So if someone cleanses himself of such behavior, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

However, without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your good deed would not be out of compulsion, but from your own willingness.

Dear friend, do not imitate what is bad but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does what is bad has not seen God.

The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart.

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it would be shown to be sin, produced death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it.

even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling) –

Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

(for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation,

for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.

Your obedience is known to all and thus I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.