³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(A)deny himself and ^(B)take up his cross and follow me.

¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire ^(A)when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and ^(B)sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^(A)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(B)serve one another. ¹⁴ For ^(C)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^(D)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you ^(E)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

³ among whom we all once lived in ^(A)the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and ^(B)were by nature ^(C)children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^[a]

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(A)deny himself and ^(B)take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For ^(C)whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.