Take Up the Cross and Follow Him^(A)

^23 (B)Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross ^[a]daily, and follow Me. ^24 (C)For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

³³ So likewise, whoever of you ^(A)does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

^14 (A)Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, ^(B)without which no one will see the Lord:

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler^(A)

^16 (B)Now behold, one came and said to Him, ^(C)“Good^[a] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

¹⁷ So He said to him, ^[b]“Why do you call Me good? ^[c]No one is ^(D)good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, ^(E)keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, ^(F)“‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ^19 (G)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ^(H)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁰ The young man said to Him, “All these things I have ^(I)kept ^[d]from my youth. What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, ^(J)go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

^48 (A)Therefore you shall be perfect, just ^(B)as your Father in heaven is perfect.

^36 (A)Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ^8 (A)He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, ^(B)that He might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever has been ^(C)born of God does not sin, for ^(D)His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love^(E)

¹⁰ In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

⁹ Whoever has been ^(A)born of God does not sin, for ^(B)His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love^(C)

¹⁰ In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.