So then, ¹  it does not depend on human desire or exertion, ²  but on God who shows mercy.

If an iron axhead ¹  is blunt and a workman ²  does not sharpen ³  its edge, ⁴  he must exert a great deal of effort; ⁵  so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

This power ¹  he exercised ²  in Christ when he raised him ³  from the dead and seated him ⁴  at his right hand in the heavenly realms ⁵ 

who will transform these humble bodies of ours ¹  into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.

I have observed the burden that God has given to people ¹  to keep them occupied.

From ¹  the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. ² 

“Exert every effort ¹  to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

For sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.

Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ¹ 

My aim is to know him, ¹  to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, ²  and to be like him in his death,

Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.

The beast ¹  was given a mouth speaking proud words ²  and blasphemies, and he was permitted ³  to exercise ruling authority ⁴  for forty-two months.

Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished ¹  and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, ²  I concluded: ³  “All these ⁴  achievements and possessions ⁵  are ultimately ⁶  profitless ⁷  – like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained ⁸  from them ⁹  on earth.”

All of you, gather together and listen! Who among them ¹  announced these things? The Lord’s ally ²  will carry out his desire against Babylon; he will exert his power against the Babylonians. ³ 

When the king heard this, ¹  he was very upset and began thinking about ²  how he might rescue Daniel. Until late afternoon ³  he was struggling to find a way to rescue him.

He ¹  exercised all the ruling authority ²  of the first beast on his behalf, ³  and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed.

Blessed and holy is the one who takes part ¹  in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, ²  but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

For our reason for confidence ¹  is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives ²  and sincerity which are from God ³  – not by human wisdom ⁴  but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more ⁵  toward you.