Pressing Toward the Goal

¹² Not that I have already ^(A)attained,^[a] or am already ^(B)perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have ^[b]apprehended; but one thing I do, ^(C)forgetting those things which are behind and ^(D)reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ^14 (E)I press toward the goal for the prize of ^(F)the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Therefore let us, as many as are ^(G)mature, ^(H)have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, ^(I)God will reveal even this to you. ¹⁶ Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already ^[c]attained, ^(J)let us walk ^(K)by the same ^[d]rule, let us be of the same mind.

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.

Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood

2 Therefore, ^(A)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ^2 (B)as newborn babes, desire the pure ^(C)milk of the word, that you may grow ^[a]thereby,

The Command to Love

3 Behold ^(A)what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that ^(B)we should be called children of ^[a]God! Therefore the world does not know ^[b]us, ^(C)because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, ^(D)now we are children of God; and ^(E)it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, ^(F)we shall be like Him, for ^(G)we shall see Him as He is. ^3 (H)And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

^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. ¹⁰ For we are ^(F)His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Brought Near by His Blood

¹¹ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called ^(G)the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— ¹² that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one ^(H)new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might ^(I)reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby ^(J)putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For ^(K)through Him we both have access ^(L)by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been ^(M)built ^(N)on the foundation of the ^(O)apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being ^(P)the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into ^(Q)a holy temple in the Lord, ^22 (R)in whom you also are being built together for a ^(S)dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

²² that you ^(A)put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and ^(B)be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you ^(C)put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, ^(A)let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and ^(B)let us run ^(C)with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the ^[a]author and ^[b]finisher of our faith, ^(D)who for the joy that was set before Him ^(E)endured the cross, despising the shame, and ^(F)has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Striving for a Crown

²⁴ Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? ^(A)Run in such a way that you may ^[a]obtain it. ²⁵ And everyone who competes for the prize ^[b]is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for ^(B)an imperishable crown. ²⁶ Therefore I run thus: ^(C)not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ^27 (D)But I discipline my body and ^(E)bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become ^(F)disqualified.

The Good Confession

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.