Rm7:7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. - NIV
Rm13:7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay
taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love
one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The
commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder,"
"Do not steal," "Do not covet,"
and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule:
"Love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the
fulfillment of the law. 11And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for
you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when
we first believed. 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost
here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let
us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in
sexual immorality and debauchery1, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather,
clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to
gratify the desires of the sinful nature. - NIV
Rm1:18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the
godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since
what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to
them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible
qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor
gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts
were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be
wise, they became fools
23and
exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man
and birds and animals and reptiles. ..... 25They
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things
rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. ..... 28Furthermore,
since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave
them over to a depraved2 mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They
have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.
They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers,
God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil;
they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless,
heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that
those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very
things but also approve of those who practice them. - NIV
1Pet2:1So put away [rid yourselves of] all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and
envy and all
slander. 2Like newborn infants, long for
[crave] the pure spiritual milk,
that by it you may grow up to [in your] salvation-- 3if
indeed [now that] you have tasted
that the Lord is good. - ESV
1 - debauchery: indulgence in pleasure that lacks moral restraint, extreme
indulgence in sensual pleasure. ^
2 - deprave: to make bad, to corrupt morally, degrade with unsound
principles or moral values. ^
Challenge: True Life