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One Year Bible New Testament Sampler, Lakeside Haven - Flipbook - Page 24

J U LY
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ROMAN S 3:9-31
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. 10As the
Scriptures say,
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“No one is righteous—
not even one.
No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”
“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
“They rush to commit murder.
Destruction and misery always follow them.
They don’t know where to find peace.”
“They have no fear of God at all.”
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. 20For no one can
ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how
sinful we are.
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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. 22We
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.
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For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24Yet God, in his grace,
freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the
penalty for our sins. 25For 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, 26for
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 makes sinners right in
his sight when they believe in Jesus.
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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. 28So we are made right with God
through faith and not by obeying the law.
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After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he
is. 30There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they
are Jews or Gentiles. 31Well 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.
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