Rm12:1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. - NIV
Rm15:1We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of
the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2Let each of us please his
neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For Christ did not please
himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches [insults] of those who reproached you
fell on me." 4For whatever was written in former days was
written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God of
[who gives] endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony
[unity] with one another,
in accord with [as you follow] Christ Jesus, 6that together you may with one
[heart and] voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Therefore
welcome [accept] one another as Christ has welcomed you, for
the glory of [to
bring praise to] God. - ESV
Rm4:18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father
of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring
be." 19Without
weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as
dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also
dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise
of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to
God, 21being
fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22This
is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23The
words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24but
also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him
who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25He was delivered over to
death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. - NIV
Rm16:25Now to him who is able to strengthen [establish] you according
to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of
the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but
has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to
all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the
obedience of faith-- 27to
the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. - ESV
Rm15:14I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,
that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to
instruct one another. 15But on some points I have written to you very
boldly by way of reminder [to remind you of them again], because of the grace given me by God 16to
be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of
[proclaiming] the
gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be [Gentiles might become
an offering] acceptable [to God],
sanctified5 by the Holy Spirit. 17In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason
to be proud of [glory in] my work for God. 18For I will not venture to speak of
anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to
obedience [to God]--by word and deed, 19by the power of signs and wonders, by
the power of the Spirit of God--so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to
Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of [proclaimed] the gospel of Christ; - ESV
Rm9:1I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience
bears me witness [confirms it] in the Holy Spirit-- 2that I have
great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For
I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of
my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh [those of my own race]. 4They
are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption [as sons], the glory, the
covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5To
them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh [human
ancestry], is the Christ who is God over all, blessed
[praised] forever. Amen. - ESV
Rm11:33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How
unsearchable are his judgments
and how inscrutable [unfathomable] his ways!
34"For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?" (Isa40:13)
35"Or who has [ever] given a gift to him [God]
that he might be repaid [God should repay him]?"
(Job41:11)
36For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be [the] glory forever. Amen. - ESV
1Pet1:3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In his
great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance
that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5who
through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that
is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly
rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all
kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your
faith--of greater
worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved
genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do
not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and
glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the
salvation of your souls. - NIV
1Pet2:11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners [aliens] and exiles [strangers
in the world] to abstain from the
passions of the flesh [sinful desires], which wage war against your soul. 12Keep your
conduct among the Gentiles [pagans] honorable, so that when
[though] they speak against you as
evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation
[he visits us]. - ESV
1Pet4:7The end of all things is at hand [near]; therefore be self-controlled and
sober[clear]-minded for the sake of your prayers [so that you can pray]. 8Above all, keep loving
one another earnestly [deeply], since love covers [over] a multitude of sins.
9Show
hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10As each has received
a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of [faithfully
administering] God's varied grace [grace in its various forms]:
11whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles [the very words] of God; whoever serves, as one
who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God
may be glorified [praised] through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion
[power] forever
and ever. Amen. - ESV
1Pet5:5 .....
you who are younger, be subject [submissive] to the elders [those who are
older]. Clothe yourselves, all of you,
with humility toward one another, for
"God opposes the proud but gives
grace to the humble." (Pro3:34)
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that
at the proper time he may exalt you [lift you up], 7casting all your anxieties on
him, because he cares for you. 8Be
sober-minded [self-controlled]; be watchful [alert]. Your
adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour. 9Resist him, [standing] firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds
of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who
has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm
[make you firm],
strengthen, and establish you [make you steadfast]. 11To him be the dominion
[power] forever and
ever. Amen. - ESV
Jud1:20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
21Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear�hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
24To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy�
25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. - NIV
5 - Sanctify: to free from sin, purify, and set apart for a
sacred purpose. ^
Challenge: True Life