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Romans 4:23 – Old Truths for Us

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Will

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was accounted to him,

Truth to Learn

The Old Testament declares important truths for Christians.

Behind the Words

In Greek there are two different words translated “not.” One is ou and the other is mē. The second of these, mē, indicates a conditional negation or when denial is a matter of thought, not fact. The word ou, on the other hand, indicates absolute negation as a matter of fact. In the current verse, the word “not” is translated from the Greek word ou. Hence, it is a matter of fact, not opinion, that “it was not written for his sake alone.”

Meaning Explained

Since the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the predominantly Jewish Christians in Rome, they certainly were familiar with their ancestor, the patriarch Abraham. Paul has been demonstrating in a series of logical arguments that justification (God’s declaration of our righteousness) does not come from obeying a series of laws or church ordinances. Rather, justification comes of God’s free will (not our free will) to those who believe the promise(s) made by God as recorded in the Bible.

In Abraham’s case God promised that he would be the father of many nations and that he would have descendants as numerous as the sand of the sea or as numerous as the stars of the heaven, and Abraham believed God. As we have seen in the past few verses, this belief occurred even when Abraham was past child producing years, and he held firm to this belief for more than 20 years even as his body was getting older and less able to produce children.

Moses documented all of this in the book of Genesis, chronicling the life of Abraham in chapters 12 through 25. The specific reference in the current verse is to Genesis 15:5,6 where it says:

And He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your seed be.” And he believed in Jehovah. And He counted it to him for righteousness.

What Paul now tells us in the current verse is that Moses’ documentation of this event absolutely was not for Abraham’s sake alone (the fact that Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith). In fact, it was not written for Abraham’s sake at all, given the fact that Abraham had been dead more than 300 years when Moses wrote it. When this was written about Abraham, it clearly elevated Abraham in the eyes of all who read about this, more so than if it had simply been handed down as an oral tradition. So, in a sense, it may have had some benefit to Abraham but more so to his descendants who now had “bragging rights” about their ancestor.

Paul’s point, however, is that there is another (more important) reason that this was written about, and he will state that in the next verse.

Application

The things written in the Old Testament were not written just for the Jews. These things were also written for Christians who are the spiritual descendants of Abraham.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:22 – Unearned Credit

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Will

And therefore "It was accounted to him for righteousness."

Truth to Learn

Salvation is a gift which is credited to our account when we believe God’s message in the Bible.

Behind the Words

The word translated “therefore” is dio. This is made up of dia, meaning “through, either positionally or instrumentally” and the personal pronoun hos, meaning “who, which, or what.” Hence, dio literally means “through which.” It can be translated as “therefore, wherefore, or consequently.”

“Accounted” is a word that we looked at back in verse three of this chapter. It is the word logidzomai, which means “to count out as one would count out money when payment is being made” or “the crediting to someone’s account based on the payment made.” The Hebrew word used in Genesis 15:6, which this verse quotes, is khashab, meaning “to think, to reckon, to regard, to consider, or to be accounted.” Therefore, based on the Hebrew word it is translating, logidzomai means “to put to one’s account” or “to credit to someone.” One way to think of this is that it is something which God permanently marks in His record book.

Meaning Explained

Remember the therefore rule? Whenever you see a “therefore” or a “wherefore,” you need to see what it’s there for. In this case “therefore” is in reference to the fact that Abraham was fully persuaded. That is, his faith was strong and unwavering. He completely believed God. And, because Abraham had a firm conviction that God would do what He promised He would do (make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars of the heavens and make Abraham the father of many nations), God credited that faith to him as righteousness. That is, it was marked in God’s record book next to Abraham’s name giving him credit for being righteous. He didn’t earn it; it was simply credited to him as a gift.

This is the crux of what we call salvation. God tells us that we are sinners condemned to suffer eternally in Hell. He tells us that we need salvation and that the only way for us to obtain salvation is to accept the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross in payment for our sins. So, first a person has to believe that he or she is a sinner. Next, we have to believe that we are going to be judged for our sins and that the punishment for our sins is eternity in hell. But how do we know these things? We know them because that’s what God tells us in the Bible. If we don’t believe the Bible is God’s word, then we don’t believe what God tells us in the Bible and there’s no reason to believe in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

However, if we believe that we are sinners who are going to hell, then we must believe that Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. How do we know that He is the Son of God who died on the cross to pay for our sins? We know this because God tells us in His message to mankind, the Bible. When we believe that we are sinners and that Jesus’ blood was shed on the cross as payment for our sins, as a result of our faith God credits righteousness to our account.

Application

We don’t earn salvation by believing; God simply gives us credit for it when we believe His message. That is, He credits us with righteousness. He doesn’t owe it to us. It’s His gift to us. That’s grace!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:20 – Wait Training

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Will

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

Truth to Learn

While waiting for God to fulfill His promise, Abraham’s faith got stronger, and he gave glory to God.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “waver” is diakrinō. This word is made up of dia, meaning “through,” though it is occasionally used to indicate “separation” and krinō, meaning “to distinguish, to judge, or to decide.” So, diakrinō in the passive voice, as it is used in this verse, implies being separated from oneself or to be in conflict with oneself. Hence it is often translated as “to doubt, to hesitate, or to waver.” This is the sense in which this word is used in today’s verse.

“Unbelief” is translated from apistia, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of pistis, meaning “a conviction or belief in a truth.” Hence, apistia refers to “the lack of faith or lack of belief.”

The word “strengthened” is from the Greek word endunamoō, which is made up of en, meaning “in” and dunamoō (from which we get our English word dynamite), meaning “to strengthen or to empower.” Therefore, endunamoō means “to make strong or vigorous” or “to strengthen.”

“Glory” is translated from the Greek word doxan, which primarily means “thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion,” and thus in a secondary sense it means reputation, praise, honor.

Meaning Explained

This verse simply summarizes what has been said about Abraham in the previous few verses. In spite of his having to wait 20 years, Abraham did not stagger in his faith. The Greek actually says that “he did not waver in unbelief regarding God’s promise.” His faith was so sure and so strong that his faith did not weaken over time, and he apparently never doubted God once he accepted and believed the promise God made to him regarding his descendants.

I find the next phrase quite interesting. Paul says, “but (he) was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.” If we look at Abraham’s life we see that he had many direct interactions with God. In each case he learned a little bit more about God, and each situation served to reaffirm his belief in God and in His promise to Abraham. So, instead of Abraham’s faith getting weaker over the course of time as he waited for God to fulfill His promise, his faith was unwavering and it actually was strengthened. As a result of his strengthening faith, Abraham gave glory to God. Do you see what that says? Abraham’s strong, unwavering faith actually enabled him to give glory to God while he waited. In a similar way, when we believe God’s promise and act on faith, we give honor to God. Also, as we learn to depend on God’s promises, which we must accept by faith alone, we become a testimony to his greatness.

Application

Are you going through a time of testing? Does God seem to be ignoring your prayers? If you remain firm in your faith and wait patiently for God, your faith will be strengthened and in time you will be able to praise God and give Him glory. Time won’t make your faith weaker, it will make it stronger!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:15 – Legal Wrath

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Will

for the law brings about wrath; but where there is no law there is no transgression.

Truth to Learn

Trying to keep the law causes God’s wrath to come against us.

Behind the Words

The words “brings about” are from the verb katergadzomai, which is a compound word made up of kata, used as an intensifier and ergadzomai, meaning “to work.” Hence, this word means “to completely bring about” or “to carry out a task until it is finished.”

“Wrath” is translated from the Greek word orgē, which is based on the verb orgēomai, meaning “reaching forth with the mind or excitement of the mind.” Hence, orgē expresses a violent passion either for or against something. However, it is most often used to express extreme anger or wrath.

The word translated “transgression” is the Greek word parabasis, which is a made up of para, meaning “beside” or “beyond” and a form of baino, which means “to go.” So this word means “to go beyond, to cross over, or to overstep.” It is most often used to indicate an overstepping of a legal limit. Hence, it usually means “to violate a law or regulation.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has just been talking about the fact that God credited righteousness to Abraham based on his faith, not on his keeping the Law. He even pointed out that Abraham’s righteousness came well before the Law of Moses (more than three hundred years before) and about fifteen years before he was circumcised. So, it is very clear that his righteousness had nothing to do with obedience to the Law. Now he makes another observation about trying to obtain righteousness by obeying a set of rules or laws. He says that the Law brings about the wrath of God because the Law actually produces transgression (the overstepping of a rule or a law).

Paul even goes on to say that where there is no law there can be no transgressing of the law. Adam and Eve are the perfect example. Before they were told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were free to eat of it, and doing so would not have caused them any consequence. But, as soon as God commanded them not to eat of it, not only was it now wrong for them to do so, but it became something that they suddenly wanted to do.

As a result of transgression (violating or overstepping the boundaries of the law) God’s wrath is produced because He cannot stand sin. Sin, and therefore anyone possessing sin, cannot remain in God’s presence because as a Holy God He must judge sin.

That’s what Paul is saying in this verse; that without law there is no transgression and therefore, none of God’s wrath. It’s actually the Law that produces God’s wrath.

But why would God give something to mankind (the Law) that would cause His wrath against mankind? That doesn’t seem to make sense, does it? Paul will answer this difficult question later in this letter.

Application

It should be getting very clear by now that we cannot be right in God’s eyes by obeying a set of rules. In fact, the mere attempt to do so creates sin in our lives, which brings about God’s wrath. We can only stand in God’s presence as his righteous children through faith.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:19 – Faith, Long and Strong

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Will

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

Truth to Learn

Abraham’s faith was strong, even after having waited 20 years.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “weak” is astheneō, which is a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and sthenos, which refers to “bodily vigor or bodily strength.” Hence, this word means “without bodily strength.”

“Consider” is translated from the verb katanoeō. This is also a compound word which is made up of kata, used as an intensifier, and noeō, meaning “to think.” This word refers to more than just a passing thought. It means “to observe, to contemplate, or to have regard to.” We could paraphrase this part of the verse as “he didn’t give thought to the fact that he was no longer able to father children.”

Meaning Explained

There is a subtlety in this verse that you may not have seen before. In the previous verse we talked about Abraham’s absolute certainty that God would fulfill His promise to him. He was about 80 years old when God promised him that he would have as many descendants as the stars in the sky. This is talked about in Genesis 15:5,6.

The current verse says that Abraham was not weak in his faith, which was proved by the fact that Abraham didn’t even consider the fact that his own body was already dead. Now, this doesn’t mean that Abraham was dead; it means that his body was past the point of fathering children. This verse (along with Genesis 21:5) says that he was about 100 years old when Isaac was born.

But wait a minute! Didn’t we just say that Abraham was about 80 when the promise was made? That means Abraham’s faith was strong even after having waited for about 20 years. Think about it! Abraham was 80 when the promise was made, and he was probably already past child producing years, yet 20 years later he still believed that God would give him a son. That’s faith that doesn’t give up!

Paul uses a bit of a play on words in this verse as well. He could have said, “And having a strong faith …” Instead, he says that Abraham was not “weak in faith.” The word translated “weak” is normally used to describe a physical condition, but Paul applies it to Abraham’s faith. In other words, he is saying, “Abraham may have had a body that was weak with regard to fathering children, but his faith was not weak like his body.”

What is even more amazing is what was pointed out in yesterday’s verse. Abraham was about 100 when Isaac was born (Sarah was about 90). Sarah died when she was 127 years old, which would make Abraham about 137 years old (Genesis 23:1,2). After Sarah died, Abraham married a woman named Keturah (Genesis 25:1,2), and he fathered at least six more children with her! Abraham didn’t consider the fact that he was too old to father children; neither did God!

Application

Have you been waiting for God to fulfill a promise to you? Are you willing to wait for 20 years? Are you willing to wait for the rest of your life?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:18 – Faithful Expectation

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Will

who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be."

Truth to Learn

Abraham’s faith was an unwavering, fully-expectant faith.

Behind the Words

The word translated “hope” is the Greek word elpis, which means “hope” or “anticipation.” In English when we think of “hope,” we think of desiring something but not really expecting it to happen, or at best, thinking that there is a chance of it happening. This Greek word, however, means, “the desire of something with the expectation that it will happen.” It is more than just “simple hope,” it is “expectant hope.” For this reason, this word is often translated as “faith.”

“Believed” is translated from the Greek word pisteuō, which means “to believe in something to the point of having complete trust in it.” Again, the concept is not “yeah, I suppose I believe,” but “I know because I absolutely believe!”

The word “nations” is translated from the Greek word ethnos, which means “a race, a nation, or a group of people belonging and living together.” When contrasted to Jews, it is often translated as “Gentiles.” Here it is appropriately translated “nations.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now makes a reference again to the events surrounding Abraham’s moment of salvation, the point in time when God declared him as righteous. Here’s how Moses recorded it back in the book of Genesis:

Then He brought him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens, and count the stars if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-6)

Today’s verse is a dramatic statement of the type of faith that Abraham showed when he believed God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations. It says, “Who, contrary to hope …” meaning that it was beyond reason for him to expect it. And yet he, “… in hope believed …” That is, Abraham had complete trust in the fact that this thing would happen without a doubt!

The thing that he believed was that he would be the father of many nations just as God had told him. So why should this be considered beyond expectation? Because Abraham was about 80 years old and Sarah, his wife, was about 70 when the promise was made. They were both beyond child producing years, and yet Abraham fully believed that not only was God capable of doing it, he believed without a doubt that God would do it. Now that’s faith!

What we sometimes overlook here is that Sarah lived thirty-seven years after Isaac was born. And, after Sarah’s death Abraham remarried (at the age of about 140) and had six more sons by his second wife, Keturah (See Genesis 23:1; 25:1,2).

Application

Is the faith of Abraham the kind of faith that you had when you believed that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins, thus saving you for all eternity?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:17 – Children by Faith

Posted on November 15, 2017 by Will

just as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations" in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Truth to Learn

God’s promise to Abraham referred to both his physical descendants and to his spiritual descendants.

Behind the Words

The words “I have made” are translated from the Greek verb tithēmi, meaning “to place” or “to put.” The Hebrew word in the passage Paul is quoting (Genesis 17:15) is nathan, which can have several shades of meaning, one of them being “to give or to grant.” The Greek word is expressed here in the perfect tense indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect.

“In the presence” is from katenanti, which literally means “down over against.” It is used to indicate being “in the sight of” or “in a place in front of” someone or something.

Meaning Explained

Like a number of verses we have looked at in the past, this verse must be looked at in connection with the previous verse in order to get its full meaning. Connecting the first part of this verse (a quote from Genesis 17:15) with the previous verse gives us:

… so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, just as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations"

The point is that Abraham is the father of all who are saved through faith. In other words, at the time that God said this to Abraham, because of Abraham’s faith, God had already granted to Abraham that he would be a father of many nations.

If we look at the descendants of Abraham, we see that he is the father of the Jews through Isaac (from his wife Sarah), the father of the Arabs through Ishmael (from Sarah’s handmaid Hagar), and the father of numerous other tribes through the six sons with his second wife, Keturah. However, the Apostle Paul evidently understood the promise as referring, not to the physical descendants of Abraham, but to the spiritual descendants (all those who believe in God’s message).

The next phrase, “in the presence of Him” refers back to the first part of the previous verse. Hence, “Because of this it is of faith according to grace, … in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, …” In other words, the faith is demonstrated in the presence of God. It’s not just some ethereal “Yeah, I believe in God” type of experience. Rather, it is a belief in what God says, in His presence, so that there is no doubt either in what is believed or in the reality of that belief.

Paul then says of God that He both has the ability to give life and to call things which do not yet exist as if they already did exist. In other words, this God of ours neither has any bounds on his power nor is he bound by time. He is without limit in both time and space. We will see the significance of this in the next verse.

Application

If you believe the promise that your sins are paid for through the blood of Jesus Christ, then God has declared you as righteous and you are a son or daughter of Abraham through faith.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:16 – Foundational Promises

Posted on November 14, 2017 by Will

Because of this it is of faith according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

Truth to Learn

God’s promises to you are there for you to build on.

Behind the Words

The word translated “sure” is bebaios, which means “fixed, sure, or certain.” Figuratively it refers to that upon which one may build, rely, or trust. In the New Testament it is never used of people, only objects or ideas.

Meaning Explained

This verse starts off with a connecting clause, “Because of this it is of faith …” The natural question is, “What is of faith?” By backtracking over the previous verses we see that this clause refers to verse 13 which reads:

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. (Romans 4:13)

Therefore, Paul is saying that righteousness is the result of faith, according to God’s gracious gift and not the result of works. The point we made several verses ago was that Abraham was declared righteous as a result of his believing God’s promise regarding his future son. God’s declaration of Abraham’s righteousness occurred a number of years before Abraham obediently circumcised himself and his household. Therefore it can’t have been because of works of obedience, it must be the result of faith.

Now, Paul reiterates the statement that he has made in the past couple of verses, that since Abraham was declared righteous as a result of faith, he has become the father figure to all who believe. He says in today’s verse that the promise was made sure to all Abraham’s seed, whether they are children of his flesh or children (through faith) by his example. The promise is not conditional, it is not partial, and it is not questionable. It is sure and firm just like a building’s foundation.

Application

Where are you putting your confidence? Are you still trying to keep all the rules and ordinances of your church in order to please God? Or, do you trust in God’s promises for your eternal future? In order to trust in the promises, you have to know what those promises are, and in order to know what those promises are you have to read the Bible, repeatedly and consistently.

Let me encourage you to set aside one half hour every day whether at the beginning of the day, in the middle of the day, or at the end of the day. It doesn’t matter when it is, as long as you are consistent about it. In the first 20 minutes, read your Bible and in the other 10 minutes pray about what you just read. If you don’t know where to begin reading, I would suggest that you start with 1st John (the 5^th from the last book in the Bible) or perhaps the book of James or one of the Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John).

Try it for a week and see if you don’t begin to feel like God is actually talking directly to you as you read. The more you read your Bible, the better you will understand God’s message for you and His promises to you.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:11 – Signed and Sealed

Posted on November 12, 2017 by Will

And he received a sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still in uncircumcision, resulting in his being the father of all those who believe being in uncircumcision, and righteousness being imputed to them also,

Truth to Learn

Abraham’s circumcision was a seal of his righteousness.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “sign” is sēmeion, which means “a sign, a mark, or a token.” The same word is used of Jesus who performed many signs in the form of miracles which “marked” Him as the true Messiah.

“Seal” is translated from the Greek word sphragis, which means, “a signet or a seal which is used as an indication of genuineness.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous two verses we learned that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness while he was still uncircumcised. As noted in the previous verse, it was probably about 15 years after his experience of faith that God reaffirmed His covenant with Abram (meaning exalted father), renamed him Abraham (meaning father of a multitude), and commanded him to circumcise himself and every male in his household who was at least 8 days old (read Genesis 17 for the details).

Why was there such a lengthy period between Abram’s being declared righteous and Abraham receiving the sign of circumcision? Perhaps God did this so that there would be no doubt that faith was imputed well before circumcision. And, according to this verse, circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign that he had a special covenant relationship with God.

In the current verse we see that it was also given to Abraham as a “seal.” It was God’s guarantee that He had proclaimed Abraham righteous through faith. That makes Abraham the spiritual father of everyone who believes whether or not he is circumcised.

This righteousness, which God declares for a person as a result of faith, comes regardless of whether a person is circumcised or not. Based on Paul’s line of reasoning and the carefully laid argument and evidence that he has just placed before the predominantly Jewish Christians in Rome, there is no way they could ever again insist that a person had to become a Jew and be circumcised in order to become a Christian.

One more thing to notice from Genesis 17:1: when God gave Abraham the sign of circumcision, he also commanded Abraham to be “perfect” (“blameless” in some translations). The Hebrew word tamiym means “to be without blemish” or “to be morally clean.” He was not given the commandment to be righteous until well after he was declared righteous. In other words, Abraham didn’t earn his righteousness by being morally pure; it was commanded of him after he was declared righteous. This is another piece of evidence that we don’t earn our salvation (righteousness), it is given to us!

Application

Righteousness and moral purity are things that God expects of us. But, as long as we have this sin nature we will never be completely righteous or morally pure by ourselves. Praise God that He declares us righteous when we believe the good news about Christ’s sacrifice for us. And He gets all the glory!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:14 – Precious Promise

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Will

For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith has been made of no effect and the promise been made useless,

Truth to Learn

Righteousness comes either by faith or by works, not both.

Behind the Words

The word translated “of no effect” is kenoō, which means “to make empty, to neutralize, or to make false.” It is expressed here in the passive voice indicating what is done to faith.

“Made useless” is translated from the Greek word katargeō. This is made up of kata, used as an intensifier and argeō, meaning “to be idle.” Hence it means “to render totally inactive, to be completely idle, or to become absolutely useless.” It is expressed here in the passive voice indicating what is done to the promise.

Meaning Explained

Paul now argues the other side of the fence. Having shown that it is through faith that God reckons righteousness, he now makes a counter statement regarding righteousness through obedience.

He says that if righteousness, being an heir of the world (which was promised to Abraham), is achieved by obedience (obeying the law or any other set of rules), then nothing is accomplished by faith, and God’s promise is useless. After all, what value is there in a promised gift to someone if someone else can attain the same thing by working for it?

Do you understand? What value is there in a promise regarding any unearned future gift if that same thing can be earned? Paul says it makes faith “of no effect.” That is, faith would become void of any meaning, hollow, and empty if righteousness can be earned by works. Not only that, but Paul says that the promise that God made to Abraham would be “made useless.” It would become absolutely useless and serve no purpose at all.

What Paul is demonstrating is how righteousness by faith and righteousness by obedience are complete opposites. You can’t have both and you can’t have a combination of the two, it has to be one or the other. Either a person is made righteous by obedience or he is made righteous by faith. This is particularly significant when you consider what Paul told us previously:

As it is written: “There is none righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one seeking God. They all turned away; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12)

Faith is a matter of believing, while obedience to the law is a matter of doing. Since none of us is righteous based on our doing (works), our only hope for righteousness (and salvation) is through faith. This renders that righteousness very precious because it can’t be earned; it can only be given to us:

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)

Let’s thank God for this precious righteousness by faith!

Application

If you believe that Christ’s death on the cross paid for your sins, then God has declared you to be righteous; you are saved from your sins. How precious does that salvation feel now?

In God's service, for His glory,