¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and ^(A)he who abides in love abides in God, and God ^(B)in him.

The Greatest Gift

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of ^(A)prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, ^(B)so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And ^(C)though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body ^[a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

^4 (D)Love suffers long and is ^(E)kind; love ^(F)does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not ^[b]puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, ^(G)does not seek its own, is not provoked, ^[c]thinks no evil; ^6 (H)does not rejoice in iniquity, but ^(I)rejoices in the truth; ^7 (J)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ^9 (K)For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is ^[d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For ^(L)now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then ^(M)face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Free from Indwelling Sin

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, ^(A)who^[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, ^(A)“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have ^[a]refused him. ^(B)For^[b] the Lord does not see as man sees; for man ^(C)looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the ^(D)heart.”

^25 (A)Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you ^(B)from all your filthiness and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a ^(C)new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ I will put My ^(D)Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

^33 (A)But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: ^(B)I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their ^[a]hearts; ^(C)and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone ^(A)is in Christ, he is ^(B)a new creation; ^(C)old things have passed away; behold, all things have become ^(D)new.

²⁸ Come to ^(A)Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you ^(B)and learn from Me, for I am ^[a]gentle and ^(C)lowly in heart, ^(D)and you will find rest for your souls. ^30 (E)For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun ^(A)a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;