And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
but the prudent hold their tongues. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. You are altogether beautiful, my darling;
there is no flaw in you. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more. The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.