Titus 3:1-11 (NIV)

Saved in Order to Do Good

3:1Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do
whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle
toward everyone.

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and
pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness
and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done,
but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been
justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy
saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful
to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law,
because these are unprofitable and useless. 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a
second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. 11 You may be sure that such people are
warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.

Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

Life by the Spirit

5:13You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the
flesh [a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Footnotes:

a Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of
human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit

Matthew 18:15-19 (NIV)

Dealing With Sin in the Church

18:15“If your brother or sister [a] sins, [b] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If
they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along,
so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ [c] 17 If they still
refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you
would a pagan or a tax collector.

18“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be [d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be [e] loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done
for them by my Father in heaven.

Footnotes:

a Matthew 18:15 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple,
whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35.
b Matthew 18:15 Some manuscripts sins against you
c Matthew 18:16 Deut. 19:15
d Matthew 18:18 Or will have been
e Matthew 18:18 Or will have been

1 Corinthians 6 (NIV)
Lawsuits Among Believers
6:1If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment
instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?
And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know
that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes
about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I
say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute
between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!

7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already.
Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do
wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor
adulterers nor men who have sex with men [a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor
slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But
you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by
the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do
anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach
for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but
for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will
raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take
the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites
himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” [b] 17
But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. [c]

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever
sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the
Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were
bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Footnotes:
 a 1 Corinthians 6:9 The words men who have sex with men translate two Greek words that refer
to the passive and active participants in homosexual acts.
b 1 Corinthians 6:16 Gen. 2:24
c 1 Corinthians 6:17 Or in the Spirit

James 4:1-10 (NIV)

Submit Yourselves to God
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within
4:1
you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you
quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive,
because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

4 You adulterous people, [a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?
Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you
think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us
[b]? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.” [c]

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and
he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble
yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Footnotes:

a James 4:4 An allusion to covenant unfaithfulness; see Hosea 3:1.

b James 4:5 Or that the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely; or that the Spirit he
caused to dwell in us longs jealously
c James 4:6 Prov. 3:34