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What shall we saythen that Abrahamourfather, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
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ForifAbraham were justifiedbyworks, he hath whereof to glory;butnotbeforeGod.
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Forwhatsaith the scripture*? AbrahambelievedGod,and it was counted unto himforrighteousness.
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Now to him that workethis the rewardnotreckonedofgrace,butofdebt.
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But to him that workethnot,butbelievethon him that justifieth the ungodly,hisfaith is countedforrighteousness.
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Even asDavidalsodescribeth the blessedness of the man, unto whomGodimputethrighteousnesswithoutworks,
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Saying, Blessed are they whoseiniquities are forgiven, andwhosesins are covered.
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Blessed is the man to whom the Lordwillnotimputesin.
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Cometh thisblessednessthenupon the circumcision only, orupon the uncircumcisionalso?for we saythatfaith was reckoned to Abrahamforrighteousness.
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How was itthenreckoned? when he wasincircumcision,orinuncircumcision?Notincircumcision,butinuncircumcision.
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And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faithwhich he had yet beinguncircumcised:thathe might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised;thatrighteousness might be imputed unto themalso:
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And the father of circumcision to them who are notof the circumcisiononly,but who alsowalk in the steps of that faith of ourfatherAbraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
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For the promise, that he should betheheir of the world, was not to Abraham,or to hisseed,through the law,butthrough the righteousness of faith.
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Forif they which are of the law be heirs,faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
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Because the lawworkethwrath:forwherenolawis, there is notransgression.
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Thereforeit is offaith,that it might be bygrace; to the end the promise might besure to all the seed;not to that only which is of the law,but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham;whois the father of usall,
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(As it is written*, I have madethee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead,andcalleth those things which benot as though they were.
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Whoagainsthopebelievedinhope,thathe might become the father of manynations,according to that which was spoken, Soshallthyseedbe.
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And being notweak in faith, he considerednot his ownbodynowdead, when he wasabout an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara'swomb:
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Hestaggerednotat the promise of God through unbelief;but was strong in faith,givingglory to God;
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And being fully persuadedthat,what he had promised, he wasablealso to perform.
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Andtherefore it was imputed to himforrighteousness.
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Now it wasnotwritten for his sake*alone,that it was imputed to him;
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Butforusalso, to whom it shall beimputed, if we believeon him that raised upJesusourLordfrom the dead;
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Who was deliveredforouroffences,and was raised againforourjustification.