controlling your thoughts

⁸Concerning the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is chaste, whatever is just, whatever is holy, whatever is worthy to be loved, whatever is of good repute, if there is any virtue, if there is any praiseworthy discipline: meditate on these.

²And do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead choose to be reformed in the newness of your mind, so that you may demonstrate what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect.

⁵Therefore, mortify your body, while it is upon the earth. For because of fornication, impurity, lust, evil desires, and avarice, which are a kind of service to idols, ⁶the wrath of God has overwhelmed the sons of unbelief. ⁷You, too, walked in these things, in times past, when you were living among them. ⁸But now you must set aside all these things: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, and indecent speech from your mouth. ⁹Do not lie to one another. Strip yourselves of the old man, with his deeds, ¹⁰and clothe yourself with the new man, who has been renewed by knowledge, in accord with the image of the One who created him,

²⁰“But,” he said “the things which go out from a man, these pollute a man. ²¹For from within, from the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, ²²thefts, avarice, wickedness, deceitfulness, homosexuality, an evil eye, blasphemy, self-exaltation, foolishness.

¹⁶So then, I say: Walk in the spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh desires against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. And since these are against one another, you may not do whatever you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are manifest; they are: fornication, lust, homosexuality, self-indulgence, ²⁰the serving of idols, drug use, hostility, contentiousness, jealousy, wrath, quarrels, dissensions, divisions, ²¹envy, murder, inebriation, carousing, and similar things. About these things, I continue to preach to you, as I have preached to you: that those who act in this way shall not obtain the kingdom of God.

⁸Concerning the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is chaste, whatever is just, whatever is holy, whatever is worthy to be loved, whatever is of good repute, if there is any virtue, if there is any praiseworthy discipline: meditate on these. ⁹All the things that you have learned and accepted and heard and seen in me, do these. And so shall the God of peace be with you.

²⁶But if anyone considers himself to be religious, but he does not restrain his tongue, but instead seduces his own heart: such a one’s religion is vanity.

¹¹Brothers, do not choose to slander one another. Whoever slanders his brother, or whoever judges his brother, slanders the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. ¹²There is one lawgiver and one judge. He is able to destroy, and he is able to set free.

⁵and height that extols itself contrary to the wisdom of God, and leading every intellect into the captivity of obedience to Christ,

¹⁹You know this, my most beloved brothers. So let every man be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to anger. ²⁰For the anger of man does not accomplish the justice of God.

¹Therefore, if you have risen together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

²complete my joy by having the same understanding, holding to the same charity, being of one mind, with the same sentiment. ³Let nothing be done by contention, nor in vain glory. Instead, in humility, let each of you esteem others to be better than himself. ⁴Let each of you not consider anything to be your own, but rather to belong to others. ⁵For this understanding in you was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be seized. ⁷Instead, he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and accepting the state of a man.

¹But accept those who are weak in faith, without disputing about ideas. ²For one person believes that he may eat all things, but if another is weak, let him eat plants. ³He who eats should not despise him who does not eat. And he who does not eat should not judge him who eats. For God has accepted him. ⁴Who are you to judge the servant of another? He stands or falls by his own Lord. But he shall stand. For God is able to make him stand. ⁵For one person discerns one age from the next. But another discerns unto every age. Let each one increase according to his own mind. ⁶He who understands the age, understands for the Lord. And he who eats, eats for the Lord; for he gives thanks to God. And he who does not eat, does not eat for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God.

¹⁷Render to no one harm for harm. Provide good things, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men. ¹⁸If it is possible, in so far as you are able, be at peace with all men. ¹⁹Do not defend yourselves, dearest ones. Instead, step aside from wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is mine. I shall give retribution, says the Lord.” ²⁰So if an enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap burning coals upon his head. ²¹Do not allow evil to prevail, instead prevail over evil by means of goodness.

³²And be kind and merciful to one another, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.

⁶For the prudence of the flesh is death. But the prudence of the spirit is life and peace. ⁷And the wisdom of the flesh is inimical to God. For it is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be. ⁸So those who are in the flesh are not able to please God. ⁹And you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if it is true that the Spirit of God lives within you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. ¹⁰But if Christ is within you, then the body is indeed dead, concerning sin, but the spirit truly lives, because of justification. ¹¹But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead lives within you, then he who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall also enliven your mortal bodies, by means of his Spirit living within you.