God

Who shall lay a charge against the choice ones of God? God is He that is declaring righteous,

who is he that is condemning? Christ is He that died, yea, rather also, was raised up; who is also on the right hand of God--who also doth intercede for us.

nor things about to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of god, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

who are Israelites, whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises,

whose are the fathers, and of whom is the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. Amen.

And it is not possible that the word of God hath failed; for not all who are of Israel are these Israel;

that is, the children of the flesh--these are not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;

(for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling,) it was said to her--

according as it hath been written, `Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.'

What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness is with God? let it not be!

for to Moses He saith, `I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion;'

so, then--not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness:

for the Writing saith to Pharaoh--`For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;'

so, then, to whom He willeth, He doth kindness, and to whom He willeth, He doth harden.

nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form it , Why me didst thou make thus?

And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction,

and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call--us--

not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,

as also in Hosea He saith, `I will call what is not My people--My people; and her not beloved--Beloved,

and it shall be--in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.'

for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land.

according as it hath been written, `Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.'

Brethren, the pleasure indeed of my heart, and my supplication that is to God for Israel, is--for salvation;

for I bear them testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge,

for not knowing the righteousness of God, and their own righteousness seeking to establish, to the righteousness of God they did not submit.