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.
1 Es jums lieku pie sirds, brāļi, Dieva žēlsirdības vārdā nodot sevi pašus par dzīvu, svētu Dievam patīkamu upuri, tā lai ir jūsu garīgā kalpošana. 2 Un netopiet šai pasaulei līdzīgi, bet pārvērtieties, atjaunodamies savā garā, lai pareizi saprastu, kas ir Dieva griba: to, kas ir labs, tīkams un pilnīgs. 3 Tad nu es ieteicu ikvienam starp jums tās žēlastības vārdā, kas man dota: netiekties pāri noliktam, bet censties sevi apvaldīt saskaņā ar to ticības mēru, ko Dievs katram piešķīris. 4 Jo, kā mums vienā miesā ir daudz locekļu, bet ne visiem locekļiem ir vienāds uzdevums, 5 tāpat mēs daudzi kopā esam viena miesa Kristū, bet savā starpā visi esam locekļi. 6 Kad nu mums, pēc mums piešķirtās žēlastības, ir dažādas dāvanas, tad lai tās, ja tās ir pravieša spējas, izpaužas saskaņā ar ticības mēru, 7 kalpošanas spējas - kalpošanā, spējas mācīt - mācīšanā; 8 pamācīšanas spējas - pamācīšanā, kas dod no sava, lai to dara vientiesīgi, kas valda, lai dara to rūpīgi, kas strādā žēlsirdības darbu, lai dara to ar prieku. 9 Jūsu mīlestība lai ir neliekuļota. Nīstiet to, kas ļauns, pieķerieties tam, kas labs. 10 Brāļu mīlestība jūsu starpā lai ir sirsnīga. Centieties cits citu pārspēt savstarpējā cieņā. 11 Savā darbā neesiet kūtri, esiet dedzīgi garā, gatavi kalpot Tam Kungam, 12 priecīgi cerībā, pacietīgi bēdās, neatlaidīgi savās lūgšanās. 13 Palīdziet svētajiem viņu vajadzībās, centieties parādīt viesmīlību! 14 Svētījiet tos, kas jūs vajā, svētījiet un nenolādiet! 15 Priecājieties ar priecīgajiem, raudiet ar tiem, kas raud. 16 Turiet vienādu prātu cits pret citu, neesiet iedomīgi, bet sniedziet roku zemajiem! Neliecieties paši gudri esam. 17 Neatmaksājiet nevienam ļaunu ar ļaunu, domājiet par to, ka varat labu darīt visiem cilvēkiem. 18 Ja iespējams, no savas puses, turiet mieru ar visiem cilvēkiem. 19 Neatriebieties paši, mīļie, bet atstājiet vietu Dieva dusmībai, jo ir rakstīts: Man pieder atriebšana, Es atmaksāšu, saka Tas Kungs. 20 Bet, ja tavs ienaidnieks ir izsalcis, paēdini viņu; ja tas cieš slāpes, dod viņam dzert. Tā darīdams, tu uz viņa galvas sakrāsi kvēlojošas ogles. 21 Ļaunums lai tevi neuzvar, bet pats uzvari ļaunu ar labu!
