Be Transformed
Romans 12Therefore I urge y’all, siblings, by the mercies of God, to present y’all’s bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your* proper sacred service. Y’all must not be conformed to this world. Instead y’all are to be transformed by the renovation of the mind, so that y’all may test and approve what the will of God is—that which is good, pleasing, and perfect.
For through the grace that was given me I say to every one of y’all: do not think of yourself more highly than y’all should. Instead y’all should think with sound judgment, as God has apportioned a measure of faith to each person. For just as we have one body with many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, but having differing gifts according to the grace that was given to us: if prophecy, use it according to the proportion of faith; or deacon-work, then deacon-work; if teaching, then teach; if an exhorter, then exhort; if a giver, then generously; if a leader, then with diligence; if a mercy giver, then with cheerfulness.
Act in Love
Love must be sincere, hating what is evil and clinging to what is good. Be devoted to one another with mutual love and honor one another above yourselves, not lacking in zeal, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, enduring in oppression, persisting in prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, and practicing hospitality.
Y’all are to bless those who persecute you*; bless and do not curse. Y’all are to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, being of the same mind toward another, not being high minded, but associating with the lowly. Y’all must not become wise in your own estimation. Y’all must never repay evil for evil; consider what is excellent before all humans. If possible, as far as it depends on y’all, be at peace with all humans. Don’t seek revenge, beloved, but y’all must leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me, I will repay,”+Deut 32:35 says the Lord. Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”+Prov 25:21-22Don’t be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.