He predestinedus to adoption as sonsthroughJesusChristto Himself,accordingto the kind intentionof His will,
"Then I said,'HowI would setyou among My sonsAnd giveyou a pleasantland,The mostbeautifulinheritanceof the nations!'And I said,'You shall callMe, My Father,And not turnawayfrom followingMe.'
"Have you not just nowcalledto Me, 'My Father,You are the friendof my youth?
"Allthe inhabitantsof the earthare accountedas nothing,But He doesaccordingto His willin the hostof heavenAnd [among] the inhabitantsof earth;And noone can wardoffHis handOr sayto Him, 'Whathave You done?'
Yet the numberof the sonsof IsraelWill be like the sandof the sea,Whichcannotbe measuredor numbered;And in the placeWhereit is saidto them, "You are not My people,"It will be saidto them, "[You are] the sonsof the livingGod."
but kepther a virginuntilshe gave birthto a Son;and he calledHis nameJesus.
"Yes,Father,for this waywas well-pleasingin Your sight.
At that verytimeHe rejoiced greatlyin the HolySpirit,and said,"I praiseYou, O Father,Lordof heavenand earth,that You have hiddenthese thingsfrom [the] wiseand intelligentand have revealedthem to infants.Yes,Father,for this waywas well-pleasingin Your sight.
"The menof Ninevehwill standup with thisgenerationat the judgmentand condemnit, becausethey repentedat the preachingof Jonah;and behold,something greaterthan Jonahis here.
"Do not be afraid,littleflock,for your Fatherhas chosen gladlyto giveyou the kingdom.
But as manyas receivedHim, to them He gavethe rightto becomechildrenof God,[even] to thosewho believein His name,
and not for the nationonly,but in orderthat He might alsogather togetherinto onethe childrenof Godwho are scattered abroad.
Jesussaidto her, "Stopclingingto Me, for I have not yetascendedto the Father;but goto My brethrenand sayto them, 'I ascendto My Fatherand your Father,and My Godand your God.'"
When the Gentilesheardthis, they [began] rejoicingand glorifyingthe wordof the Lord;and as manyas had beenappointedto eternallifebelieved.
And not onlythis, but alsowe ourselves,havingthe first fruitsof the Spirit,evenwe ourselvesgroanwithinourselves,waiting eagerlyfor [our] adoption as sons,the redemptionof our body.
Paul,called[as] an apostleof JesusChristby the willof God,and Sosthenesour brother,
For sincein the wisdomof Godthe worldthroughits wisdomdid not [come to] knowGod,Godwas well-pleasedthroughthe foolishnessof the message preachedto savethosewho believe.
"And I will be a fatherto you, And you shall be sonsand daughtersto Me," Saysthe LordAlmighty.
For you are allsonsof Godthroughfaithin ChristJesus.
alsowe have obtained an inheritance,having been predestinedaccordingto His purposewho worksall thingsafterthe counselof His will,
He made knownto us the mysteryof His will, accordingto His kind intentionwhichHe purposedin Him
for it is Godwho is at workin you, bothto willand to workfor [His] good pleasure.
For it was the [Father's] good pleasurefor allthe fullnessto dwellin Him,
To thisendalsowe prayfor you always,that our Godwill count you worthyof your calling,and fulfilleverydesirefor goodnessand the workof faithwith power,
Godalso testifyingwith them, bothby signsand wondersand by variousmiraclesand by giftsof the HolySpiritaccordingto His own will.
Seehow greata lovethe Fatherhas bestowedon us, that we would be calledchildrenof God;and [such] we are. For thisreasonthe worlddoes not knowus, becauseit did not knowHim.
"He who overcomeswill inheritthese things,and I will be his Godand he will be My son.
