“I tell you the truth. If a person hears what I say and believes in the One (God) who sent me, that person has life forever. That person will not be judged guilty. He has already left death and has entered into life.
But a person cannot do any work that will make him right with God. So that person must trust in God. Then God accepts that person’s faith (trust), and that makes him right with God. God is the One who makes even evil people right.
If a person is stealing, he must stop stealing. That person must start working. He must use his hands for doing something good. Then he will have something to share with those people who are poor.
I want men everywhere to pray. These men who lift up their hands in prayer must be pleasing to God. They must not be men who become angry and have arguments.
She must be known as a woman who has done good things. I mean good things like raising her children, accepting visitors in her home, washing the feet of God’s people, helping people in trouble, and using her life to do all kinds of good things.
And I suffer now because I tell that Good News. But I am not ashamed. I know the One (Jesus) that I have believed. I am sure that he is able to protect the things that he has trusted me with until that Day. {\cf2\super [8]}
An elder must faithfully follow the truth the same as we teach it. An elder must be able to help people by using true and right teaching. And he must be able to show the people who are against the true teaching that they are wrong.
He gave himself for us. He died to free us from all evil. He died to make us pure people that belong only to him—people that are always wanting to do good things.
But I did not want to do anything without asking you first. Then the good thing you do for me will be because you want to do it, not because I forced you to do it.