Bible verses about "temperance" | AUV

¹⁶ Do you people not know that you are God’s Temple [i.e., the church. See I Pet. 2:5; I Tim. 3:15], and that the Holy Spirit of God lives in you [i.e., collectively]? ¹⁷ If any person destroys God’s Temple, God will destroy him. For God’s Temple is holy [i.e., set apart for His service], and you people are His [holy] Temple.

³ And not only this, but we also rejoice in our troubles, knowing that [experiencing] troubles produces endurance; ⁴ and endurance [produces God’s] approval; and [His] approval [produces] hope. ⁵ And [having such] hope keeps us from being disappointed, because God’s love [for us] has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us [by God]. ⁶ For while we were still helpless, at [just] the proper time, Christ died for ungodly people.

⁹ Or, do you not know that evil people will not possess God’s kingdom? Do not be misled: neither will sexually immoral people, nor idolaters, nor those who are sexually unfaithful to their mates, nor homosexual perverts. [Note: The Greek uses two words here, denoting both the passive and active partners in male homosexual acts]. ¹⁰ And neither will thieves, nor greedy people, nor drunkards, nor abusive talkers, nor swindlers possess God’s kingdom. ¹¹ And some of you have practiced such things, but you were washed [i.e., from your sins. See Acts 22:16]; you were dedicated [i.e., set apart for God’s service]; you were made right with God in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Holy Spirit of our God.

²⁵ And everyone who [strenuously] competes in athletic events exercises self-control during training. Now they do this to receive a laurel wreath that withers, but we [do it to receive] a lasting crown.

¹⁶ But, I am saying to you, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit’s [desire for you] and [then] you will not [always] be giving in to the wrong desires of your body.

¹³ I can do everything through Christ, who gives me the strength.

¹ Loved ones, do not believe [the message of] every spirit [i.e., every person claiming to be a teacher], but test the spirits [i.e., require proof that they and their message are genuine] to see whether they represent God [or not], because many false prophets have begun circulating throughout the world. ² Here is how to know [who is speaking from] the Holy Spirit of God: Every spirit [i.e., person] who proclaims that Jesus Christ has come [to earth] in a physical body is [speaking] from God. [See I Cor. 12:3]. ³ But every spirit who does not proclaim [this truth about] Jesus is not [speaking] from God. And this [person] represents the spirit of the antichrist [See 2:18-22; II John 7], whom you have heard would come. Well, now he is already here! ⁴ [But], you people are [followers] of God, little children [i.e., dear ones], and you have overcome them [i.e., these false teachers] because He who is in your lives [i.e., the Holy Spirit, See 3:24] is greater [i.e., more powerful] than he who is in [i.e., dominates] the world [i.e., Satan. See II Cor. 4:4]. ⁵ These [false teachers] are part of the world, so [naturally] they speak [a message endorsed] by the world and the world listens to them. ⁶ We [who preach the true Gospel] represent God; the person who knows God listens to our message; the one who does not belong to God does not listen to us. This is how we can know [the difference between those speaking by] the Holy Spirit of truth and [those speaking by] the spirit of [Satan’s] error. ⁷ Loved ones, we should have love for one another, because love comes from [the very nature of] God, and every person who [continually] loves [others] has been [spiritually] conceived by God [See 2:29; 3:9], and knows [he is in fellowship with] God. ⁸ The person who does not love [others] does not know God [as Savior], for [the very nature of] God is love. ⁹ Here is the way God’s love for us was demonstrated; He sent His one and only Son into the world so that we could have [spiritual] life through Him. ¹⁰ Here is [the essence of] love: [It is] not that we loved God [first], but that He loved us [See Rom. 5:6-8] and sent His Son to be a “covering over” [i.e., atonement, 2:2] for our sins. ¹¹ Loved ones, if God loved us that much, we should also love one another. ¹² No person has gazed upon God [at any time]; [but] if we love one another, God [continually] lives in our hearts, and His love is made complete within us. ¹³ This is [one way] to know we live in [fellowship with] God and that He lives in our hearts: [It is] because He has given us His Holy Spirit [to live within us, See 3:24]. ¹⁴ And we [apostles] have seen and are [reliable] witnesses that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world [See 1:2; 2:2]. ¹⁵ Whoever proclaims that Jesus is the Son of God, God [continually] lives in that person’s heart, and he lives in [fellowship with] God [See 2:23]. ¹⁶ And we have known [with certainty] and have believed [with assurance] that God has truly loved us. God’s [very nature] is love and the person who [continually] loves [Him and others] lives in [fellowship with] God [continually], and God [continually] lives in that person’s heart. ¹⁷ Here is what a complete love will do for us: It will give us boldness in [facing] the judgment day, because the way Jesus acts [regarding love] is the way we should act [while] in this world. ¹⁸ There is no [reason for] fear if one [really] loves, but a complete love removes fear [from us] because fear produces punishment [i.e., mental anxiety], and the person who is [always] afraid does not have a complete love. ¹⁹ We love [God and others] because God has first loved us. ²⁰ If a person says, “I love God,” yet [in reality] hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot [possibly] love God, whom he has never seen. ²¹ And this is the [greatest] commandment [See Matt. 2:37-38] we have received from Him: [It requires] that the person who [claims to] love God should also love his brother.

¹ So, I urge you, brothers, because God is so merciful [to us], to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, [fully] dedicated and very pleasing to God. For this is a reasonable [or spiritual] way for you to worship [or serve] Him. ² And you people must not be conformed to [the values and standards of] this age, but you should become transformed [i.e., changed in attitude and action] by having your mind renewed [i.e., to think in a totally different way]. Then you will be able to determine [and practice] God’s will, the thing that is good, and acceptable and perfect.

¹⁴ But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not make any plans for satisfying the strong desires of your flesh [i.e., your appetites for sinful pleasures].

⁸ Be sensible and alert; your enemy the devil is prowling around like a roaring [i.e., hungry] lion looking for someone to [kill and] eat.

²² But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against [practicing] these things. ²⁴ And those persons who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified [i.e., put out of their lives, Col. 3:4ff] the sinful cravings of the body, along with their passionate desires. ²⁵ If we live by the [guidance of the] Holy Spirit, we should also walk in [the ways of] the Holy Spirit.

⁶ and knowledge along with your goodness, and self-control along with your knowledge, and endurance along with your self-control, and godliness along with your endurance,

²⁷ But I work out and get my body in shape [i.e., spiritually], so that after preaching to other people, I myself do not become disqualified [i.e., for winning the prize from God. See verse 24].

¹² It instructs us to give up ungodly living and worldly desires and to live sensible, righteous and godly lives in this present age,

²³ gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against [practicing] these things.