In accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He has created.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His great mercy has begotten us anew to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Thirst, like newly-born infants, for pure milk for the soul, that by it you may grow up to salvation;

No one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin--because he is a child of God.

Dear friends, let us love one another; for love has its origin in God, and every one who loves has become a child of God and is beginning to know God.

Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God; and every one who loves the Father loves also Him who is the Father's Child.

Nor of the will of the

Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--

Nor of the will of man

I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--

Brethren, the longing of my heart, and my prayer to God, on behalf of my countrymen is for their salvation.

I planted and Apollos watered; but it was God who was, all the time, giving the increase.

For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire.

In accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He has created.

Of god

Whatever has been born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever has been born of the Spirit is spirit.

as righteous men, had done, but as the result of His own mercy He saved us by means of the bath of regeneration and the renewal of our natures by the Holy Spirit,

And now, dear children, continue in union with Him; so that, if He re-appears, we may have perfect confidence, and may not shrink away in shame from His presence at His Coming.

General references

For even His brothers were not believers in Him.

He who is a child of God listens to God's words. You do not listen to them: and why? It is because you are not God's children."

And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus;