I am he – Day 3

₂₇So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female,

₇At one time you yourselves used to live according to such desires, when your life was dominated by them.

₈But now you must get rid of all these things: anger, passion, and hateful feelings. No insults or obscene talk must ever come from your lips. ₉Do not lie to one another, for you have taken off the old self with its habits ₁₀and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself.

₁₈Avoid immorality. Any other sin a man commits does not affect his body; but the man who is guilty of sexual immorality sins against his own body. ₁₉Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; ₂₀he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory.

₁Israel, the LORD who created you says,

₄The LORD said to me, ₅“I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.”

₆I answered, “Sovereign LORD, I don't know how to speak; I am too young.”

₇But the LORD said to me, “Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say. ₈Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

₂₄Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. ₂₅Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last for ever. ₂₆That is why I run straight for the finishing line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. ₂₇I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.