You call on a Father who judges each person’s work without favoring one person over another. So live with the highest respect for God during your time as outsiders here.
And so, my dear friends, as you’ve always obeyed God—not just while I was with you, but even more now that I’m not with you— continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling.
Dear friends, since we have these promises from God, let’s purify ourselves from everything that could make our bodies and spirits impure. Let’s be completely holy, to honor God.
Since we’re receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken, let’s be thankful, and let’s worship God in a way that pleases him. Let’s worship him with deep respect and wonder,
I keep asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the wisdom and understanding that come from the Holy Spirit. That way you will get to know God better.
The people in Jerusalem who were considered to be important didn’t add anything to my message. (And it didn’t matter to me who they were anyway. God doesn’t see some people as more important than others.)
They sent their disciples to him with some of the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you’re a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God truthfully. You don’t let others influence what you do or say, no matter how important they are.
Dear friends, in this world you’re outsiders who are living away from their land. So don’t give in to your wrong desires, which fight against your soul.
Masters, treat your slaves with the same kind of respect. Don’t threaten them, because you know that God, who is their Master and yours, is in heaven. He doesn’t let people get away with things just because of their positions.
But make sure that you honor Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope you have. But do this gently and with respect.
Look at what that godly sadness has produced in you. You’re working hard to clear yourselves. You’re upset and alarmed. You’re longing to see me. You’re concerned about what has happened. You want to make sure that the right thing is done. In every way, you’ve shown that you’re not at fault.