⁶⁵ Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

⁴⁴ For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. ⁴⁵ As it is written in the Scriptures,^[a] ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.

³⁷ However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.

²⁶ But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

²⁷ John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.

²⁵ Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

¹⁶ So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.^[a] He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.^{[b] 18} He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.^[c]

³ Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. ⁴ But—

¹⁴ Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.