How to live the new life of love

Christ brings new life

1Dear 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. 2Don'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.

3I realize how kind God has been to me, 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. 4A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use.12.4,5: 1 Co 12.12. 5That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we are each part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.

6God 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.12.6-8: 1 Co 12.4-11. 7If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. 8If 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

9Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. 10Love each other as brothers and sisters and honour others more than you do yourself. 11Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. 12Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. 13Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.

14Ask God to bless everyone who ill-treats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them.12.14: Mt 5.44; Lk 6.28. 15When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. 16Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you are cleverer than others. Make friends with ordinary people.12.16 Make friends with ordinary people: Or “Do ordinary jobs.”12.16: Pr 3.7. 17Don't ill-treat someone who has ill-treated you. But try to earn the respect of others, 18and do your best to live at peace with everyone.

19Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says,12.19: Dt 32.35.

“I am the one to take revenge

and pay them back.”

20The Scriptures also say,12.20: Pr 25.21,22 (LXX).

“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.”

21Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.