9 God saved us and made us his holy people. {\cf2\super [6]} That happened not because of anything we did ourselves. No! God saved us and made us his people because that was what he wanted and because of his grace (kindness). That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began.
9 who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
9 [For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago].
9 who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,
9 God is the one who saved and called us with a holy calling. This wasn’t based on what we have done, but it was based on his own purpose and grace that he gave us in Christ Jesus before time began.
9 who has freed us and has called us to his holy vocation, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus, before the ages of time.
Glory to God. God is the One who can make you strong in faith. God can use the Good News {\cf2\super [163]} that I teach to make you strong. That is the Good News about Jesus Christ that I tell people. That Good News is the secret truth that God has made known. That secret truth was hidden since the beginning.
“Father, I want these people that you have given me to be with me in every place I am. I want them to see my glory. This is the glory you gave me because you loved me before the world was made.
In Christ we were chosen \{to be God’s people\}. God had already planned for us to be his people, because that is what God wanted. And God is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants.
All the people who live on earth will worship the animal. These are all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb is the One who was killed.
But you are chosen people. You are the King’s priests. You are a holy {\cf2\super [20]} nation of people. You are people who belong to God. God chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He called (brought) you out of darkness (sin) into his wonderful light.
So all of you should think about Jesus. God sent Jesus to us, and he is the high priest {\cf2\super [15]} of our faith. I tell you to think about him, my brothers and sisters, because God chose you to be his holy {\cf2\super [16]} people.
We were \{spiritually\} dead. We were dead because of the things we did wrong against God. But God gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God’s grace (kindness).
The animal that you saw was once \{alive\}. But that animal is not \{alive\} now. But that animal will \{be alive and\} come up out of the bottomless pit and go away to be destroyed. The people that live on the earth will be amazed when they see the animal. They will be amazed because he was once \{alive\}, is not \{alive\} now, but will come again. These are the people whose names have never been written in the book of life since the beginning of the world.
Then the Holy Spirit {\cf2\super [190]} made Jesus feel very happy. Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I praise you because you have hidden these things from the wise and smart people. But you have shown these things to people that are like little children. Yes, Father, you did this because this is what you really wanted to do.
The believers praised God, and all the people liked them. More and more people were being saved every day; the Lord was adding those people to the group \{of believers\}.
Greetings from Paul, an apostle {\cf2\super [1]} of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because God wanted me to be. God sent me to tell people about the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.