For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people,instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age,while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works.
But if we ourselves are also found to be“ sinners” while seeking to be justified by Christ, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not!If I rebuild the system I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law— though I myself am not under the law— to win those under the law.To those who are without that law, like one without the law— not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law— to win those without the law.
For some men, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.
Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God.
