(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Before the twins were even born, before they could do anything good or bad, God had already made his choice. This shows that God's plan isn't based on what we do or don't do, but completely on him calling us.
God's plan for your life started before you even took your first breath.
📚 Historical Context
In the Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans, written around AD 57 to a church in Rome dealing with tensions between Jewish and Gentile believers, he is addressing God's sovereign election in salvation. Paul draws from the Old Testament story in Genesis, where God chose Jacob over his twin brother Esau before they were born and had done any good or evil, to emphasize that God's purposes are not based on human actions but on His own will. This argument was crucial in Paul's effort to show that God's promises to Israel were fulfilled through faith, not works.
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