"So the last shall be first, and the first last."

"'My friend,' he said, 'how is it that you came in here without a wedding robe?'

Nevertheless rejoice not at this, that the spirits submit to you; but rejoice that your names are registered in Heaven."

Every one whom the Father gives me will come to me, and him who comes to me I will never on any account drive away.

For this is my Father's will, that every one who fixes his gaze on the Son of God and believes in Him should have the Life of the Ages, and I will raise him to life on the last day."

"no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; then I will raise him to life on the last day.

"Did not I choose you--the Twelve?" said Jesus, "and even of you one is a devil."

I am not speaking of all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but things are as they are in order that the Scripture may be fulfilled, which says, 'He who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'

It is not you who chose me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful and that your fruit might remain; so that whatever petition you present to the Father in my name He may give you.

If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own property. But because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world--for that reason the world hates you.

"Father, those whom Thou hast given me--I desire that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see the glory--my glory--my gift from Thee, which Thou hast given me because Thou didst love me before the creation of the world.

God has exalted Him to His right hand as Chief Leader and as Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.

"Go," replied the Lord; "he is a chosen instrument of Mine to carry My name to the Gentiles and to kings and to the descendants of Israel.

The Gentiles listened with delight and extolled the Lord's Message; and all who were pre-destined to the Life of the Ages believed.

Then he said, 'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the righteous One and hear Him speak.

Now we know that for those who love God all things are working together for good--for those, I mean, whom with deliberate purpose He has called. For those whom He has known beforehand He has also pre-destined to bear the likeness of His Son, that He might be the Eldest in a vast family of brothers;

For those whom He has known beforehand He has also pre-destined to bear the likeness of His Son, that He might be the Eldest in a vast family of brothers; and those whom He has pre-destined He also has called; and those whom He has called He has also declared free from guilt; and those whom He has declared free from guilt He has also crowned with glory.

and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told, "The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger." read more. This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.

in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,

In the same way also at the present time there has come to be a remnant whom God in His grace has selected. But if it is in His grace that He has selected them, then His choice is no longer determined by human actions. Otherwise grace would be grace no longer.

But when He who set me apart even from my birth, and called me by His grace,

even as, in His love, He chose us as His own in Christ before the creation of the world, that we might be holy and without blemish in His presence. For He pre-destined us to be adopted by Himself as sons through Jesus Christ--such being His gracious will and pleasure--

For He pre-destined us to be adopted by Himself as sons through Jesus Christ--such being His gracious will and pleasure--

For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is God's gift, and is not on the ground of merit--

For we are God's own handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He has pre-destined us to practise.

Yes, and I beg you also, my faithful yoke-fellow, to help these women who have shared my toil in connection with the Good News, together with Clement and the rest of my fellow labourers, whose names are recorded in the Book of Life.

knowing as we do, brethren, that you are beloved by God and that He has chosen you.

And from us thanks are always due to God on your behalf--brethren whom the Lord loves--because God from the beginning has chosen you for salvation through the Spirit's sanctifying influence and your belief in the truth.

and here is the motive of our toiling and wrestling, because we have our hopes fixed on the ever-living God, who is the Saviour of all mankind, and especially of believers.

For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with our desserts, but in accordance with His own purpose and the free grace which He bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before the commencement of the Ages,

Every one who serves as a soldier keeps himself from becoming entangled in the world's business--so that he may satisfy the officer who enlisted him.

but manifesting perfect fidelity and kind feeling, in order to bring honour to the teaching of our Saviour, God, in all things.

and from Jesus Christ, the truthful witness, the first of the dead to be born to Life, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins with His own blood,