and it doesn’t treat other people with disrespect. Love doesn’t look out for its own interests. It doesn’t become angry easily. It doesn’t keep track of other people’s wrongs.
Finally, my brothers and sisters, whatever is noble, right, and pure, whatever is lovely and worthy of respect, if anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those things.
My brothers and sisters, you were called to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to live under the power of sin. Instead, serve one another humbly in love.
God was bringing the world back to himself through Christ and not holding people’s sins against them. God has trusted us with this message about how people can be brought back to him.
Follow my example. I try to please everyone in every way. I’m not looking out for what’s good for me. I’m looking out for the interests of others, so that they might be saved.
But I tell you that anyone who loses their temper with a brother or sister will answer for it in court. Anyone who speaks scornfully to a brother or sister will face the council of elders. And anyone who dismisses someone as worthless will be in danger of the fire in hell.
The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this. He said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him—what kind of woman she is. She’s a sinner!”
Jesus looked around at all of them angrily. He was upset because their hearts were so stubborn. Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” When he stretched it out, his hand became as good as new.
Suppose someone is worried that he’s not acting honorably toward his fiancée. Suppose his desires are too strong, and he feels that he should marry her. He should do as he wants. That wouldn’t be a sin. They should get married.
So I put up with everything for the good of God’s chosen people, so that they also can be saved through Christ Jesus, with glory that will last forever.