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NASB | Romans 9:16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 9:16 So then God's choice is not dependent on human will, nor on human effort [the totality of human striving], but on God who shows mercy [to whomever He chooses--it is His sovereign gift]. |
Subject: Faith in Self or Faith in God? |
Bible Note: In Ephesians 1:4 Paul said, God "hath chosen us," to emphasize that salvation depends totally on God. We are not saved because we deserve it, but because God is gracious and freely gives it. We did not influence God's decision to save us, he did it according to his plan. Thus there is no way to take credit for our salvation, or to find room for pride. The mystery of salvation originated in the timeless mind of God long before we existed. It is hard to understand how God could accept us, but because of Christ we are holy and blameless in his eyes. God chose us, and when we belong to him through Jesus Christ, he looks at us as if we had never sinned. "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" - Ephesians 1:4 |