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A Life Dedicated to God

¹ Therefore I exhort you, brothers, through the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may approve what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.

A Variety of Gifts in the Body of Christ

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone who is among you not to think more highly of yourself than what one ought to think, but to think sensibly^[a], as God has apportioned a measure of faith to each one. ⁴ For just as in one body we have many members, but all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually^[b] members of one another, ⁶ but having different gifts according to the grace given to us: if it is prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; ⁷ if it is service, by service; if it is one who teaches, by teaching; ⁸ if it is one who exhorts, by exhortation; one who gives, with sincerity; one who leads, with diligence; one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Living in Love

⁹ Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; be attached to what is good, ¹⁰ being devoted to one another in brotherly love, esteeming one another more highly in honor, ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, being enthusiastic in spirit, serving the Lord, ¹² rejoicing in hope, enduring in affliction, being devoted to prayer, ¹³ contributing to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute,^[c] bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Think the same thing toward one another; do not think arrogantly^[d], but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own sight^[e]. ¹⁷ Pay back no one evil for evil. Take thought for what is good in the sight of all people. ¹⁸ If it is possible on your part, be at peace with all people. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God's wrath, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay,"^[f] says the Lord. ²⁰ But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by^[g] doing this, you will heap up coals of fire upon his head."^{[h] 21} Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.