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But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image. (vv. 16-18, NLT)

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. (vv. 3-7, NLT)

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed in to bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O, death, where is your sting?’

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law give sing its power. But thank God! He give us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (vv. 51-58, NLT)

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit give the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit give great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit give the gift of healing. He give one person the power to perform miracles, and an other the gift to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. (vv. 7-11, NLT)

So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgement on tis point. My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord Himself who will examine me and decide.

So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time – before the Lord returns. For He will bring our our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due. (vv. 1-5, NLT)

Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something it if makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep in mind it is between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if yo have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. (vv. 20-23, NLT)

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge in your evil desires. (vv. 11-14, NLT)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living, holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship HIm. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this wold, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (vv. 1-2, NLT)

For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of it’s commands. But faith’s ay of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?'(to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to lift again).” In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”

And that message is the very message about faith and what we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believer in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who give generously to all who call on Him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (vv. 5-13, NLT)

And I am convinced that nothing can every separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above nor in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (vv 38-39, NLT)