12 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b]
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own[a] by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,[a] for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.
8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.
