God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.

I was made a servant of the gospel by God's special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power.

To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of:

From Zion the LORD will extend your royal power. "Rule over your enemies," he says.

On the day you fight your enemies, your people will volunteer. Like the dew of early morning your young men will come to you on the sacred hills.

The people reply, "Who would have believed what we now report? Who could have seen the LORD's hand in this?

A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit.

You are to open their eyes and turn them from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan to God, so that through their faith in me they will have their sins forgiven and receive their place among God's chosen people.'

I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God's power to save all who believe, first the Jews and also the Gentiles.

Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us.

Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.

because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.

To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me.

For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ through your faith in the active power of God, who raised him from death.

For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you; it was for your own good.

That is why we always pray for you. We ask our God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live. May he fulfill by his power all your desire for goodness and complete your work of faith.

By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.