We have not received this world's spirit; instead, we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us.

Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.

But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ's victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance.

The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

But God in his grace chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve him. And when he decided

to reveal his Son to me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the Gentiles, I did not go to anyone for advice,

He is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God's wisdom and knowledge.

And he also wanted to reveal his abundant glory, which was poured out on us who are the objects of his mercy, those of us whom he has prepared to receive his glory.

How great are God's riches! How deep are his wisdom and knowledge! Who can explain his decisions? Who can understand his ways?

For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God,

and ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him.

I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people,

I am less than the least of all God's people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ,

in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs.

As a result, there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians, savages, slaves, and free, but Christ is all, Christ is in all.

No one will say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!'; because the Kingdom of God is within you."

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them.

He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you.

When that day comes, you will know that I am in my Father and that you are in me, just as I am in you.

Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and my Father and I will come to them and live with them.

He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit.

Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one:

I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me.

I made you known to them, and I will continue to do so, in order that the love you have for me may be in them, and so that I also may be in them."

But if Christ lives in you, the Spirit is life for you because you have been put right with God, even though your bodies are going to die because of sin.

Surely you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you!

How can God's temple come to terms with pagan idols? For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said, "I will make my home with my people and live among them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.

My dear children! Once again, just like a mother in childbirth, I feel the same kind of pain for you until Christ's nature is formed in you.

In union with him you too are being built together with all the others into a place where God lives through his Spirit.

and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love,

But you belong to God, my children, and have defeated the false prophets, because the Spirit who is in you is more powerful than the spirit in those who belong to the world.

Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me.

When the true message, the Good News, first came to you, you heard about the hope it offers. So your faith and love are based on what you hope for, which is kept safe for you in heaven.

And so I am thankful and glad, and I feel completely secure,

You will show me the path that leads to life; your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever.

He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God's glory!

I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children.

And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble.

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by order of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope---

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope,

and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away.