And he received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had while he was uncircumcised, in order that he might be the father of all that believe, even in a state of uncircumcision, so that righteousness might be counted to them also;

As it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations." Abraham acted in faith when he stood in the presence of God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that don't yet exist.

through 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.

for at the appointed time Christ died for us, when we were in a helpless, sinful state.

But God commendeth his own love towards us, that, though we were yet sinners, Christ died in our stead.

don't you know that when we were all baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, we were plunged into a state figurative of his death.

therefore we are buried with him by being plunged into a sort of death: that as Christ was raised up from the dead into a state of glory with the father, even so we also should proceed to a new state of life.

for when we were in the carnal state of the law, the sinful passions of that state set our animal faculties to work in the service of death.

for the christian dispensation of a spiritual life has set me free from the legal state of sin and death.

God having sent his own son invested with a body like that of sinful men, as a sacrifice for sin, thereby destroyed its power; which the law could not effect, human nature being in such a corrupted state.

Abandonment to earthly things is a state of enmity to God. Such a mind does not submit to God's Law, and indeed cannot do so.

so that they who are in a carnal state, cannot be acceptable to the divine being. as for you,

you are not in such a state, but in a spiritual one, provided the divine spirit dwell in you. now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

For [all] creation [Note: "Creation" here refers to the material heavens and earth, and is personified through verse 23] is eagerly waiting for the children of God to be revealed [i.e., in their glorious state].

who were not, by their own choice, expos'd to this uncertain state, but by virtue of him, who subjected them thereto:

And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity].

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor beginnings, nor powers, nor things having stood, nor things about to be,

and as Esaias said before, "except the God of heaven had left us a remnant, we had been as Sodoma, and brought to the state of Gomorrha."

The rest became callous; as the Scripture says, "God has thrown them into a state of spiritual insensibility, with eyes that cannot see and cars that cannot hear, that has lasted down to this day."

by unbelief they were broken off, and thou hast stood by faith; be not high-minded, but be fearing;

For, because of this, are ye paying tribute also, - for, God's ministers of state, they are, unto this very thing, giving constant attendance.

for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking [what one likes], but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.