because if you ask, “Did God keep his promises?” the answer in every case is, “Yes, through Jesus.” And so through him we say “Amen,” to the glory of God.
But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised could be given through faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.
He did that to show for all time the riches of his grace, which can’t be compared with anything else. He demonstrated his grace by being kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done.
When you worked for sin, the pay you got from it was death. But now you’re working for God because you’ve gotten a gift: eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
All of these people were still living by faith when they died. They didn’t receive the things God had promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a long way off. They admitted that they were outsiders and strangers on earth.
Melchizedek didn’t trace his family line from Levi, but he still collected a tenth from Abraham. Melchizedek blessed the one who had received the promises.
Otherwise, if you’re thanking God in the Spirit and there are visitors present who want to know what’s going on, how can they say “Amen” when you give thanks? They don’t know what you’re saying.
The prophets were shown that they weren’t serving themselves. Instead, they were serving you when they spoke about the things that you’ve now heard from those who preached the good news to you with the help of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
God has chosen to make known to them the glorious riches of that mystery among the Gentiles. And here’s what it is: Christ is in you, the hope of glory.
All these things will happen when he comes to be glorified in his holy people. Everyone who has believed will be amazed when they see him. This includes you, because you have believed our testimony to you.
God said, “Let light shine out of darkness.” And he made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light we needed to know God’s glory, which is shown in the face of Christ.