¹⁴ He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

⁷ God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

¹⁵ But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me^[a] so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.^[b]

⁴ Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power.

Titus and His Companions

¹⁶ But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have.

¹² Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.