Category
VERSES ABOUT VICES AND ADDICTIONS
Addiction and bad habits can be so destructive. Think about it, addiction is clinging to something—a behavior, a substance, an activity, even a person—that's actually harming you. So many of us struggle with these things, feeling trapped by a vice or an addiction. Sometimes, we feel like it's because of our past.
But here's the truth: in God, we're free. Christ set us free from all of that and forgave our sins. If you keep dwelling on the past, those chains can really hold you back. Sometimes, these struggles can even stem from negative spiritual influences, finding a foothold and coming to light when we unknowingly open a door, giving the enemy a legal right to step in.
You have the power to let go of what's binding you. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas of bondage you need to address. Receive God's forgiveness and His healing. He's there for you.
I pray that we all find freedom from anything that's hurting us and holding us back. Just like it says in John 8:36, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
\{Assyria {\cf2\super [125]} will bring troubles to you—those troubles will be like weights you have to carry on\} a pole across your shoulder. But, that pole will be taken off your neck. That pole will be broken by your strength (God).
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. Every person that sins is a slave. Sin is his master.
“All things are allowed for me.” But not all things are good. “All things are allowed for me.” But I will not let anything be my master.
We have small troubles for a while now, but those troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than the troubles.
The only temptations that you have are the same temptations that all people have. But you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to endure it.
But become like the Lord Jesus Christ, so when people see what you do, they will see Christ. Don’t think about how to satisfy your sinful self and the bad things you want to do.
The Lord is my Rock, {\cf2\super [97]} \par my Fortress, {\cf2\super [98]} \par my Place of Safety.”\par My God is my Rock.\par I run to him for protection.\par God is my shield.\par His power saves me. {\cf2\super [99]} \par The Lord is my hiding place\par high in the hills.\par
Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right. But your body is weak.”
The Lord is my shepherd.\par I will always have everything I need. {\cf2\super [138]} \parHe lets me lie down in green pastures.\par He leads me by calm pools of water.\parHe gives new strength to my soul\par for the good of his name.\par He leads me on paths of goodness, {\cf2\super [139]} \par to show he is truly good.\parEven if I walk through a valley\par as dark as the grave, {\cf2\super [140]} \par I will not be afraid of any danger.\par Why? Because you are with me, Lord.\par Your rod and staff {\cf2\super [141]} comfort me.\par
I went to God for help.\par And he listened.\par He saved me from all the things I fear.\par
Trust the Lord completely! Don’t depend on your own knowledge.Think about God in all that you do. Then he will help you.
Pray to the Lord and he will hear you.\par He will save you from all your troubles.\parWhen some people have troubles\par they stop being proud.\par The Lord is close to those humble people.\par He will save them. {\cf2\super [211]} \par
Master, you are good and merciful.\par Your people call to you for help.\par You really love those people.\par
Don’t worry, I am with you.\par Don’t be afraid, I am your God.\par I will make you strong.\par I will help you.\par I will support you with my good\par right hand.\par
You can go to God Most-High to hide.\par You can go to the God All-Powerful\par for protection.\parI say to the Lord,\par “You are my place of safety, my fortress.\par My God, I trust you.”\par
My soul, praise the Lord!\par And don’t forget that he is truly kind.\parGod forgives us for all the sins we do.\par He heals all our sicknesses.\parGod saves our life from the grave.\par And he gives us love and compassion.\par
Those people were in trouble,\par so they called to the Lord for help.\par And he saved them from their troubles.\parGod took them out of their dark prisons.\par God broke the ropes they were tied with.\par
The most important thing is for you to be careful in the things you think. Your thoughts control your life.
If a man spills fire on himself, his clothes will also be burned.If a man steps on a hot coal, his feet will be burned!
Wine and beer make people lose control of themselves. They get loud and start to brag. They become drunk and do foolish things.
So listen, my son, and be wise. Always be careful to live the right way.Don’t be friends with people who drink too much wine and eat too much food.People who drink too much and eat too much become poor. All they do is eat, drink, sleep, and soon they have nothing.
So be careful with wine. It is pretty and red. It sparkles in the cup. And it goes down so smooth when you drink it.But in the end it bites like a snake.
Lord, you give true peace\par to people who depend on you,\par to people who trust you.\parSo, trust the Lord always.\par Why? Because in the Lord YAH, {\cf2\super [240]} you have a place of safety forever!\par
The Lord helps weak people to be strong.\par He causes the people without power to become powerful.\parYoung men become tired and need to rest.\par Even young boys stumble and fall.\parBut people that trust the Lord\par become strong again\par like eagles that grow new feathers.\par These people run without becoming weak.\par These people walk without becoming tired.\par
I am the Lord your God.\par I am holding your right hand.\par And I tell you:\par Don’t be afraid!\par I will help you.\par
Jacob, the Lord made you! Israel, the Lord made you! And now the Lord says, “Don’t be afraid! I saved you. I named you. You are mine.When you have troubles, I am with you. When you cross rivers, you will not be hurt. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not hurt you.
Your sins were like a big cloud.\par But I wiped away those sins.\par Your sins are gone,\par like a cloud that disappeared into thin air.\par I rescued and protected you,\par so come back to me!”\par
But he was given pain to suffer for the wrong things we did. He was crushed for our guilt. A debt we owed—our punishment—was given to him. We were healed (forgiven) because of his pain.
“I will tell you the kind of special day I want—a day to make people free. I want a day that you take the burdens off people. I want a day when you make the troubled people free. I want a day when you take the burdens from their shoulders.
Lord, if you heal me,\par I truly will be healed.\par Save me,\par and I truly will be saved.\par Lord, I praise you!\par
I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.
\{God said,\} “I will also put a new spirit in you \{and change your way of thinking\}. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart.And I will put my Spirit inside you. {\cf2\super [282]} I will change you so you will obey my laws. You will carefully obey my commands.
I have fallen.\par But enemy, don’t laugh at me!\par I will get up again.\par I sit in darkness now.\par But the Lord will be a light for me.\par
Don’t let us be tempted (tested);\par but save us from the Evil One\par (the devil).’ {\cf2\super [77]} \par
The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing the good things God wants you to do. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.
“Come to me all you people that are tired and have heavy burdens. I will give you rest.Accept my work and learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will find rest for your souls.Yes, the work that I ask you to accept is easy. The burden I give you to carry is not heavy.”
Jesus said to the woman, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace. You will have no more suffering.”
“The Spirit of the Lord (God) has come to me.\par God chose me to tell good news to people\par that are poor.\par God sent me to tell people who are\par prisoners that they are free,\par and to tell the blind people\par that they can see again.\par God sent me to free the weak people\par from their suffering\par
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. God gave his Son so that every person that believes in him would not be lost, but have life forever.God sent his Son into the world. God did not send his Son to judge the world guilty. God sent his Son so that the world could be saved through his Son.
Later, Jesus talked to the people again. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. The person that follows me will never live in darkness. That person will have the light that gives life.”
A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.
Jesus answered, “I am the way. I am the truth and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.
“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.
“I am the vine and you are the branches. If a person continues in me and I continue in that person, then that person will make much fruit. But without me that person can do nothing.
“I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble. But be brave! I have defeated the world!”
But Christ died for us while we were still sinners. In that way God showed us that he loves us very much.
We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross. This happened so that our sinful selves would have no power over us. And then we would not be slaves to sin.
But don’t let sin control you in your life here on earth. You must not be ruled by the things your sinful self makes you want to do.Don’t offer the parts of your body to serve sin. Don’t use your bodies as things to do evil with. But you should offer yourselves to God. Be like people that have died and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God to be used for doing good.
Surely you know that when you give yourselves like slaves to obey someone, then you are really slaves of that person. The person you obey is your master. You can follow sin, or obey God. Sin brings spiritual death. But obeying God makes you right with him.In the past you were slaves to sin—sin controlled you. But thank God, you fully obeyed the things that were taught to you.You were made free from sin. And now you are slaves to goodness (right living).
So now people that are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty.Why? Because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit {\cf2\super [58]} that brings life made you {\cf2\super [59]} free. It made you {\cf2\super [60]} free from the law that brings sin and death.
If a person’s thinking is controlled by his sinful self, then there is spiritual death. But if a person’s thinking is controlled by the Spirit, then there is life and peace.
God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit is living in you, then he will also give life to your bodies that die. God is the One who raised Christ from death. And he will give life to your bodies through his Spirit that lives in you.
We know that in everything God works for the good of those people that love him. These are the people God called (chose), because that was his plan.
So brothers and sisters, I beg you to do something. God has shown us great mercy. So offer your lives as a living sacrifice {\cf2\super [130]} to God. Your offering must be only for God and will be pleasing to him. This offering of yourselves is the spiritual way for you to worship (serve) God.Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world. But let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what things are good and pleasing to God and what things are perfect.
The night {\cf2\super [139]} is almost finished. The day {\cf2\super [140]} is almost here. So we should stop doing things that belong to darkness (sin). We should prepare ourselves to fight evil with the weapons that belong to the light (good).We should live in a right way, like people that belong to the day. We should not have wild and wasteful parties. We should not be drunk. We should not do sexual sins or sin in any way with our bodies. We should not cause arguments and trouble or be jealous.But become like the Lord Jesus Christ, so when people see what you do, they will see Christ. Don’t think about how to satisfy your sinful self and the bad things you want to do.
You should know that your body is a temple (house) for the Holy Spirit. {\cf2\super [40]} The Holy Spirit is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God. You don’t own yourselves.You were bought \{by God\} at a price. So honor God with your bodies.
From this time on we don’t think of any person like the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ like the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now.“So come away from those people\par and separate yourselves from them,\par says the Lord.\par Touch nothing that is not clean,\par and I will accept you.”\par \i (Isaiah 52:11)\i0 \par“I will be your father,\par and you will be my sons and daughters,\par says the Lord All-Powerful.”\par \i (2 Samuel 7:8,14)\i0 \par
We do live in the world. But we don’t fight in the same way that the world fights.We fight with weapons that are different from the weapons the world uses. Our weapons have power from God. These weapons can destroy \{the enemy’s\} strong places. We destroy \{people’s\} arguments.And we destroy every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. And we capture (catch) every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.
So the life that I live now is not really me—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God (Jesus). Jesus is the One who loved me. He gave himself to save me.
We have freedom now. Christ made us free. So stand strong. Don’t change and go back into the slavery \{of law\}.
So I tell you: Live by following the Spirit. {\cf2\super [71]} Then you will not do the evil things your sinful selves want.
The wrong things our sinful self does are clear: doing sexual sins, not being pure, doing morally bad things,worshiping false gods, doing witchcraft, {\cf2\super [73]} hating, making trouble, having jealousy, being very angry, being selfish, making people mad at each other, making divisions,having envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like this. I warn you now like I warned you before: The people who do these things will not be in God’s kingdom.
But the Spirit {\cf2\super [74]} gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control. There is no law that can say these things are wrong.
You were taught to leave your old self. This means that you must stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self becomes worse and worse, because people are fooled by the evil things they want to do.You must be made new in your hearts and in your thinking.You must become a new person, made to be like God—made to be truly good and holy. {\cf2\super [35]}
In the past you were \{full of\} darkness (sin), but now you are \{full of\} light (goodness) in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light.
Don’t be drunk with wine. That will ruin (destroy) you spiritually. But be filled with the Spirit. {\cf2\super [39]}
To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power.Wear the full armor (protection) of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s evil tricks.
God began doing good things with you. And God is continuing that work in you. God will finish that work in you when Jesus Christ comes again. I am sure of that.
Yes, God is working in you. God helps you want to do the things that please him. And he gives you the power to do these things.
Don’t worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks.And God’s peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. That peace which God gives is so great that we cannot understand it.
Brothers and sisters, continue to think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.
God made us free from the power of darkness (evil). And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Jesus).The Son paid the price to make us free. In him we have forgiveness of our sins.
So put all evil things out of your life: sexual sinning, doing evil, letting evil thoughts control you, wanting things that are evil, and selfishly wanting more and more. This wanting really means to live serving a false god.
But now put these things out of your life: anger, being very mad, doing or saying things to hurt other people, and using evil words when you talk.Don’t lie to each other. Why? Because you have left your old sinful life and the things you did before.You have begun to live the new life. In your new life you are being made new. You are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God.
God wants you to be holy. {\cf2\super [12]} He wants you to stay away from sexual sins.God wants each one of you to learn to control your own body. Use your body in a way that is holy and that gives honor to God. {\cf2\super [13]}
So we should not be like other people. We should not be sleeping. We should be awake and have self-control.People who sleep, sleep at night. People who get drunk, get drunk at night.But we belong to the day (goodness), so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us. And the hope of salvation should be our helmet.
And stay away from everything that is evil.We pray that God himself, the God of peace, will make you pure—belonging only to him. We pray that your whole self—spirit, soul, and body—will be kept safe and be without wrong when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.
It is true that serving God makes a person very rich, if that person is satisfied with what he has.
The Spirit {\cf2\super [4]} God gave us does not make us afraid. He is our source of power and love and self control.
Stay away from the evil things a young person wants to do. Try very hard to live right and to have faith, love, and peace. Do these things together with those people who have pure hearts and trust in the Lord.
That grace teaches us not to live against God and not to do the bad things the world wants to do. That grace teaches us to live on earth now in a wise and right way—a way that shows that we serve God.
And now Jesus can help those people who are tempted. Jesus is able to help because he himself suffered and was tempted.
Who were those people who heard God’s voice and were against him? It was all those people that Moses led out of Egypt.
We should hold strongly to the hope that we have. And we should never fail to tell people about our hope. We can trust God to do what he promised.
We have those many people \{of faith\} around us. Their lives tell us what faith means. So we should be like them. We too should run the race that is before us and never stop trying. We should take away \{from our lives\} anything that would stop us. And we should take away the sin that so easily catches us.We should always follow the example of Jesus. Jesus is the leader in our faith. And he makes our faith perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But Jesus accepted the shame of the cross like it was nothing. He did this because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne.
But if any of you needs wisdom, then you should ask God for it. God is generous. He enjoys giving to all people. So God will give you wisdom.
What great blessings there are for the person who is tempted and still continues strong. Why? Because after he has proved his faith, God will give him the reward of life forever. God promised this to all people who love him.
When a person is being tempted, he should not say, “God is tempting me.” Evil cannot tempt God. And God himself does not tempt any person.It is the evil things a person wants that tempt that person. His own evil desire leads him away and holds him.This desire causes sin. Then the sin grows and brings death.
So prepare your minds for service, and have self-control. All your hope should be for the gift of grace (kindness) that will be yours when Jesus Christ appears (comes).In the past you did not understand about these things, so you did the evil things you wanted. But now you are children \{of God\} who obey. So don’t live like you lived in the past.But be holy {\cf2\super [8]} in all the things you do, the same as God is holy. God is the One who called you.The Scriptures {\cf2\super [9]} say, “Be holy, because I (God) am holy.” {\cf2\super [10]}
Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy. And he goes around like a roaring lion looking for some person to eat.Refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith. You know that your brothers and sisters all over the world are having the same sufferings that you have.
But if we confess (admit) our sins, then God will forgive our sins. We can trust God to do this. God does what is right. God will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.