Book of Common Prayer

6 What shall we say then? Shall we keep on doing wrong things so that God will be more kind to us?

² No, surely not! We died to our wrong ways and no longer live in them.

³ All of us have been baptised in water. This means we are joined to Christ Jesus. We were baptised into his death. Do you know that?

⁴ We were buried when he was buried because we were baptised into his death. Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father. So we also must live a new life.

⁵ Have we shared with Christ and died as he died? Then we shall share with him by rising from death as he arose.

⁶ We know this is true. The old person we used to be was nailed to the cross with him, so that our bodies which do wrong things would die. Then we will no longer be like slaves to the wrong things we used to do.

⁷ Anyone who has died no longer does wrong things.

⁸ If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

⁹ We know that Christ was raised from death and will not die again. Death has no power over him any more.

¹⁰ He died. And he died once for all time, so that people would stop their wrong ways. But now he lives. And he lives for God.

¹¹ So you also must think you are dead, and stop your wrong ways. And you must think you are living for God along with Christ Jesus our Lord.

³³ They said to him, `We are Abraham's children. We have always been free. Why do you say to us, "You will be free"?'

³⁴ Jesus answered them, `I tell you the truth. People who do wrong things are not free. They become a slave of the wrong things they do.

³⁵ A slave does not belong to the family for ever. But a son belongs for ever.

³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free.

³⁷ I know that you come from Abraham. But you want to kill me because you do not like what I tell you.

³⁸ I tell you about the things that I have seen where my Father is, and you do what you have seen your father do.'

³⁹ They answered him, `Abraham is our father.' Jesus said, `If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did.

⁴⁰ But you want to kill me because I told you the truth which I learned from God. Abraham did not do that.

⁴¹ You are doing your father's work.' Then they said to him, `We were not born of an unmarried woman. God is the Father of us all.'

⁴² Jesus said to them, `If God were your Father you would love me, because I have come from God. I did not come by my own power. God sent me.

⁴³ Why do you not understand what I say? I will tell you why. It is because you do not want to understand it.

⁴⁴ `The bad spirit, the devil, is your real father. You gladly do the wrong things he wants you to do. From the beginning he killed people. He has nothing to do with what is true. His way is to tell lies. He himself is a liar and all lying comes from him.

⁴⁵ You do not believe me because I tell you what is true.

⁴⁶ Which one of you can prove that what I have done is bad? I tell you what is true. Why then do you not believe me?

⁴⁷ The person who comes from God listens to what God says. You do not come from God. That is why you do not listen to me.'