The Christian’s Walk

^17 (A)So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, ^(B)that you are to no longer walk just as the ^[a]Gentiles also walk, in the ^(C)futility of their minds, ¹⁸ being ^(D)darkened in their understanding, ^[b](E)excluded from the life of God because of the ^(F)ignorance that is in them, because of the ^(G)hardness of their heart; ¹⁹ and they, having ^(H)become callous, ^(I)have given themselves up to ^(J)indecent behavior ^[c]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ²⁰ But you did not ^(K)learn Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you ^(L)have heard Him and have ^(M)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ²² that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to ^(N)rid yourselves of the ^(O)old ^[d]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the ^(P)lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you are to be ^(Q)renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to ^(R)put on the ^(S)new ^[e]self, which ^[f](T)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, ^(U)ridding yourselves of falsehood, ^(V)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are ^(W)parts of one another. ^26 (X)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not ^(Y)give the devil ^[g]an opportunity.

^44 (A)You are of ^(B)your father the devil, and ^(C)you want to do the desires of your father. ^(D)He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because ^(E)there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells ^[a]a lie, he ^(F)speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of ^[b]lies.

¹⁶ For ^(A)who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But ^(B)we have the mind of Christ.

⁷ Therefore do not become ^(A)partners with them; ⁸ for ^(B)you were once ^(C)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as ^(D)children of light

⁵ For ^(A)if we have become ^[a]united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be ^[b]in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our ^(B)old ^[c]self was ^(C)crucified with Him, in order that our ^(D)body of sin might be ^[d]done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for ^(E)the one who has died is ^[e]freed from sin.

² And do not ^(A)be conformed to ^(B)this ^[a]world, but be transformed by the ^(C)renewing of your mind, so that you may ^[b](D)prove what the will of God is, that which is good and ^[c]acceptable and perfect.

¹³ for it is ^(A)God who is at work in you, both to ^[a]desire and to work ^(B)for His good pleasure.

¹² For ^(A)the word of God is ^(B)living and ^(C)active, and sharper than any two-edged ^(D)sword, even penetrating as far as the division of ^(E)soul and ^(F)spirit, of both joints and marrow, and ^(G)able to ^[a]judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

¹³ For this reason we also constantly ^(A)thank God that when you received the ^(B)word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it ^(C)not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, ^(D)which also is at work in you who believe.