even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election ¹  would stand, not by works but by ²  his calling) ³  –

Do not be conformed ¹  to this present world, ²  but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve ³  what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, ¹  through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf.

Through him ¹  we have received grace and our apostleship ²  to bring about the obedience ³  of faith ⁴  among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name.

because what can be known about God is plain to them, ¹  because God has made it plain to them.

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings ¹  or birds or four-footed animals ²  or reptiles.

Now we know that God’s judgment is in accordance with truth ¹  against those who practice such things.

There will be ¹  affliction and distress on everyone ²  who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, ³ 

Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys ¹  the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?

But now ¹  apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) ²  has been disclosed –

So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

¹ Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have ²  peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

(For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) ¹ 

For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. ¹ 

so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by ¹  the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit.

(for if you live according to the flesh, you will ¹  die), ²  but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared ¹  to the glory that will be revealed to us.

It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, ¹