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.
May he strengthen your hearts so that you’ll be holy and blameless in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
But you’ve been set free from sin, and you’ve become slaves of God. You’re gaining a great benefit from that: You’re living in the right way, and the end result will be eternal life.
Dear friend, don’t imitate those who are doing wrong, but those who are doing good. Anyone who does what’s good belongs to God. Anyone who does what’s wrong hasn’t really seen or known God.
You can be sure that no one who’s immoral, impure, or greedy will receive a share in the kingdom of Christ and of God, because they’re really serving a false god.
“Unrefined salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves to preserve your peace with each other.”
I ask all of you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree with one another and not argue. Look and think about things in the same way.
So stay away from the bad things that young people often want. Try hard to do what’s right and to have faith, love, and peace. Do these things together with all those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
I haven’t yet received these things or reached my goal. But Christ Jesus took hold of me so that I could reach it, and so I keep pushing myself forward to take hold of it.
Now we see only a dim reflection of things, as if we were seeing them in a foggy mirror. But someday we will see clearly, face to face. Now I know in part; then I will know completely, just as God knows me completely.
So is the law opposed to God’s promises? Certainly not! If a law had been given that could give life, then people could become right with God by obeying that law.
In the same way, Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people. He will also come a second time, not to take away our sins, but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him.