³³ But ^(A)seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

I Never Knew You^(A)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ^(B)‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who ^(C)does the will of My Father in heaven.

⁹ And ^(A)having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

Doers—Not Hearers Only

²¹ Therefore ^(A)lay aside all filthiness and ^[a]overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, ^(B)which is able to save your souls.

²² But ^(C)be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For ^(D)if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But ^(E)he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, ^(F)this one will be blessed in what he does.

²⁶ If anyone ^[b]among you thinks he is religious, and ^(G)does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. ^27 (H)Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: ^(I)to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, ^(J)and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Living Before God Our Father

¹³ Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ¹⁴ as obedient children, not ^(A)conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; ^15 (B)but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written, ^(C)“Be holy, for I am holy.”

¹⁷ And if you call on the Father, who ^(D)without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your ^[a]stay here in fear; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with ^[b]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but ^(E)with the precious blood of Christ, ^(F)as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ^20 (G)He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was ^[c]manifest ^(H)in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, ^(I)who raised Him from the dead and ^(J)gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Enduring Word

²² Since you ^(K)have purified your souls in obeying the truth ^[d]through the Spirit in ^[e]sincere ^(L)love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,