habits

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.

²⁴Do you not know that, of those who run in a race, all of them, certainly, are runners, but only one achieves the prize. Similarly, you must run, so that you may achieve. ²⁵And one who competes in a contest abstains from all things. And they do this, of course, so that they may achieve a corruptible crown. But we do this, so that we may achieve what is incorruptible. ²⁶And so I run, but not with uncertainty. And so I fight, but not by flailing in the air. ²⁷Instead, I chastise my body, so as to redirect it into servitude. Otherwise, I might preach to others, but become myself an outcast.

⁶The proverb is: A youth is close to his way; even when he is old, he will not withdraw from it.

²²to set aside your earlier behavior, the former man, who was corrupted, by means of desire, unto error, ²³and so be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and so put on the new man, who, in accord with God, is created in justice and in the holiness of truth.

¹³Temptation should not take hold of you, except what is human. For God is faithful, and he will not permit you to be tempted beyond your ability. Instead, he will effect his Providence, even during temptation, so that you may be able to bear it.

⁷But avoid the silly fables of old women. And exercise yourself so as to advance in piety. ⁸For the exercise of the body is somewhat useful. But piety is useful in all things, holding the promise of life, in the present and in the future.

¹⁴But solid food is for those who are mature, for those who, by practice, have sharpened their mind, so as to discern good from evil.

⁵But as for you, taking up every concern, minister virtue in your faith; and in virtue, knowledge; ⁶and in knowledge, moderation; and in moderation, patience; and in patience, piety; ⁷and in piety, love of brotherhood; and in love of brotherhood, charity. ⁸For if these things are with you, and if they abound, they will cause you to be neither empty, nor without fruit, within the plan of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹²All is lawful to me, but not all is expedient. All is lawful to me, but I will not be driven back by the authority of anyone.

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,

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.

²²So be doers of the Word, and not listeners only, deceiving yourselves. ²³For if anyone is a listener of the Word, but not also a doer, he is comparable to a man gazing into a mirror upon the face that he was born with; ²⁴and after considering himself, he went away and promptly forgot what he had seen. ²⁵But he who gazes upon the perfect law of liberty, and who remains in it, is not a forgetful hearer, but instead a doer of the work. He shall be blessed in what he does.

²³Then he said to everyone: “If anyone is willing to come after me: let him deny himself, and take up his cross every day, and follow me.

⁷For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of virtue, and of love, and of self-restraint.

²⁰My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words. ²¹Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. ²²For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh. ²³Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this. ²⁴Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you. ²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.

⁷Do not choose to wander astray. God is not to be ridiculed. ⁸For whatever a man will have sown, that also shall he reap. For whoever sows in his flesh, from the flesh he shall also reap corruption. But whoever sows in the Spirit, from the Spirit he shall reap eternal life. ⁹And so, let us not be deficient in doing good. For in due time, we shall reap without fail.

¹And so, I beg you, brothers, by the mercy of God, that you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, with the subservience of your mind. 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.

²⁵not deserting our assembly, as some are accustomed to do, but consoling one another, and even more so as you see that the day is approaching.

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. ²³All these evils proceed from within and pollute a man.”

²³If the Ethiopian is able to change his skin, or the leopard is able to change his spots, then you also may be able to do well, though you have learned evil.