There is no condemnation now for those who live in union with Christ Jesus.

God did this so that the righteous demands of the Law might be fully satisfied in us who live according to the Spirit, and not according to human nature.

Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.

So then, my friends, we have an obligation, but it is not to live as our human nature wants us to.

For if you live according to your human nature, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death your sinful actions, you will live.

It is true that we live in the world, but we do not fight from worldly motives.

Marriage is to be honored by all, and husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other.

Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts.

Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God's Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts

They have lost all feeling of shame; they give themselves over to vice and do all sorts of indecent things without restraint.

You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry).

God did not call us to live in immorality, but in holiness.

For some godless people have slipped in unnoticed among us, persons who distort the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways, and who reject Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. Long ago the Scriptures predicted the condemnation they have received.

Remember the angels who did not stay within the limits of their proper authority, but abandoned their own dwelling place: they are bound with eternal chains in the darkness below, where God is keeping them for that great Day on which they will be condemned.

In the same way also, these people have visions which make them sin against their own bodies; they despise God's authority and insult the glorious beings above.

Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they said, "We will not come!

You certainly have not brought us into a fertile land or given us fields and vineyards as our possession, and now you are trying to deceive us. We will not come!"

Anyone who dares to disobey either the judge or the priest on duty is to be put to death; in this way you will remove this evil from Israel.

Then everyone will hear of it and be afraid, and no one else will dare to act in such a way.

They are to say to them, 'Our son is stubborn and rebellious and refuses to obey us; he wastes money and is a drunkard.'

Then the men of the city are to stone him to death, and so you will get rid of this evil. Everyone in Israel will hear what has happened and be afraid.

But some worthless people said, "How can this fellow do us any good?" They despised Saul and did not bring him any gifts.

There happened to be in Gilgal a worthless character named Sheba son of Bikri, of the tribe of Benjamin. He blew the trumpet and called out, "Down with David! We won't follow him! Men of Israel, let's go home!"

When the people saw that the king would not listen to them, they shouted, "Down with David and his family! What have they ever done for us? People of Israel, let's go home! Let Rehoboam look out for himself !" So the people of Israel rebelled,

Why do the nations plan rebellion? Why do people make their useless plots?

"Let us free ourselves from their rule," they say; "let us throw off their control."

Then he warns them in anger and terrifies them with his fury.

"With our words we get what we want. We will say what we wish, and no one can stop us."

People of Israel, listen to what I am saying. Have I been like a desert to you, like a dark and dangerous land? Why, then, do you say that you will do as you please, that you will never come back to me?

Now, his own people hated him, and so they sent messengers after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

Everyone must obey state authorities, because no authority exists without God's permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God.

For rulers are not to be feared by those who do good, but by those who do evil. Would you like to be unafraid of those in authority? Then do what is good, and they will praise you,

For this reason you must obey the authorities---not just because of God's punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.

For the sake of the Lord submit yourselves to every human authority: to the Emperor, who is the supreme authority,

and to the governors, who have been appointed by him to punish the evildoers and to praise those who do good.

But any who sin deliberately, whether they are natives or foreigners, are guilty of treating the LORD with contempt, and they shall be put to death,

In the same way also, these people have visions which make them sin against their own bodies; they despise God's authority and insult the glorious beings above.

I will not join in their secret talks, Nor will I take part in their meetings, For they killed people in anger And they crippled bulls for sport.

For since a church leader is in charge of God's work, he should be without fault. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered, or a drunkard or violent or greedy for money.

"Do not speak evil of God, and do not curse a leader of your people.

Stupid people are given positions of authority while the rich are ignored.

I have seen slaves on horseback while noblemen go on foot like slaves.

Don't criticize the king, even silently, and don't criticize the rich, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird might carry the message and tell them what you said.

Paul answered, "My fellow Israelites, I did not know that he was the High Priest. The scripture says, 'You must not speak evil of the ruler of your people.' "

In the same way also, these people have visions which make them sin against their own bodies; they despise God's authority and insult the glorious beings above.

But these people attack with insults anything they do not understand; and those things that they know by instinct, like wild animals, are the very things that destroy them.