Jesus Is like Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:11-28)NLT

11  So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?
12  And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it.
13  For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests.
14  What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe.
15  This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. 
16  Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 
17  And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

18  Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 

19  For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

20  This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath,
21  but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:  ‘You are a priest forever.’”

22  Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God.

23  There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office.
24  But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever.
25  Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
26  He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.
27  Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.
28  The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.

We Are God’s Ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)NLT

11  Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 

12  Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 

13  If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14  Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 

15  He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

16  So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
17  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18  And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
19  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
20  So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
21  For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Glorify God in Body and Spirit (I Corinthians 6:12-20) NKJV

12  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 
13  Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 
14  And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
15  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 
16  Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 
17  But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18  Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 
19  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 
20  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

The Glory of the New Covenant (2Corinthians 3:7-18) NLT

7    The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. 

8    Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 

9    If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 

10  In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 

11  So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

12  Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
13  We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.
14  But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.
15  Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
16  But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Our Heavenly Dwelling (2 Corinthians 5:1--10) NLT

1    For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 

2    We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 

3    For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 

4    While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 

5    God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

6    So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord.
7    For we live by believing and not by seeing.
8    Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.
9    So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.
10  For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Forgiveness for the Sinner ( II Corinthians 2:5-11) NLT

5    I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 

6    Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 

7    Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 

8    So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

9    I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions.
10  When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit,
11  so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

God Gives Comfort to All (2 Corinthians 1:3-7) NLT

3  All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.
4  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
5  For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
6  Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.
7  We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

Children of God (I John 2:28--29)NIV

28  And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.
29  If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of Him.

Dealing With False Teachers (2 Timothy 2:14-26) TNIV

14  Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
15  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 
16  Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
17  Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
18  who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 
19  Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
20  In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for disposal of refuse. 
21  Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
22  Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 
23  Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
24  And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 
25  Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 
26  and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1-13)NLT

1    Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. 

2    You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

3    Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4    Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.
5    And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules.
6    And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor.
7    Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.
8    Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach.
9    And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained.
10  So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
11  This is a trustworthy saying:  If we die with him, we will also live with him.

12  If we endure hardship, we will reign with him.  If we deny him, he will deny us.
13  If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

Believers Should Stand Firm (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17) NLT

13  As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 

14  He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15  With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.
16  Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,
17  comfort(encourage your heart) you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Warning Against False Doctrines I Timothy 1:4-11 (NLT)

4    Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

5    The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
6    But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.
7    They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.
8    We know that the law is good when used correctly.
9    For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders.
10   The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching
11  that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

Put On the Full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) NLT

10  A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 

11  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 

12  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
14  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
15  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
16  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
17  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18  Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
19  And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.
20  I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

Be Imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1-20)NLT

1    Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 

2    Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3    Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.
4    Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.
5    You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6    Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.
7    Don’t participate in the things these people do.
8    For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
9    For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
10  Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.
11  Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.
12  It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.
13  But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,
14  for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

15  So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 

16  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 

17  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 

18  Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 

19  singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 

20  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Living As Children of Light (Ephesians 4:17-32)NLT

17  With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.

18  Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 

19  They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

20  But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 

21  Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 

22  throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 

23  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 

24  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

25  So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 

26  And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 

27  for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28  If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 

29  Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30  And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 

32  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God (Psalms 34) NKJ

1    I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2    My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3    Oh, magnify the Lord with me,  And let us exalt His name together.

4    I sought the Lord, and He heard me,  And delivered me from all my fears.
5    They looked to Him and were radiant,  And their faces were not ashamed.
6    This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,  And saved him out of all his troubles.
7    The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,  And delivers them.

8    Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;  Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9    Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!  There is no want to those who fear Him.
10  The young lions lack and suffer hunger;  But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

11  Come, you children, listen to me;  I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12  Who is the man who desires life,  And loves many days, that he may see good?
13  Keep your tongue from evil,  And your lips from speaking deceit.
14  Depart from evil and do good;  Seek peace and pursue it.

15  The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,  And His ears are open to their cry.
16  The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,  To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17  The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,  And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18  The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,  And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous,  But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20  He guards all his bones;  Not one of them is broken.
21  Evil shall slay the wicked,  And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22  The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,  And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

One in Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22) NIV

11  Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) —
12  remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
13  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14  For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15  by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
16  and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
17  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 
18  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19  Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 
20  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 
21  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
22  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. 

Now Is the Day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) NIV

1  As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 

2  For he says,  “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”  I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Lawsuits Among Believers and Sexual Immorality (I Corinthians 6) NIV

Lawsuits Among Believers

1    If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 

2    Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 

3    Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 

4    Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 

5    I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 

6    But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!

7    The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
8    Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 
9    Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 
10  nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.


Sexual Immorality

12  “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.
13  You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14  By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 
15  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
16  Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 
17  But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18  Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 
19  Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 
20  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 

The Wisdom of God (I Corinthian 1:18-31) NLT

18  The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 

19  As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

20  So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 

21  Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 

22  It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 

23  So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

24  But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25  This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
26  Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.
27  Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
28  God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.
29  As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
30  God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. ³¹ Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ (Romans 5:12-21) NLT

12  When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 

13  Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 

14  Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 

15  But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 

16  And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 

17  For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

18  Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
19  Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
20  God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.
21  So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Warnings against False Teaching (I Timothy 1:3-11) GNT

3    When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. 

4    Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

5    The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
6    But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.
7    They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.
8    We know that the law is good when used correctly.
9    For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders.
10  The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching
11  that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14) NIV

3    Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4    For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 
5    he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
6    to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 
7    In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
8    that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,
9    he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
10  to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment —to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11  In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12  in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 
13  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 
14  who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.