Study Desk

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope,

But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?

But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes;

he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, "Your older son will serve your younger son."

In the words of the Scriptures, "I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau."

But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.

God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, "I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."

I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.

But faith's way of getting right with God says, "Don't say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?' (to bring Christ down to earth).

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, " Lord , who has believed our message?"

But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: "The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world."

But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said, "I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles."

But regarding Israel, God said, "All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious."

So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.

Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.

But some of these branches from Abraham's tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree.