Christ Brings New Life
1 Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.
3 I realize God has treated me with undeserved grace, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. 4 A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. 5 That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.
6 God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. 7 If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. 8 If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
Rules for Christian Living
9 Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. 10 Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. 11 Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. 12 Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. 13 Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.
14 Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. 15 When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. 16 Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you know more than others. Make friends with ordinary people. 17 Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, 18 and do your best to live at peace with everyone.
19 Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says,
“I am the one to take revenge
and pay them back.”
20 The Scriptures also say,
“If your enemies are hungry,
give them something to eat.
And if they are thirsty,
give them something
to drink.
This will be the same
as piling burning coals
on their heads.”
21 Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.
Kristus miesas locekļi
1 Es jūs aicinu, brāļi, Dieva apžēlošanās dēļ nododiet sevi pašus – tā ir jūsu apzinīgā kalpošana Dievam – kā dzīvu, svētu un Dievam tīkamu upuri. 2 Netopiet šim laikam līdzīgi, bet pārvērtieties, atjaunodamies savā prātā, lai jūs varētu izprast, kas ir Dieva griba – to, kas ir labs, tīkams un pilnīgs. 3 Jo žēlastībā, kas man dota, es ikvienam jums saku: neuzskatiet sevi par pārākiem kā citi, esiet saprātīgi, ikviens pēc tāda ticības mēra, kādu Dievs tam ir piešķīris. 4 Jo, kā mūsu miesai ir daudz locekļu, bet ne visiem locekļiem ir viens un tas pats uzdevums, 5 tā arī mēs, daudzi kopā, esam viena miesa Kristū, bet atsevišķi esam cits cita locekļi. 6 Un mums pēc mums dotās žēlastības ir dažādas dāvanas, un, ja kādam dota pravietošanas dāvana, lai tā izpaužas saskaņā ar ticību, 7 ja kādam ir kalpošanas dāvana, lai tā izpaužas kalpošanā, ja mācīšanas dāvana – mācīšanā; 8 ja kāds ir pamudinātājs, lai pamudina; kas dalās ar citiem, lai dara to dāsni; kas vada citus, lai dara to atbildīgi; kas dara žēlsirdības darbu, lai dara to ar prieku.
Kristīgas dzīves likumi
9 Jūsu mīlestība lai ir neliekuļota, nīstiet ļauno, pieķerieties tam, kas labs. 10 Brāļu savstarpējā mīlestībā esiet sirsnīgi, izrādiet cits citam vislielāko cieņu. 11 Gara dedzībā un kalpošanā Kungam nemitējieties būt uzcītīgi, 12 priecādamies cerībā, izturēdami ciešanās, pastāvēdami lūgšanās. 13 Esiet izpalīdzīgi svētajiem viņu vajadzībās, tiecieties būt viesmīlīgi! 14 Svētījiet tos, kas jūs vajā, svētījiet un nenolādiet! 15 Priecājieties līdz ar priecīgajiem, raudiet ar tiem, kas raud! 16 Izturieties vienādi cits pret citu, nedzenieties pēc augsta goda, bet saejieties ar zemajiem; neesiet pašgudri! 17 Neatmaksājiet ļaunu ar ļaunu, bet pūlieties darīt labu visu cilvēku priekšā. 18 Cik iespējams, no savas puses turiet mieru ar visiem cilvēkiem. 19 Mīļotie, neatriebieties paši, bet ļaujiet nākt Dieva dusmībai, kā ir rakstīts: man pieder atriebšana, es atmaksāšu, – saka Kungs. 20 Bet, ja tavs ienaidnieks izsalcis, paēdini viņu un, ja izslāpis, dod viņam dzert; tā darīdams, tu sakrāsi kvēlošas ogles uz viņa galvas. 21 Neļauj ļaunumam sevi uzvarēt, bet uzvari ļaunu ar labu!
