What if some Jews were not faithful? Will the fact that they weren’t faithful keep God from being faithful?

Why not say, “Let’s do evil things so that good things will happen”? Some people actually lie by reporting that this is what we say. They are the ones who will rightly be found guilty.

So no one will be considered right with God by obeying the law. Instead, the law makes us more aware of our sin.

God gave Christ as a sacrifice to pay for sins through the spilling of his blood. So God forgives the sins of those who have faith. God did all this to prove that he does what is right. He is a God of mercy. So he did not punish for their sins the people who lived before Jesus lived.

So who can brag? No one! Are people saved by the law that requires them to obey? Not at all! They are saved because of the law that requires faith.

There is only one God. When those who are circumcised believe in him, he makes them right with himself. Suppose those who are not circumcised believe in him. Then God also will make them right with himself.

Abraham’s Faith Made Him Right With God

What should we say about these things? What did Abraham, the father of our people, discover about being right with God?

But things are different with God. He makes ungodly people right with himself. If people trust in him, their faith is accepted even though they do not work. Their faith makes them right with God.

King David says the same thing. He tells us how blessed people are when God makes them right with himself. They are blessed because they don’t have to do anything in return. David says,

The promise is based on God’s grace. The promise comes by faith. All of Abraham’s children will certainly receive the promise. And it is not only for those who are ruled by the law. Those who have the same faith that Abraham had are also included. He is the father of us all.

When there was no reason for hope, Abraham believed because he had hope. He became the father of many nations, exactly as God had promised. God said, “That is how many children you will have.” (Genesis 15:5)

They were written also for us. We believe in the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. So God will accept our faith and make us right with himself.

And hope will never bring us shame. That’s because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. This happened through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

At just the right time Christ died for ungodly people. He died for us when we had no power of our own.

It is unusual for anyone to die for a godly person. Maybe someone would be willing to die for a good person.

The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God’s anger.

Once we were God’s enemies. But we have been brought back to him because his Son has died for us. Now that God has brought us back, we are even more secure. We know that we will be saved because Christ lives.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.

Before the law was given, sin was in the world. This is certainly true. But people are not judged for sin when there is no law.

God’s gift can’t be compared with Adam’s sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But it was even more sure that God’s grace would also come through one man. That man is Jesus Christ. God’s gift of grace was more than enough for the whole world.

The result of God’s gift is different from the result of Adam’s sin. That one sin brought God’s judgment. But after many sins, God’s gift made people right with him.

One man sinned, and death ruled over all people because of his sin. What will happen is even more sure than this. Those who receive the rich supply of God’s grace will rule with Christ. They will rule in his kingdom. They have received God’s gift and have been made right with him. This will happen because of what the one man, Jesus Christ, has done.

So one man’s sin brought guilt to all people. In the same way, one right act made people right with God. That one right act gave life to all people.

Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.

By being baptized, we have been joined with him in a death like his. So we will certainly also be joined with him in a resurrection like his.