Dual Panel1WITH eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him.
2Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed. Thus you will prove in practice that the will of God is good, acceptable to him and perfect.
3As your spiritual teacher I, by the grace God gave me, give this advice to each one of you. Don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you all.
4For just as you have many members in one physical body and those members differ in their functions,
5so we, though many in number, compose one body in Christ and are all members to one another.
6Through the grace of God we have different gifts. If our gift is preaching, let us preach to the limit of our vision.
7If it is serving others let us concentrate on our service; if it is teaching let us give all we have to our teaching;
8and if our gift be the stimulating of the faith of others let us set ourselves to it. Let the man who is called to give, give freely; let the man in authority work with enthusiasm; and let the man who feels sympathy for his fellows in distress help them cheerfully.
9Let us have no imitation Christian love. Let us have a genuine hatred for evil and a real devotion to good.
10Let us have real warm affection for one another as between brothers, and a willingness to let the other man have the credit.
11Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work and let us keep the fires of the spirit burning, as we do our work for the Lord.
12Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently; steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer.
13Give freely to fellowChristians in want, never grudging a meal or a bed to those who need them.
14And as for those who try to make your life a misery, bless them. Don't curse, bless.
15Share the happiness of those who are happy, and the sorrow of those who are sad.
16Live in harmony with each other. Don't become snobbish but take a real interest in ordinary people. Don't become set in your own opinions.
17Don't pay back a bad turn by a bad turn, to anyone. See that your public behaviour is above criticism.
18As far as your responsibility goes, live at peace with everyone.
19Never take vengeance into your own hands, my dear friends: stand back and let God punish if he will. For it is written: Vengeance belongeth unto me: I will recompense, saith the Lord.
20And it is also written: If thine enemy hunger, feed him; If he thirst, give him to drink: For in so doing thou shall heap coals of fire upon his head.
21Don't allow yourself to be overpowered by evil. Take the offensiveoverpower evil with good!