Romans 3 – Page 3 – Ministry of Grace Church

Category: Romans 3

Romans 3:11 – I Don’t Understand!

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Will

there is no one who understands; there is no one seeking God.

Truth to Learn

We do not seek out God; He draws us to Him.

Behind the Words

The word translated “understands” is the Greek word suniēmi, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and hiēmi, meaning “to send” or “to put.” So literally this means “to send together” or “to put together.” It refers to someone mentally “putting it all together” or “understanding.”

“Seeking” is from the verb exzēteō. This is made up of ek, meaning “out” and zēteō, which means “to seek” or “to pursue.” Hence, exzēteō means “to seek out” or “to search diligently.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul declared the first of his great doctrinal statements of the book of Romans. This is the first statement of what some have come to call “The Romans Road.” The first step in the Romans Road is, “There is none righteous, no not one.” You will recall that this is a quote from the book of Psalms.

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable wickedness; there is no one doing good. God looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind, to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is no one doing good, not even one. (Psalms 53:1-3)

What Paul declared in the previous verse is that there is no one who is righteous in and of himself, or herself. There is no one in the human race (save for Christ Himself) who can stand in the presence of God Almighty and claim that he or she is righteous enough to deserve heaven.

In today’s verse Paul continues with his quotation, selecting a portion of Psalms 53:2. Not only is no one righteous, none of us understands what God wants from us. And today’s verse also tells us that none of us, left to ourselves, seeks after God. In fact, were it not for the drawing forth influence of the Spirit of God, none of us would be able to come to God. We don’t seek Him; He draws us to Himself.

The bottom line is that none of us deserves heaven or salvation. Not even one! In order for us to be saved, we must first realize that we are not worthy of salvation. We don’t deserve it, and there is no reason why God should grant it to us apart from His grace and His grace alone!

If you have never recognized your unworthiness for God’s free gift of salvation, now is the time to humble yourself before the mighty hand of God, confess your utter sinfulness, beg for His mercy, and accept His blessed gift of salvation through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Application

If you have already accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the payment for your sins, then you are righteous in His eyes. But you need to realize that without the illumination of the Holy Spirit you wouldn’t even understand what God wants from you. And, you need to recognize that you were drawn to Him; you didn’t come by your own effort.

Thank you Lord, for drawing me to Yourself, for allowing me to understand Your message, and for saving my soul!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:10 – No Not One!

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Will

As it is written: There is none righteous, not even one;

Truth to Learn

None of us meets God’s standard of righteousness.

Behind the Words

The words “it is written” are translated from a single Greek verb, graphō. This word literally means “to engrave,” that is, “to write.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense. This tense in Greek indicates past completed action with an ongoing effect, but the emphasis is on the effect. Hence, we could express this as “It has been written and, therefore, is now in writing.”

“Righteous” is from the Greek word dikaios. It is based on the word dikē, which originally referred to a tendency. Gradually, this word came to mean “an established standard or custom.” So, dikaios refers to someone who has met an expected standard. The standard referred to here is God’s standard of behavior, always doing what is right.

Meaning Explained

Don’t you just hate it when someone starts quoting Scripture at you, especially when you know they’re right? Well, that’s just what Paul is doing here. He is talking to Jewish Christians in Rome who very likely know the Law and the Prophets (what we call The Old Testament). He has been skillfully showing them that whether they are Jews or not, they are no better in God’s eyes than anyone else. He now drops the other shoe!

He is quoting from both Psalms 14 and Psalms 53, which are nearly identical. His quotation, which comprises verse ten through eighteen, is really a chain of quotations and paraphrases. Here’s what Psalms 53 says:

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable wickedness; there is no one doing good. God looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind, to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Every one has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is no one doing good, not even one. (Psalms 53:1-3)

Up to this point in Paul’s discourse it still would have been possible, though improbable, that some of his Jewish Christian readers might have thought themselves better than others and acceptable to God because of their lineage and their possession of the Scriptures. Now they have no leg to stand on, so to speak. Their own Scriptures clearly condemn everyone as having turned from God and having become wicked. Paul will use this and other scripture verses from the Old Testament to show these Jewish Christians that the Scriptures which had been entrusted to them by God declare even Jews to be without righteousness.

Application

Let us now stop here and consider that before accepting Christ as Savior, none of us could have stood before God innocent in any way because we haven’t measured up to His standard. When we believed His gospel message and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we were credited with the righteousness of Christ. Without this righteousness credited to our account we are all destined for hell!

In other words, without the blood of Christ, none of us deserves heaven, not a single one of us!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:9 – Sinners All

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Will

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.

Truth to Learn

None of us is better than any other sinner.

Behind the Words

“Are we better” is translated from a single Greek word, proechomai. This is a compound word made up of pro, meaning “before, or in front of”“ and a form of echo, meaning “to have, or to be.” Figuratively, this word means “to have preference or preeminence,” that is, “to be superior.” The difficulty with this word is that the way Paul wrote it, it could be interpreted as either in the passive voice or in the middle voice. So it could mean “are we excelled (by the Gentiles)” or “are we excelling ourselves (above the Gentiles).” Based on what Paul has said in the previous verses and what he will say in the following verses, the middle voice makes more sense. Hence, we could paraphrase this as “Do we (Jews) think that we are better than everyone else?”

The words “Not at all” are translated from ou pantōs. Ou means “no” or “not” and pantōs means “all the parts” or “entirely.” So we could translate this as “Entirely not.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now poses the final rhetorical question in this line of reasoning. You will recall that he is talking about the advantage of being a Jew, yet he is trying to point out to the Jewish Christians in Rome that not only is it not necessary to be a Jew to become a Christian, but being a direct descendent of Abraham has no bearing at all in whether a person is a Christian or not. Nonetheless, Paul demonstrated that the Jews were special because God entrusted them with the writings of the Old Testament.

Having argued that God will judge sin and will glorify Himself in doing so, and having shown that Christian doctrine does not teach that we should all sin greatly so that God will be greatly glorified when He either judges or pardons such sin, Paul now addresses the final objection: “Are Jews better than everyone else then?”

This is the root question that Paul has been trying to get to for this entire section of his argument. However, he could not have done so without guiding his readers along step by step. He then immediately answers this question, “Not at all.”

Now he says, “we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.” In fact, almost the entire first chapter of this epistle was dedicated to proving we’re all sinners and we have no excuse before God.

All of this groundwork has been laid so that Paul can make one of the most profound and revealing declarations in the entire Bible. He will do so by quoting the very “writings” that the Jews have been entrusted with, beginning in the next verse.

Application

Today, some Christians have the same attitude that the Jews of the first century had. Since Christians are saved, and we have the Holy Bible as our guide, we feel like we are just a little bit better than everyone else. However, we need to keep in mind that we are just sinners saved by the grace of God. And, without God’s grace we would be destined for the same lake of fire as every other sinner. That should not make us proud, it should make us humble!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:8 – Misrepresented Truth

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Will

And not say, "Let us do evil that good may result"—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

Truth to Learn

All sin will be judged, no matter what our excuse may be.

Behind the Words

The phrase “Let us do” is translated from the verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” If you have followed our teaching on the use of the word “let,” you might assume that this verb is written in the imperative mood (a command), but it isn’t. It is expressed in the subjunctive mood, which indicates possibility or probability. So the quote might be translated as “We should do evil that good may come.”

“Slanderously reported” is from the Greek verb blasphēmeō, meaning “to speak evil of” or “to intentionally damage someone else’s reputation.” When used against God, this verb is often translated “blaspheme.”

The word translated “affirm” is the Greek verb phēmi. It is based on the obsolete verb phaō, meaning “to shine.” Phēmi means “to bring to light by speech” or “to make known one’s thoughts.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verses Paul has taught that God is not glorified when someone commits sin; God is glorified when He judges sin. It is His act of judgment, in keeping with who He is, that brings Him glory. But the Jesuits of the first century, among others, had perverted Paul’s teaching on this subject claiming that Paul and the other Apostles were teaching that we all ought to sin greatly so that God would be greatly glorified. After all, as Paul surely had stated before and will later proclaim in this epistle:

But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. (Romans 5:20)

Paul taught that God, in the salvation of people, would be glorified in proportion to the depth and pollution of the guilt which was forgiven. This is true, but how easy it is to misrepresent this as teaching that people ought to sin in order to promote God’s glory! You see, instead of stating it as an inference, which they drew from the doctrine, those who attacked Paul’s teaching declared that Paul taught we ought to sin to bring glory to God. He counters that argument right here by openly exposing the falsehood of what others say about his doctrine. At the same time, he openly declares that those who attack him will receive condemnation. He is also convinced that the condemnation that these false accusers will receive is appropriate because they perverted the truth of God for their own purposes.

Application

We are all sinners, so when our lives are compared to the perfect life that Christ lived we will all be found guilty as sinners and it will be shown that our righteousness is like filthy rags. For the past few verses Paul’s teaching has been “God will judge every sin of every man.” Those sins will either have been judged at the cross and declared as fully paid for (everyone who believes and accepts this sacrificial gift) or the sins will be judged and the sinners declared guilty at the coming Great White Throne, where the payment for sins will be eternity in the lake of fire.

Where will your sins be judged?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:7 – The Truth Judge

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Will

For if in my lie the truth of God has abounded to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner?

Truth to Learn

We are sinners and God will judge sinners.

Behind the Words

The word “lie” is translated from the Greek word pseusma, which is based on the verb pseudomai, meaning “to speak an untruth” or “to attempt to deceive by falsehood.” Therefore, pseusma refers to “a lie” or “a falsehood.”

“Abounded” is from the Greek word perisseuō, which is based on the preposition peri, meaning “around, through, or over.” Perisseuō, means “to be in excess,” “to be overly abundant,” or “to have more than enough.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now states another rhetorical question that could be asked by those who argue against his line of reasoning. The argument could be stated like this: “Hey, Paul, if God is shown to be true by judging my sin and He receives glory for it, then my sin really isn’t bad, is it? If it glorifies God, it must be OK!”

The fallacy of that argument is that the act of sin does not glorify God any more than someone committing murder glorifies the court system. It is the fact that God judges the act of sin just as He said He would (God is shown to be true to His word) that glorifies Him. In the same manner, punishing a murderer glorifies the court system because the court has fulfilled its stated purpose and responsibility.

Some might claim that in the current verse Paul is confessing to be a liar, but that is not the case. You will recall back in verse five he said:

God is true but every man a liar.

That is to say, there is no one who tells the truth all the time, except God. Therefore, every man is a liar. And, if every man is a liar, then that includes Paul.

In effect, what Paul was saying back in verse 4 is, “God is true! And every man is a liar. Therefore man cannot nullify the faithfulness of God.” It is the fact that God is true, i.e. He always does just what He said He would do which brings glory to Him, not our sinfulness.

Also, God’s truth is what separates Christians from the rest of mankind. In John’s gospel he related the prayer that Jesus prayed for his disciples after the Last Supper. In that prayer Jesus said:

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:17)

We have been set apart … from sin and to God (that’s what “sanctify” means). Believing the gospel message is what sets us apart because that message is truth.

Application

Once again, we are brought face to face with how holy our God is and how sinful we are. And, it is absolutely amazing that a Holy God who judges sin manages to find a way for sinners like us to avoid His judgment. He sent His Son to sacrifice His perfect life so that my sins and yours could be forgiven. How great is His love and how marvelous is His grace!

I am as grateful as I am unworthy! And that’s the truth!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:6 – Righteous Judge

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Will

Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?

Truth to Learn

Our righteous God will one day judge everyone.

Behind the Words

“Certainly not!” is from the Greek words mē genoito, which we explained in verse four. However, what we didn’t mention there is that this is expressed in the rare “optative mood,” which is a use that expresses a separation from reality as much as any mood in Greek. In other words, Paul is saying that there is no possible way that this could be reality. It is an expression that is a particular favorite of the Apostle Paul. Of the 15 times this expression is found in the Bible, 14 of them are in his writings.

The verb translated “judge” is the Greek word krinō. The basic meaning of this word is “to separate or to distinguish between good and evil.” It is a judicial word that implies a trial and frequently is used to denote condemnation and punishment.

Meaning Explained

Keep in mind that Paul is posing and answering rhetorical questions that the Jewish Christians in Rome would likely have expressed against his treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of being a Jew. His rhetorical question in the previous verse was,

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)

His response to this question is, “Certainly not!” What Paul is saying is that God is in no way unrighteous in his judgment of sin, even though such judgment glorifies Him. It is not wrong for God to receive glory as a result of our sinfulness; otherwise, how could He judge the world? To the Jewish mind it is an unarguable fact that God will someday judge the world.

And we Christians also know from the New Testament writings that the Creator will one day judge all sin and will condemn all sinners to the lake of fire. But we also know that those who have humbled themselves at the foot of the cross, having accepted the sacrifice of Jesus as payment for their sins, will not receive this judgment. Instead, because of our faith, we have already been declared as righteous.

Paul will talk more about this righteousness which has been credited to us later in this chapter. He will even show that such righteousness is ours through faith:

even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, toward all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; (Romans 3:22)

Remember that God is holy, meaning that He is set apart from sin and sinfulness. It is part of what He is. God cannot do wrong because of His holiness. That’s why Jesus, as completely man and completely God at the same time, could not commit a sin, which is also why He was able to sacrifice His life for us – the sinless One for the sinners.

Application

Every man, woman, and child will stand before the Judge one day. Only those who are as righteous as Jesus Christ will be spared from the Lake of Fire. In just a few verses Paul will declare that none of us is righteous except through faith in Christ. Do you have that righteousness?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:5 – Righteous Wrath

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Will

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)

Truth to Learn

God is righteous and must judge unrighteousness.

Behind the Words

The word translated “demonstrates” is sunistēmi, a compound word made up of sun, meaning “together” and histēmi, meaning “to stand.” Hence, it literally means “to stand together.” Usually, when this word is used with inanimate things it means “to prove, or establish.” When used of a person, however, this word means “to introduce or to present to one's acquaintance for favorable notice.” Therefore, in this context it means “to establish or to demonstrate.”

“Inflicts” is from the Greek word epipherō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” or “over” and pherō, which means “to bring” or “to carry.” Therefore, epipherō literally means “to bring against.”

The word “wrath” is translated from orgē, which is based on a word that means “excitement of the mind” or “violent passion.” Orgē is nearly always translated as “wrath.” It is a word that shows the action which results from anger. In God’s case it is always righteous anger and, therefore, righteous wrath.

Meaning Explained

This can be very confusing so follow me carefully. Paul has just stated two rhetorical questions that would be objections by Jews to his current discourse. The Jewish Christians in Rome would be following his logic to this point. They might well concede that some (even many) Jews had not believed. They would also concede that God was true to his promises and His character, thereby judging sin. As a result of this, the character of God, as a just being, would shine out illustriously.

A careful follower of this reasoning might then argue that Paul was saying that God is glorified by man’s sin. In anticipation of this argument, Paul asks another rhetorical question which we could paraphrase as:

But if our unrighteousness shows the worthiness of God’s righteousness, what can we say against Him? Is God unrighteous who brings forth His wrath against unrighteousness?

Obviously, we can’t condemn God for displaying His righteous wrath against sin. That is the very character of God. He is holy and just. He abhors sin and must judge it because He is a righteous God (He always does what is right).

But Paul is not through with his reasoning against the pride of the Jewish Christians in Rome. In the following verses he will continue his stern discourse.

These past few verses and the ones to follow comprise a difficult passage of scripture to understand. However, if we hang in there I’m sure we will all get a much better understanding of what Paul is teaching us.

Application

When we realize that we are sinners and that God is a righteous God who must judge sin, we recognize that we are deserving of God’s judgment and wrath. But because of the shed blood of Christ, when we confess our sin God cleanses us of all unrighteousness (see 1John 1:9). Praise God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:4 – God is True

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Will

Certainly not! But let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: "That you should be justified in your words, and you may prevail when you are judged."

Truth to Learn

God is true and always does what is right.

Behind the Words

“Certainly not!” is translated from the two Greek words mē genoito, which literally mean “may it not have come to pass.” I suppose in today’s vernacular we would say, “No way!” This is an expression used often by Paul when he wants to emphatically say “no!”

The words “let … be” are from the Greek verb ginomai, which is a verb of being, roughly meaning “to come into existence” or simply “to be.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating the force of a command. The way we express this in English is to use the word “let.” The phrase “let God be true” does not mean “allow God to be true” but “God is true!” or even “God is truth!”

Meaning Explained

Paul now answers the second rhetorical question that he posed, “So what if some (many) did not believe in Jesus? Does that mean that God is not faithful in saving His special people (the Jews)?” His answer is, “No way!”

He then enforces what he just said by declaring, “God is true, and every man is a liar;” Paul follows with a quote from Psalms.

This Psalm was written in response to God’s judgment David received through Nathan the prophet. David had lusted after Bathsheba, the wife of a man in his army and had committed adultery with her. When David discovered that she was pregnant, he had her husband placed in the most dangerous part of the battle where he was killed. Afterward, David took Bathsheba as his wife.

In his own heart David did not see anything wrong with this. But God did not allow David’s sin to go unnoticed. He sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. In response, David humbled himself before God. He recognized that God is righteous and truthful and he (David) is a liar and a sinner.

Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done evil in Your eyes; that You might be justified when You speak, and be clear when You judge. (Psalms 51:4)

Just like Paul in the current passage, David did not dare call into question God’s truthfulness or His righteousness. Paul’s point is that God is righteous and He always does what is right and true. Therefore, if some of the Jews who had been entrusted with the Holy Writings did not believe and were ultimately judged and condemned by God, then that was the true and righteous thing to do. No one can blame God if He condemns those who do not believe because He is righteous!

There are some who ask, “How can God extend His grace to some and send others to Hell? That’s just not right.” According to Paul, it is right because God always does what is right.

Application

Oh, that we all would recognize the righteousness of our Holy God and the utter wretchedness of our own sins.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:3 – Ya Gotta Believe

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Will

For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?

Truth to Learn

Salvation and our relationship with God are all about faith.

Behind the Words

The word translated “not believe” is apisteō, a compound verb made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and pisteō, meaning “to believe” or “to have faith.”

The noun “unbelief” is from apistia, a noun made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “un” and a form of pistos, meaning “faith” or “belief.”

“Faithfulness” is translated from pistis, which comes from the verb peithō meaning “to win over” or “to persuade.” In other words, it means “to be persuaded,” that is, “to believe.”

Paul is very fond of using words playfully (meaningfully, but playfully). Here he is playing on the word pistis (faith) and its verb forms pisteuō (to believe) and apisteō (to not believe). In the previous verse the passive form of pisteuō was used to indicate that God “entrusted” the Holy Writings to the Jews. And here he asks if the “unbelief” (apistia) of the Jews would cancel out the “faithfulness” (pistis) of God.

Meaning Explained

In the first chapter of this letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul clearly articulated the fact that the Gentiles are sinners and that they are guilty before God and without excuse. In the second chapter he made a very clear case against the Jews, showing that they also were guilty before God without excuse. And, even though many of the early Christians were converted Jews, Paul makes it very clear that when it comes to being righteous before God, the Jews had no advantage over the Gentiles.

In the first verse of this third chapter, Paul posed a rhetorical question and he proceeded to answer it in verse two. He now poses another rhetorical question that a Jewish Christian might ask him. Since there were so many Jews who did not believe in Jesus, the Messiah, when He came, what good did it do for the Jews to be keepers of the oracles?

Paul says, in effect, “So what if some (many) did not believe in Jesus? Does that mean that God is not faithful in saving His special people (the Jews)?” As he showed in general during the first two chapters, Paul will point out several verses from now very specifically that both Jews and Gentiles are guilty of sin. Because there is none righteous, Jew or Gentile, neither group is deserving of salvation.

Do you notice that? None of us deserves salvation. Paul will make this abundantly clear. God doesn’t judge any of us to be righteous based on our actions or our deeds, but on a single act of obedience by Jesus Christ.

Application

Sooner or later each one of us has to face the question: Are you good enough for God to let you into heaven? There are many people who, when asked this question, will say, “Of course, I’ve done the best I can. What more can God expect of anyone?” But “the best I can” isn’t good enough since God expects perfection. Since none of us is perfect, none of us deserves heaven. God has entrusted us with the Holy Bible. If we ignore it, we’re lost. If we read it and believe that Jesus died to pay for our sins, then God judges us to be perfect.

It’s all about believing (pisteuō).

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:2 – The Entrusted Word

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Will

Much in every way! Primarily, because the oracles of God were entrusted to them.

Truth to Learn

God entrusts His message to those He loves.

Behind the Words

“Primarily” is translated from prōton, which means “first in time, place, order, or importance.” Since Paul does not enumerate further, this could be translated as “primarily” or “chiefly.”

The Greek word translated “oracles” is logian. The root of this word is logos, which refers to “a word” or “something said.” Hence, logian refers to “an utterance or something declared by God.”

The word “entrusted” is translated from the Greek word pisteuō, which means “to have faith” or “to believe.” The word is expressed here in the passive voice, however, indicating action done to them. Therefore, this word implies that God had faith in them, or “entrusted” them.

Meaning Explained

Paul now answers his own rhetorical question regarding whether there is any superiority in being a Jew or in being circumcised. He says, “Yes, there most certainly is!” Then he goes on to explain why he believes that. He says that the primary advantage of being a Jew is the fact that the Jews have been entrusted with the oracles of God.

In other words, the primary advantage of being a Jew is the fact that they have been given the very words of God for safe keeping. By this he is referring to the Hebrew Tanakh, that is, what we call the Old Testament.

Notice Paul does not say that the Jews were the only people that God talked to. After all, there are quite a number of non-Jews (like Job, for instance) to whom God communicated directly. But the only written utterances of God (at the time that Paul was writing this epistle) were contained in the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings, as we discussed yesterday. This made them (the Jews) the keepers of God’s revelation to mankind, an honor not to be taken too lightly.

One unmistakable advantage of this is something that we have alluded to in previous verses. Most of the converts to Christianity in the early church were Jews. Because they had the sacred writings, the Holy Scriptures, at their disposal, they knew more about God and His dealings with mankind. They also knew about the Messiah who was to come and save the Jews (and Gentiles). As a result, when Paul and others preached the gospel to them, it was easier for them to understand the significance of His death on the cross.

Today we Christians have been entrusted with the sacred writings of God more completely than the Jews of Paul’s day were. Let us not lose sight of the fact that these “oracles of God” have been entrusted to our care!

Application

The next time you pick up your Bible, consider how precious a book it is. In it is the message of God’s love for you, a love so great that He sacrificed His Son so that we can know Him and have intimate fellowship with Him. Hallelujah!

In God's service, for His glory,