Faith Brings Peace and Joy

(John 14:27-31)

1Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have the access by the faith into this grace in which we have stood, and we boast on the hope of the glory of God. 3And not only so, but we also boast in the tribulations, knowing that the tribulation doth work endurance; 4and the endurance, experience; and the experience, hope; 5and the hope doth not make ashamed, because the love of God hath been poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit that hath been given to us.

Christ's Sacrifice for the Ungodly

(Genesis 22:1-10; John 3:16-21)

6For in our being still ailing, Christ in due time did die for the impious; 7for scarcely for a righteous man will any one die, for for the good man perhaps some one also doth dare to die; 8and God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our being still sinners, Christ did die for us; 9much more, then, having been declared righteous now in his blood, we shall be saved through him from the wrath; 10for if, being enemies, we have been reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved in his life. 11And not only so, but we are also boasting in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we did receive the reconciliation;

Death in Adam, Life in Christ

(Genesis 3:1-7; Genesis 7:1-5; 2 Peter 3:1-9)

12because of this, even as through one man the sin did enter into the world, and through the sin the death; and thus to all men the death did pass through, for that all did sin; 13for till law sin was in the world: and sin is not reckoned when there is not law; 14but the death did reign from Adam till Moses, even upon those not having sinned in the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a type of him who is coming.

15But, not as the offence so also is the free gift; for if by the offence of the one the many did die, much more did the grace of God, and the free gift in grace of the one man Jesus Christ, abound to the many; 16and not as through one who did sin is the free gift, for the judgment indeed is of one to condemnation, but the gift is of many offences to a declaration of 'Righteous,' 17for if by the offence of the one the death did reign through the one, much more those, who the abundance of the grace and of the free gift of the righteousness are receiving, in life shall reign through the one -- Jesus Christ.

18So, then, as through one offence to all men it is to condemnation, so also through one declaration of 'Righteous' it is to all men to justification of life; 19for as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners: so also through the obedience of the one, shall the many be constituted righteous. 20And law came in, that the offence might abound, and where the sin did abound, the grace did overabound, 21that even as the sin did reign in the death, so also the grace may reign, through righteousness, to life age-during, through Jesus Christ our Lord.