Living Sacrifices to God

12 I ^(A)beseech^[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies ^(B)a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your ^[b]reasonable service. ² And ^(C)do not be conformed to this world, but ^(D)be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may ^(E)prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Serve God with Spiritual Gifts

³ For I say, ^(F)through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, ^(G)not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt ^(H)to each one a measure of faith. ⁴ For ^(I)as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so ^(J)we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. ⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is ^(K)given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us ^(L)prophesy in proportion to our faith; ⁷ or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; ^(M)he who teaches, in teaching; ^8 (N)he who exhorts, in exhortation; ^(O)he who gives, with liberality; ^(P)he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, ^(Q)with cheerfulness.

Behave Like a Christian

^9 (R)Let love be without hypocrisy. ^(S)Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ^10 (T)Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, ^(U)in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ^12 (V)rejoicing in hope, ^(W)patient^[c] in tribulation, ^(X)continuing steadfastly in prayer; ^13 (Y)distributing to the needs of the saints, ^(Z)given^[d] to hospitality.

^14 (AA)Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ^15 (AB)Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ^16 (AC)Be of the same mind toward one another. ^(AD)Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

^17 (AE)Repay no one evil for evil. ^(AF)Have^[e] regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, ^(AG)live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, ^(AH)do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ^(AI)“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but ^(AK)overcome evil with good.

Hold Fast Your Confession

¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, having ^(A)boldness^[a] to enter ^(B)the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and ^(C)living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and having a High Priest over the house of God, ²² let us ^(D)draw near with a true heart ^(E)in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for ^(F)He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ^25 (G)not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and ^(H)so much the more as you see ^(I)the Day approaching.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of ^(A)darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (B)who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Living Before the World

¹¹ Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts ^(C)which war against the soul, ^12 (D)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(E)they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Do Not Love the World

^15 (A)Do not love the world or the things in the world. ^(B)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, ^(C)the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And ^(D)the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Deceptions of the Last Hour

^18 (E)Little children, ^(F)it is the last hour; and as you have heard that ^(G)the^[a] Antichrist is coming, ^(H)even now many antichrists have come, by which we know ^(I)that it is the last hour. ^19 (J)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for ^(K)if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out ^(L)that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

²⁰ But ^(M)you have an anointing ^(N)from the Holy One, and ^(O)you^[b] know all things. ²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

^22 (P)Who is a liar but he who denies that ^(Q)Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. ^23 (R)Whoever denies the Son does not have the ^(S)Father either; ^(T)he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Let Truth Abide in You

²⁴ Therefore let that abide in you ^(U)which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, ^(V)you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. ^25 (W)And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who try to ^[c]deceive you. ²⁷ But the ^(X)anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and ^(Y)you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing ^(Z)teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you ^[d]will abide in Him.

The Children of God

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in Him, that ^[e]when He appears, we may have ^(AA)confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.