Do you not knowthat whenyou presentyourselvesto someone[as] slavesfor obedience,you are slavesof the one whomyou obey,eitherof sinresultingin death,orof obedienceresultingin righteousness?
"Ifyou dowell,will not [your countenance] be liftedup? And ifyou do not dowell,sinis crouchingat the door;and its desireis for you, but you must masterit."
and to thosehe said,'You alsogointo the vineyard,and whateveris rightI will giveyou.' And [so] they went.
"No onecanservetwomasters;for eitherhe will hatethe oneand lovethe other,orhe will be devotedto oneand despisethe other.You cannotserveGodand wealth.
Jesusansweredthem, "Truly,truly,I sayto you, everyonewho commitssinis the slaveof sin.
Godhas not rejectedHis peoplewhomHe foreknew.Ordo you not knowwhatthe Scripturesaysin [the passage about] Elijah,howhe pleadswith GodagainstIsrael?
ThereforeI urgeyou, brethren,by the merciesof God,to presentyour bodiesa livingand holysacrifice,acceptableto God,[which is] your spiritualservice of worship.
But thanksbe to Godthat though you were slavesof sin,you became obedientfrom the heartto that formof teachingto whichyou were committed,
Do you not knowthat you are a templeof Godand [that] the Spiritof Goddwellsin you?
Your boastingis not good.Do you not knowthat a littleleavenleavensthe wholelump[of dough]?
Ordo you not knowthat the saintswill judgethe world?Ifthe worldis judgedby you, are you not competent[to] [constitute] the smallestlaw courts?
Do you not knowthat we will judgeangels?How much morematters of this life?
Ordo you not knowthat the unrighteouswill not inheritthe kingdomof God?Do not be deceived;neitherfornicators,noridolaters,noradulterers,noreffeminate,norhomosexuals,
Do you not knowthat thosewho performsacred serviceseatthe [food] of the temple,[and] thosewho attend regularlyto the altarhave their sharefrom the altar?
Do you not knowthat thosewho runin a raceallrun,but [only] onereceivesthe prize?Runin such a waythat you may win.
"Ifit is disagreeablein your sightto servethe LORD,choosefor yourselves todaywhomyou will serve:whetherthe godswhichyour fathersservedwhichwere beyondthe River,or the godsof the Amoritesin whoselandyou are living;but as for me and my house,we will servethe LORD."
promisingthem freedomwhile they themselvesare slavesof corruption;for by whata manis overcome,by thishe is enslaved.
