The
New Life in Christ
I
appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,a
by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable to God, which is your spiritualbworship.
2 Do not
be conformed to this world,c
but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern
what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.d
3 For by the grace
given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more
highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each
according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
4 For as in one body
we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,
5 so we,
who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one
of another. 6
We have gifts that differ according to the grace given
to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;
7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher,
in teaching; 8
the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity;
the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Marks of the True Christian
9 Let love be
genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
10 love one another
with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.
11 Do not lag in
zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.e
12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
13 Contribute to
the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
14 Bless those who
persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those
who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16
Live in harmony with one another; do not
be haughty, but associate with the lowly;f
do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17
Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but
take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.
18 If it is possible,
so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never
avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;g
for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
20 No,
“if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them
something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their
heads.” 21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good.
The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard
Version. 1996, c1989 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville