1 Peter 2:20

You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.

Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.

Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.

But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need,

What will I give to Yahweh for all his benefits toward me?

Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?

Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.

“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left to another people; but it will break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance;

for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.

Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and rise up, princes, and they shall worship, because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.

Now I beg you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,

Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain,

Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.

Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.

For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

Yes, no one who waits for you will be shamed. They will be shamed who deal treacherously without cause.

Deliver me from all my transgressions. Don’t make me the reproach of the foolish.

So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair. I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

I will bring these to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom that which will not be destroyed.

They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.

Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Now I beg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.

He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,

Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.

Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”

Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He urged him, and he took it.

The priest shall take from the meal offering its memorial, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

so that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did Yahweh’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”

Take reproach and contempt away from me, for I have kept your statutes.

Take away my disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good.

All of your commandments are faithful. They persecute me wrongfully. Help me!

Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;

Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “It’s not wrong,” is a partner with a destroyer.

Just as many were astonished at you— his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men—

To what purpose does frankincense from Sheba come to me, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”

Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known.

Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

“I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

When he had said this, one of the officers standing by slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?”

praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all.

that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,

to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope;

Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth.

but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house. We are his house, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end.

But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear,

For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God.

having a good conscience. Thus, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ.

Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed is Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil. Yahweh has returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to himself as wife.

My friends scoff at me. My eyes pour out tears to God,

Trust in Yahweh, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.

he will make your righteousness shine out like light, and your justice as the noon day sun.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Then they spat in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him,

and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,

for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;

Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let’s have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,

Let’s therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach.

For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil.

she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.

It shall be, if the wicked man is worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down and to be beaten before his face, according to his wickedness, by number.

Let the proud be disappointed, for they have overthrown me wrongfully. I will meditate on your precepts.

If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, “Prophesy!” The officers struck him with the palms of their hands.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place.

proving what is well pleasing to the Lord.

But I have all things and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t fear what they fear, neither be troubled.”

They have testified about your love before the assembly. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a way worthy of God,