Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,

In any case, we should live up to whatever [truth] we have attained.

If only my ways were committed to keeping Your statutes!

May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.

Let me live, and I will praise You; may Your judgments help me.

For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.

So I discover this principle: when I want to do good, evil is with me.

But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.

For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want.

Fight the good fight for the faith; take hold of eternal life, to which you were called and have made a good confession before many witnesses.

for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body.

Yet the righteous person will hold to his way, and the one whose hands are clean will grow stronger.

The LORD will fulfill [His purpose] for me. LORD, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands.

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.

But when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.

Therefore dear friends, since we have such promises, we should wash ourselves clean from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, making our sanctification complete in the fear of God.

In fact, we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this: your maturity.

for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,

to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,

equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge,

godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

[ For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.] As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God.

[A Davidic psalm. When he was in the Wilderness of Judah.] God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.

My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life.

I long and yearn for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.

for justice will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were dug.

Let us strive to know the LORD. His appearance is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the land.

See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

and is well known for good works-- that is, if she has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints' feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to every good work.

Now you, man of God, run from these things; but pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness-- without it no one will see the Lord.

and he must turn away from evil and do good. He must seek peace and pursue it,

And who will harm you if you are passionate for what is good?

I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

Fight the good fight for the faith; take hold of eternal life, to which you were called and have made a good confession before many witnesses.

The LORD will extend Your mighty scepter from Zion. Rule over Your surrounding enemies.

Your people will volunteer on Your day of battle. In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, the dew of Your youth belongs to You.

As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.

"Who are You, Lord?" he said. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," He replied.

for He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love

But we must always thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.