Readings for Lent and Easter

⁸ You love him even though you have not seen him. You trust him even though you do not see him. And so you are very happy. No words can tell how happy you are. Your joy is very great.

⁹ God will reward you because you have believed. You will then be fully saved.

¹⁰ The prophets of God long ago told about this way of being saved. They tried to find out about it and asked much about it. They spoke words from God telling about the blessing God would give you.

¹¹ The Spirit of Christ in them showed them that Christ would have troubles and after that he would be great. They tried to find out when these things would happen or how things would be when they did happen.

¹² The Spirit showed them that they told these things not for themselves, but for you. And now the men who told you the good news have told you these same things. They spoke by the power of the Holy Spirit who was sent from heaven. Even the angels wanted very much to know about these things.

¹³ So think clearly. Keep awake. When Jesus Christ comes, he will bring you blessing. Set all your hope on that.

¹⁴ Be children who obey. Do not be like what you were before you knew Christ. Then you did anything you wanted to do.

¹⁵ But be holy in all the things you do. Be holy because the one who has called you is holy.

¹⁶ God says in the holy writings, `You must be holy, because I am holy.'

¹⁷ You call God your Father. He does not think one man is better than another. He judges everyone by what he has done. So then you must fear him as you live your life here on earth.