Showers Of Blessing
1. Showers Of Blessing From God Above
2. There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing
3. The Blessing Of Rain In The Spring
4. Three Reasons God Sends Rain On The Earth
5. God Sends Rain For Correction
6. God Also Withholds Rain For Correction
7. God Sends Rain For His Land
8. The Blessing Of God As He Gives Rain For Mercy
9. God Has Blessed Us With Open Doors
10. The World’s Greatest Memorial
11. Christ’s Death On The Cross Is Our Greatest Blessing
12. Blessings From The Windows Of Heaven
13. I Am Blessed That God Reveals His Will Through The Spirit
14. Showers Of Storms
15. Blessed To Be Forgiven
1. Showers Of Blessing From God Above
You may have heard the old riddle, “April showers bring May flowers. What do Mayflowers bring?” The answer was, “Pilgrims”. When our youngest son was about six, and someone asked him the riddle, he replied, “June bugs.” That’s a clever answer for such a young boy. This year I feel that April showers brought more May showers. Mom told me that she got 3 inches of rain one day last week. And the rain continues to fall. This week I want to look at some of the instances of rain in the Bible, and find some “Showers of Blessing”. In the book of Ezekiel, the prophet delivers God’s message of judgment. But, in Chapter 34, God speaks of His future promises to His flock. “And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.” (Ezekiel 34:26-27)
2. There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing
This wonderful old hymn was written by D. W. Whittle back in 1883. (It was also published under the pseudonym of El Nathan.)
There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing
“1 There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2 There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3 There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come and now honor Thy Word.
4 There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!”
3. The Blessing Of Rain In The Spring
David was a shepherd and he knew the value of rain. He gave us the 23rd Psalm, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Green pastures and still waters would not be possible without rain. In his years of being king over Israel David wanted to be a blessing as the blessing of a gentle rain. We find the last words of David in II Samuel 24. “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.” (II Samuel 23:3-4) Does our light shine as a sunny morning after the rain? I want to let my light shine for my Lord. I want to be a blessing, like a gentle rain in the spring.
4. Three Reasons God Sends Rain On The Earth
It has rained so much more than usual in April and May. I had to wait for the ground to dry in April and work my planting days between the days of rain. Most of the plants are up and growing, but as it continues to rain the ground is too wet to till or hoe, so the weeds are growing thick among the vegetables and flowers. I try not to complain about the rain because the Lord is in control of the weather and He is working according to His will. We went on vacation last week and it rained all day Tuesday and part of Wednesday. But, we still had a great time. We were able to lay aside our daily responsibilities for a few days and get the rest we needed. I like what Jesus said in Mark 6:31. “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Sometimes we go on vacation and do so much that we come home needing a vacation from our vacation. The rain helped us slow down and take time to “rest a while”. In the book of Job we find three reasons that God sends rain.
“5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
7 He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:
12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.
13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.” (Job 37:5-13)
5. God Sends Rain For Correction
We know that God sends rain for correction from the account in Genesis of the first rain on earth.
“5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:5-8)
God kept Noah and his family safe in the ark. God sent rain for forty days and forty nights and every person and animal that was not on the ark died. God has provided a way of salvation for us through His only begotten Son. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. When we believe on Jesus, and confess our sin to Him, He will forgive us and save us from our sin.
“16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.” (Genesis 7:16-24)
6. God Also Withholds Rain For Correction
Samuel called on God to send rain in judgment when Israel asked for a king. “Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.” (I Samuel 12:17-18) God rained down hail and fire in one of the plagues on Egypt. Several times in the Old Testament God used rain to help Israel fight their battles. “LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.” (Judges 5:4-5) “Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?” (Job 38:22-23)
God also withheld rain in judgment. “And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.” (Jeremiah 14:3-4) Elijah told wicked King Ahab that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t rain for three and a half years. “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:17-18) King Solomon prayed before the congregation of the people, “When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.” (I Kings 8:35-36)
7. God Sends Rain For His Land
We are continuing with our verse on why God gives rain. “He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.” (Job 37:13) Today we see that God gives rain for His land. There are several scriptures in the Bible that show that God gives rain for the earth.
“7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.” (Psalm 147:7-9)
“8 I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:
9 Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
10 Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:” (Job 5:8-10)
“25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?” (Job 38:25-28)
“For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:” (Hebrews 6:7)
“8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:8-12)
“8 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;
9 And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:
11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:
12 A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
17 And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.
18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:” (Deuteronomy 11:8-20)
8. The Blessing Of God As He Gives Rain For Mercy
God also gives us rain in His mercy. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” (Hosea 10:12) “Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.” (Psalm 36:5) “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)
“3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.” (Leviticus 26:3-6)
“9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.
10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.” (Psalm 65:9-13)
“1 <<A Psalm for Solomon.>> Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” (Psalm 72:1-8)
11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.” (Deuteronomy 28:11-12)
“8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-17)
9. The Lord Has Blessed Us With Open Doors
Are you excited about going to the house of the Lord today? I can say like David, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:1) We are so blessed by the open doors of our churches. Many across the world don’t have the freedom to worship the Lord like we have. I encourage you today to be thankful for the open doors of your church. It wasn’t that long ago when many churches had closed doors because of the virus that went through. Let’s worship the Lord today and be thankful for His blessings on our churches. In Revelation 3:20 the Lord is on the outside of the door knocking to come in. In Psalm 24 David invites us to let the King of glory come in through the everlasting doors. The church doors of Pine Grove Baptist Church, High Point, NC, are open, and you are welcome to come in and receive a blessing from the Lord!
“1 <<A Psalm of David.>> The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” (Psalm 24)
10. The World’s Greatest Memorial
Today is Memorial Day and I want to begin by saying that I am thankful for all those who have served in the military to give us the freedom we have today.
Yesterday, Pastor Rick Byerly preached on, “The World’s Greatest Memorial”. He opened with his text in I Corinthians 1:17-18. “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” The Greatest Memorial in the world is the cross of Christ. In his opening remarks he told what memorials do. They honor the fallen. They commemorate great victories. They are to remember great challenges. And they reflect on the sacrifice that was made. The cross of Christ fulfills every one of these purposes. The cross honors Christ who was slain on the cross to pay for the sin of man. The cross represents the great victory of Christ as He overcame death. The cross reminds us of the great challenges Christ faced for us. And the cross also reminds us of the great sacrifice, once and for all, that was made. Yes, the cross of Christ is indeed the greatest memorial!
11. Christ’s Death On The Cross Is Our Greatest Blessing
Let’s look at a few more notes from Pastor Byerly’s sermon about the cross from I Corinthians 1:17-18. “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
There are two views of the cross – To those that perish, the cross is foolishness, but to those who are saved, it is the power of God.
There are two choices of how you feel about the cross of Calvary – You can accept the gift of salvation that Jesus is offering through His death on the cross, or you can refuse it and reject Christ.
There are two values of the cross of Christ – As our verse says, some think of it as foolishness, while we who accept Jesus value it as our upmost value. The death of Christ on the cross is indeed our greatest blessing!
From the cross Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) Jesus conquered death, and because He lives, we can live with Him eternally!
12. Blessings From The Windows Of Heaven
Someone recently asked me about my favorite Bible verse. I have so many! Today I want to share two of my many favorites. We have five children and sometimes when they were young money was tight, but the Lord always provided! As they outgrew clothes I would give them to someone who could use them. Every time I gave a bag of clothes away, someone would give me a couple bags of clothes that my children could wear. When we give, as unto the Lord, He showers us with His blessings. The Lord has blessed me so much! He not only supplies my needs, but He also provides many of my wants. There have been times when I would think of something that I needed, and God would send it my way. Once I remember thinking that I could use an umbrella, and shortly after that, the business I worked for, gave umbrellas to all the employees. God has been so good to me! He has proven these promises in my life over and over. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10) “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
13. I Am Blessed That God Reveals His Will Through The Spirit
This devotional came up on my memories from six years ago, and it blessed me to read it and remember. We are blessed when the Lord reveals His will through the Holy Spirit!
Years ago I was getting ready for a doctor's appointment and I saw a New Testament that was left over from some gift baskets we had made. I felt like the Spirit was telling me to take it with me because there was a child who wanted it. Sitting in the doctor's office I kept looking around, but there were no children in the waiting room. After I was called back I talked with the assistant as she took my temperature and blood pressure, and at some point she mentioned that she had a little girl. I took the Bible from my pocketbook and asked her if she would like to have it. She said, "Ain't God something! I told my husband this morning that our little girl asked for a Bible in her Easter basket. Ain't God something!" That really blessed my heart and I can say with her, "Ain't God something!" There have been times in my life when I felt the Spirit of God leading me to do things and I was thrilled that He chose to use me. I am sad to say that there have been other times when I felt His leading and I hesitated. The moment passed and I realized that I had missed an important opportunity to serve Him. God does not have to speak to us in an audible voice for us to hear His leading. After we are saved by God's wonderful grace, the Holy Spirit lives in us to lead us and guide us to do God's will. "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (I Corinthians 2:10)
14. Showers Of Storms
Sometimes showers of blessings… sometimes showers of storms. I want to share the words of Jesus found in Matthew 7:21-27. He explained that the rains came, and the floods came, on the wise and the foolish. Only the house of the wise, with his foundation on the rock, stood safely through the storm. If we want to be safe through the storms in this world, we must choose Jesus as our foundation. Our spiritual Rock is Christ! “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” (I Corinthians 10:4) “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (II Timothy 2:19)
“21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:21-27)
15. Blessed To Be Forgiven
I was looking for a verse to finish our devotionals on, “Showers Of Blessing”, and I saw several great verses from the book of Psalms. The very first Psalm is a wonderful example of how the Lord blesses us. And we could go on and on with examples of our blessings from God. But, one of the most special blessings we have from God is found in Psalm 32. Paul even mentioned it in one of his letters. We are blessed in that we are forgiven! “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:11-12)
“1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3)
”Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Psalm 32:1-2)
“6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” (Romans 4:6-8)
