¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart ^(A)that form of doctrine to which you were ^[a]delivered. ¹⁸ And ^(B)having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. ^(A)Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ^[a]homosexuals, nor ^[b]sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were ^(B)some of you. ^(C)But you were washed, but you were ^[c]sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

²² For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is ^(A)the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is ^(B)Christ’s slave.

Living Before the World

¹¹ Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts ^(A)which war against the soul, ^12 (B)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(C)they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government^(D)

^13 (E)Therefore submit yourselves to every ^[a]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— ^16 (F)as free, yet not ^(G)using liberty as a cloak for ^[b]vice, but as bondservants of God.