¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion,^[a] but on God, who has mercy.

⁸ For ^(A)by grace you have been saved ^(B)through faith. And this is ^(C)not your own doing; ^(D)it is the gift of God,

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

^25 (A)At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, ^(B)Lord of heaven and earth, that ^(C)you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and ^(D)revealed them to little children; ²⁶ yes, Father, for such was your ^(E)gracious will.^[a]

⁹ But you are ^(A)a chosen race, ^(B)a royal ^(C)priesthood, ^(D)a holy nation, ^(E)a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you ^(F)out of darkness into ^(G)his marvelous light. ^10 (H)Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

³ For ^(A)we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. ⁴ But when ^(B)the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, ^(C)not because of works done by us in righteousness, but ^(D)according to his own mercy, by ^(E)the washing of regeneration and ^(F)renewal of the Holy Spirit,

¹³ for ^(A)it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for ^(B)his good pleasure.

⁴ But^[a] God, being ^(A)rich in mercy, ^(B)because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even ^(C)when we were dead in our trespasses, ^(D)made us alive together with Christ—^(E)by grace you have been saved—

²⁶ For consider your calling, brothers: ^(A)not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,^[a] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But ^(B)God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; ^(C)God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world, even ^(D)things that are not, to ^(E)bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹ so ^(F)that no human being^[b] might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰ And because of him^[c] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us ^(G)wisdom from God, ^(H)righteousness and ^(I)sanctification and ^(J)redemption, ³¹ so that, as it is written, ^(K)“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

¹¹ though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of ^(A)him who calls—