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16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

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16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.(A)

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God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

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For it is by grace(A) you have been saved,(B) through faith(C)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

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Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving

25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

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The Father Revealed in the Son(A)

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father,(B) Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.(C) 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

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But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[a] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
    now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
    now you have received God’s mercy.”[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 2:9 Greek a royal priesthood.
  2. 2:10 Hos 1:6, 9; 2:23.

But you are a chosen people,(A) a royal priesthood,(B) a holy nation,(C) God’s special possession,(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(E) 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;(F) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

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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. But—

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 3:5 Greek He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

At one time(A) we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness(B) and love of God our Savior(C) appeared,(D) he saved us,(E) not because of righteous things we had done,(F) but because of his mercy.(G) He saved us through the washing(H) of rebirth and renewal(I) by the Holy Spirit,

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13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

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13 for it is God who works in you(A) to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.(B)

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But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

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But because of his great love for us,(A) God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions(B)—it is by grace you have been saved.(C)

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26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[a] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world,[b] things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 1:26 Or high born.
  2. 1:28 Or God chose those who are low born.
  3. 1:31 Jer 9:24.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.(A) Not many of you were wise(B) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose(C) the foolish(D) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not(E)—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.(F) 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,(G) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,(H) holiness(I) and redemption.(J) 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[a](K)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:31 Jer. 9:24

11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes;

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11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad(A)—in order that God’s purpose(B) in election might stand:

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18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 1:18 Greek we became a kind of firstfruit of his creatures.

18 He chose to give us birth(A) through the word of truth,(B) that we might be a kind of firstfruits(C) of all he created.

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Judgment and Final Salvation

65 The Lord says,

“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
    I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’
    to a nation that did not call on my name.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 65:1 Or to a nation that did not bear my name.

Judgment and Salvation

65 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
    I was found by those who did not seek me.(A)
To a nation(B) that did not call on my name,(C)
    I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’

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Believers Should Stand Firm

13 As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first[a] to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:13 Some manuscripts read chose you from the very beginning.

Stand Firm

13 But we ought always to thank God for you,(A) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits[a](B) to be saved(C) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit(D) and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you(E) to this through our gospel,(F) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Some manuscripts because from the beginning God chose you

Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving

21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

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21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.(A) Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

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