35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?(A) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?(B)

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28 I give them eternal life,(A) and they shall never perish;(B) no one will snatch them out of my hand.(C)

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17 But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children(A)

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33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.(A) In this world you will have trouble.(B) But take heart! I have overcome(C) the world.”

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Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings,(A) because we know that suffering produces perseverance;(B) perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope(C) does not put us to shame, because God’s love(D) has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,(E) who has been given to us.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 5:3 Or let us

17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.(A)

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Suffering for Being a Christian

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you(A) to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice(B) inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ,(C) so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.(D) 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ,(E) you are blessed,(F) for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

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39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God(A) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(B)

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16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.(A) 17 But the Lord stood at my side(B) and gave me strength,(C) so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.(D) And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.(E) 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack(F) and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.(G) To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(H)

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12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame,(A) because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard(B) what I have entrusted to him until that day.(C)

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11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.(A)

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28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One(A) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[a] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.(B) 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:29 Or will; or knowledge

17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs(A)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings(B) in order that we may also share in his glory.(C)

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14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes(A) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(B) 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God(C)
    and serve him(D) day and night in his temple;(E)
and he who sits on the throne(F)
    will shelter them with his presence.(G)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.(H)
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
    nor any scorching heat.(I)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;(J)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b](K)
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c](L)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
  2. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
  3. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary(A) and lose heart.

God Disciplines His Children

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.(B) And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart(C) when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,(D)
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a](E)

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.(F) For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline(G)—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits(H) and live!(I) 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.(J) 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace(K) for those who have been trained by it.

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments(A) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;(B) in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit(C) and in sincere love;(D) in truthful speech(E) and in the power of God;(F) with weapons of righteousness(G) in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor,(H) bad report(I) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;(J) known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,(K) and yet we live on;(L) beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;(M) poor, yet making many rich;(N) having nothing,(O) and yet possessing everything.(P)

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The Lord appeared to us in the past,[a] saying:

“I have loved(A) you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn(B) you with unfailing kindness.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 31:3 Or Lord has appeared to us from afar

who through faith are shielded by God’s power(A) until the coming of the salvation(B) that is ready to be revealed(C) in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice,(D) though now for a little while(E) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.(F) These have come so that the proven genuineness(G) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire(H)—may result in praise, glory and honor(I) when Jesus Christ is revealed.(J)

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Trials and Temptations

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,(A) because you know that the testing of your faith(B) produces perseverance.(C) Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature(D) and complete, not lacking anything.

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19.