Light Bearers

¹² Therefore, my beloved, ^(A)as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, ^(B)work out your own salvation with ^(C)fear and trembling; ¹³ for ^(D)it is God who works in you both to will and to do ^(E)for His good pleasure.

^8 (A)For by grace you have been saved ^(B)through faith, and that not of yourselves; ^(C)it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of ^(D)works, lest anyone should ^(E)boast.

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.

³ as His ^(A)divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ^(B)who called us by glory and virtue, ^4 (C)by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be ^(D)partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the ^[a]corruption that is in the world through lust.

Fruitful Growth in the Faith

⁵ But also for this very reason, ^(E)giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue ^(F)knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control ^[b]perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and ^(G)to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither ^[c]barren ^(H)nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these things is ^(I)shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.