28 And we know that to those/us who love God, he works out all things that happen to them/us in a way that produces good spiritual benefits for us. He does these things for those/us whom he has chosen, because that was (OR, was according to) what he planned to do. 29 God knew previously that we would believe in him (OR, would be saved). We are those who God also decided previously would develop a character like his Son’s character. The result of that is that Christ is like a firstborn/highest-ranking son, and those/we who are God’s children [MET] are like [MET] many younger brothers of Jesus. 30 And us who God decided previously that we would become like his Son, he also summoned. And for us whom he summoned, he also erased the record of our sins. And for us whose record of sins he has erased, he also will surely give future splendor.

18 And I pray that God would enable you to understand [MTY] his truth, in order that in your ◄inner beings/hearts► you may know the things that we believers should confidently expect to receive because he chose us to be his people. And I pray that you will know how God will bless his people in a very wonderful way when we finally receive all that he has promised to give us. 19 And I pray that you will know how very powerfully God helps us who continue to trust in Christ. He works powerfully for us

8 So never be ashamed/reluctant to tell others the message about our Lord. And do not be ashamed of me, even though I am a prisoner because I preach about him. Instead, be willing to suffer as I do as you proclaim the message about Christ. Endure what you will suffer by letting God empower you to endure it. 9 God saved us and chose us to conduct our lives in a pure way. It was not our doing good deeds/actions that caused him to do this for us—something that we did not deserve. Instead, before ◄time began/he created the world► he purposed/planned to be kind to us as a result of what Christ Jesus would do for us. 10 Now, as a result of our Savior Christ Jesus having come, it has been revealed {he has shown} that he acts kindly toward us. Specifically, Christ Jesus has declared that we will not remain dead after we die! He has also revealed that, as a result of our hearing and accepting the message about Christ, we will live forever in bodies that will not decay!

10 God is the one who kindly helps us in every situation, and he is the one who chose us to share his eternal glory/greatness in heaven because of our relationship with Christ. And after you have suffered for a while because of things that people do to harm you, he will remove your spiritual defects/imperfections, he will strengthen you spiritually [DOU], and he will support you emotionally.

5 "I knew you before I finished forming you in your mother’s womb.

Before you were born, I ◄set you apart/chose you►

and I appointed you to be my prophet

whose messages would be for all nations."

44 My Father, who sent me, makes people want to come to me. No others will come to me to receive eternal life. Those who come to me are the only ones who will believe in me. I will ◄cause them to be alive again/raise them from the dead► ◄on the last day/on the judgment day►.

26 My fellow believers, remember what kind of people you were when God chose you. Not many of you whom he chose are people whom unbelievers considered to be wise. Very few of you were considered to be important. Very few of you came from families with a high social standing. 27 Instead, it was usually those whom unbelievers considered to be foolish whom God chose. He did that in order to shame/discredit those whom unbelievers consider [IRO] wise. It was usually those whom unbelievers considered [IRO] unimportant whom God chose, in order to shame/discredit those whom unbelievers consider important.

5 Listen to me, my fellow believers whom I love: God has chosen [RHQ] poor people whom unbelievers consider to possess nothing of value, so that he might bless them greatly because they trust in him, and in order that they will enter the place where he will rule [MET] forever. That is what he has promised to those who love him.

13 God our Father rescued us spiritually so that the evil one no longer rules us [MET, MTY], and he caused us now to be ruled by his Son,, whom he loves. 14 That is, because of our relationship with his Son (OR, because of what the one who is also God did), God has redeemed/bought us; in particular, he has forgiven our sins.

38 Peter answered them, "Each of you should turn away from your sinful behavior. Then we(exc) will baptize you, if you now believe in Jesus Christ. Then God will give you the Holy Spirit. 39 God has promised to do that [MTY] for you and your descendants, and for all others who believe in him, even those who live far away from here. The Lord our God will give his Spirit to everyone whom he invites to become his people!"

10 Instead of acting like those people, try to confirm/prove by the way you conduct your lives that you are among those whom God has chosen [DOU] to be his people. If you do that, you will certainly never become separated from God, 11 and God will very wholeheartedly welcome you into the place where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will rule his people forever.

6 I am completely confident that God, who has begun to do in you what is good, (OR, that since God has begun to do in you what is good, he) will continue to do that until he finishes doing it on the day Christ Jesus [MTY] returns.

14 Then Jesus said, "The point of this story is that God has invited many to come to him, but only a few people are the ones whom he has chosen to be there."