Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me Biblical Review

²⁸God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that don’t exist, that he might bring to nothing the things that exist, ²⁹that no flesh should boast before God. ³⁰Because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, ³¹that, as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: ²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love, ⁵having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, ⁶to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved. ⁷In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him ¹⁰to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him.

⁵On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. ⁶For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me or hears from me. ⁷By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. ⁸Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. ¹⁰Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. ¹¹I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing. ¹²Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

³Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body. ⁴Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled; but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. ⁵Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.” ⁶So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?” ⁷Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith. ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

¹A Psalm by David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing. ²He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. ³He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. ⁶Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the LORD’s house forever.

³³Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

²¹and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform. ²²Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.” ²³Now it was not written that it was accounted to him for his sake alone, ²⁴but for our sake also, to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.

²²who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.” ²³When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds. ²⁵For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

¹⁸Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. ²⁰But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruit of those who are asleep. ²¹For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. ²²For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ²³But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming. ²⁴Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

⁴We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. ⁵For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; ⁶knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. ⁷For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, ⁹knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him! ¹⁰For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. ¹⁵What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! ¹⁶Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?

³²You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” ³³They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?” ³⁴Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin. ³⁵A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever. ³⁶If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. ³⁸I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”

¹⁸For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker. ¹⁹For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. ²⁰I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. ²¹I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”

¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants: ²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³I thank my God whenever I remember you, ⁴always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy, ⁵for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now; ⁶being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

¹“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. ²In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. ³If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also. ⁴You know where I go, and you know the way.” ⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

¹⁸For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker. ¹⁹For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. ²⁰I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. ²¹I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”

⁵But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry. ⁶For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. ⁸From now on, the crown of righteousness is stored up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing. ⁹Be diligent to come to me soon, ¹⁰for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; and Titus to Dalmatia.