<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Romans 3;9-12<div><br></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all; for I have already charged that all men, both Jews, and Greeks, are under the power of sin,</b></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;</b></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;no one understands, no one seeks for God.</b></div><div><b>12. All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one.”</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Jesus has already taught us in the Sermon on the Mount, <i>“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the&nbsp;scribes and &nbsp;Pharisees, you will never&nbsp;enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” &nbsp;</i>(Matthew 5;20)</div><div>And Jesus also teaches us saying, <i>“You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”</i></div><div>(Matthew 5;48)</div><div><br></div><div>The perfection, righteousness, and holiness of God which belonged to Adam and Eve before their disobedience, (see Genesis 1;26-28)&nbsp;was lost completely. &nbsp;The Image of God was utterly destroyed in them and all the children of men. &nbsp;In its’ place, death and rebellion festers in everyone. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Yet, true&nbsp;holiness and&nbsp;the very righteousness of God belongs to all born-anew Believers.</div><div>This&nbsp;righteousness of God comes to us through the gift of faith. &nbsp;<i>“For by grace you have been saved through faith;&nbsp;and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—&nbsp;not because&nbsp;of works, lest any man should boast. &nbsp;For we are His&nbsp;workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God&nbsp;prepared beforehand,&nbsp;that we should walk in them.” &nbsp;</i>(Ephesians 2;8-10)&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>This saving faith comes to us in the&nbsp;water and Word of holy Baptism, because the living and active&nbsp;Word and Holy Spirit are present and&nbsp;working in Baptism. &nbsp;(Roman’s 10;17) &nbsp;The <i>“hearing” </i>of <i>“Christ” &nbsp;</i>takes place in the soul of every baptized person, no matter their age or intellect, it happens&nbsp;solely by the power of God alone…<i>”and this <u>is not</u>&nbsp;your own doing, it is the gift of God.”</i></div><div><br></div><div>The <i>“Gift of God” </i>does not come to us apart from the ‘Giver’. &nbsp;Instead, the <i>‘Giver’ </i>gives us Himself along&nbsp;with the gift of His own&nbsp;righteousness. &nbsp;That is what it means to be <i>“created <u>in</u>&nbsp;Christ Jesus” </i>and <i>“Baptized <u>into Christ.</u>” &nbsp;</i>(Romans 6;3)</div><div><br></div><div><i></i>Apart from Christ Jesus, there is no ‘righteousness of God’ for us,&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><i>“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” &nbsp;</i>(Acts 4;12)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Most Merciful Heavenly Father, we praise you for having Baptized us into Your saving Name,</div><div><i>“Father Son and Holy Spirit</i>.” &nbsp;This name&nbsp;<u>is</u>&nbsp;ours <u>in</u>&nbsp;Christ. &nbsp;Baptized into Christ,&nbsp;forgiven and cleansed to be Your temple,&nbsp;we, with Him,&nbsp;<i>“do good.” &nbsp;&nbsp;</i>In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”<br><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Romans 3;9-12
9.  What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all; for I have already charged that all men, both Jews, and Greeks, are under the power of sin,10.  as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;11.  no one understands, no one seeks for God.12. All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one.”
Jesus has already taught us in the Sermon on the Mount, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and  Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”  (Matthew 5;20)And Jesus also teaches us saying, “You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”(Matthew 5;48)
The perfection, righteousness, and holiness of God which belonged to Adam and Eve before their disobedience, (see Genesis 1;26-28) was lost completely.  The Image of God was utterly destroyed in them and all the children of men.  In its’ place, death and rebellion festers in everyone.  
Yet, true holiness and the very righteousness of God belongs to all born-anew Believers.This righteousness of God comes to us through the gift of faith.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— not because of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2;8-10) 
This saving faith comes to us in the water and Word of holy Baptism, because the living and active Word and Holy Spirit are present and working in Baptism.  (Roman’s 10;17)  The “hearing” of “Christ”  takes place in the soul of every baptized person, no matter their age or intellect, it happens solely by the power of God alone…”and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.”
The “Gift of God” does not come to us apart from the ‘Giver’.  Instead, the ‘Giver’ gives us Himself along with the gift of His own righteousness.  That is what it means to be “created in Christ Jesus” and “Baptized into Christ.”  (Romans 6;3)
Apart from Christ Jesus, there is no ‘righteousness of God’ for us,  “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4;12)
Prayer:  Most Merciful Heavenly Father, we praise you for having Baptized us into Your saving Name,“Father Son and Holy Spirit.”  This name is ours in Christ.  Baptized into Christ, forgiven and cleansed to be Your temple, we, with Him, “do good.”   In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”


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