know the LORD’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?
And who has given him so much
that he needs to pay it back?
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us
from God’s love.
Neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,
neither our fears for today
nor our worries about tomorrow—
not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
No power in the sky above
or in the earth below—
indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us
from the love of God
that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But now God has shown us a way
to be right with him…
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.
Yet we know that a person is made right with God
by faith in Jesus Christ,
not by obeying the law…
…So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature.
You are controlled by the Spirit
if you have the Spirit of God living in you.
(And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ
living in them do not belong to him at all.)
And Christ lives within you,
so even though your body will die because of sin,
the Spirit gives you life
because you have been made right with God.
Don’t store up treasures here on earth,
where moths eat them and rust destroys them,
and where thieves break in and steal.
Store your treasures in heaven,
where moths and rust cannot destroy,
and thieves do not break in and steal.
Wherever your treasure is,
there the desires of your heart will also be.
So now there is no condemnation
for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
…God did what the law could not do.
He sent his own Son in a body
like the bodies we sinners have.
And in that body
God declared an end to sin’s control over us
by giving his Son
as a sacrifice for our sins.
Blessings of knowing what God did through His Son, Jesus,
But God showed his great love for us
by sending Christ to die for us
while we were still sinners.
And since we have been made right in God’s sight
by the blood of Christ,
he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
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.
Because 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.
Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise.
In fact, his faith grew stronger,
and in this he brought glory to God.
He was fully convinced that God is able
to do whatever he promises.
And because of Abraham’s faith,
God counted him as righteous.
