In the reading for today, one thing comes through loud and clear!  Righteousness is through Jesus and not the Law.  However, it was through the law that Jesus made us conscious of sin.  The law highlights the sin so that we can avoid it.

Romans 3:22-24
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.

No question here that ALL have sinned. Also, no question that we are justified freely by His grace! Blood is an important component of these verses.  Before the cross the Old Testament people had to believe that the blood of the sacrificial animal covered the sins.  After the cross people must believe that the blood of Jesus, His sacrificial death on the cross atones for our sins.  If there is no belief in the blood sacrifice (either before or after the cross), there is no atonement for sin.  For the Old Testament people before the cross, their belief in the blood sacrifices was credited to them as righteousness.

Romans 4:3
What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Romans 4:10
Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!

Interesting that the “son of promise”, Isaac, was conceived after Abraham’s circumcision. Ishmael was conceived before the circumcision.

Abraham’s faith didn’t waver concerning the promise of an offspring. Sarah, on the other hand, felt that she should offer her handmaiden, Hagar to Abraham in order to fulfill the promise, since she was too old to bear children (or so she thought).

Romans 4:20-21
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Do we as Believers in Jesus waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God or are we strengthened in our faith and give glory to God? Are we fully persuaded that God has power to do what he has promised or are we like Sarah and try to “help God out”?

Paul wrote about the value of circumcision. Circumcision can be likened to signing a document you've already agreed to.  Substitute the words water baptism for circumcision. Water baptism is an outward sign of an inward change. A person has already agreed to believing in Jesus as Savior and baptized by the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is like signing the document in front of witnesses for all to see.

"And hope does not disappoint us."
Worldly hope often disappoints. We "hope" that something will happen. It may or may not happen. But God's hope on the other hand is GUARANTEED!

"The law was added so that the trespass might increase."
This can be a bit confusing at first. But look at it this way, the law was added so that we might know our trespasses.

We had another "rhema" moment from the Lord today. (Rhema is a quickened word from the Lord in which a particular passage of Scripture takes on additional meaning).

Here is our "rhema" moment. Imagine that you died from a heart attack. Medical personnel pronounced you dead. The time of death was noted on your chart. The sheet was pulled over your head. You were wheeled to the morgue. Then suddenly  you came back to life. How would you feel? You have been given a new lease on life. Would you change anything about your life?

We, as Believers have been brought back to life. We were dead in our sins before Jesus. We are a new creation.
"...rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life..."

Paul writes in Romans 6 about grace which requires submission to Him and not submission to sin. Before we become Believers in Jesus we are slaves to sin.  After we believe, we choose to be slaves to Jesus.  Paul says we should offer our bodies "in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness."  We can be a Believer in Jesus and only be a "part-time worker" and not a slave to Him.  This attitude and behavior of being only a "part-time worker" leads to a lukewarm spiritual life.  However, if we become "slaves" to Him and do whatever our Master says, this attitude and behavior leads to a life of holiness.

Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Just before Jesus was arrested, He prayed this prayer in the Garden.
Mark 14:36
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Abba is a term of endearment, something like our English word, Daddy. As we have read we see that Jesus repeatedly speaks more of the Father the closer He gets to the crucifixion, it seems as if He hungers for the presence of Abba, Daddy. Do we as Believers hunger to be in the presence of God, the Father - Abba, Daddy?

Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul makes it perfectly clear that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus! Praise God for that!