Changes

"Verily, verily, I say to you, he who rules his own self is greater than he who captures a city. Self-mastery is the measure of man's [[moral]] [[nature]] and the indicator of his [[spirituality|spiritual development]]. In the old order you fasted and prayed; as the new creature of the rebirth of the [[spirit]], you are taught to believe and rejoice. In the Father's kingdom you are to become new [[creatures]]; old things are to pass away; behold I show you how all [[things]] are to become new. And by your [[love]] for one another you are to convince the world that you have passed from bondage to liberty, from death into life everlasting.

"Verily, verily, I say to you, he who rules his own self is greater than he who captures a city. Self-mastery is the measure of man's [[moral]] [[nature]] and the indicator of his [[spirituality|spiritual development]]. In the old order you fasted and prayed; as the new creature of the rebirth of the [[spirit]], you are taught to believe and rejoice. In the Father's kingdom you are to become new [[creatures]]; old things are to pass away; behold I show you how all [[things]] are to become new. And by your [[love]] for one another you are to convince the world that you have passed from bondage to liberty, from death into life everlasting.

"By the old way you seek to suppress, obey, and conform to the rules of living; by the new way you are first transformed by the [[Spirit of Truth]] and thereby strengthened in your inner [[soul]] by the constant spiritual renewing of your [[mind]], and so are you endowed with the [[power]] of the certain and joyous performance of the [[gracious]], acceptable, and perfect will of God. Forget not--it is your [[personal]] [[faith]] in the exceedingly great and precious promises of God that ensures your becoming partakers of the divine nature. Thus by your faith and the spirit's [[transformation]], you become in reality the temples of God, [[and]] his spirit actually dwells within you. If, then, the spirit dwells within you, you are no longer bondslaves of the flesh but free and liberated sons of the spirit. The new law of the spirit endows you with the liberty of self-mastery in place of the old law of the fear of self-bondage and the slavery of self-denial.

"By the old way you seek to suppress, obey, and conform to the rules of living; by the new way you are first transformed by the [[Spirit of Truth]] and thereby strengthened in your inner [[soul]] by the constant spiritual renewing of your [[mind]], and so are you endowed with the [[power]] of the certain and joyous performance of the [[gracious]], acceptable, and perfect will of God. Forget not--it is your [[personal]] [[faith]] in the exceedingly great and precious promises of God that ensures your becoming partakers of the divine nature. Thus by your faith and the spirit's [[transformation]], you become in reality the temples of God, and his spirit actually dwells within you. If, then, the spirit dwells within you, you are no longer bondslaves of the flesh but free and liberated sons of the spirit. The new law of the spirit endows you with the liberty of self-mastery in place of the old law of the fear of self-bondage and the slavery of self-denial.

"Many times, when you have done [[evil]], you have [[thought]] to charge up your [[acts]] to the influence of the evil one when in [[reality]] you have but been led astray by your own natural tendencies. Did not the [[Prophet]] [[Jeremiah]] long ago tell you that the human [[heart]] is deceitful above all [[things]] and sometimes even desperately wicked? How easy for you to become self-deceived and thereby fall into foolish fears, divers lusts, enslaving pleasures, malice, envy, and even vengeful hatred!

"Many times, when you have done [[evil]], you have [[thought]] to charge up your [[acts]] to the influence of the evil one when in [[reality]] you have but been led astray by your own natural tendencies. Did not the [[Prophet]] [[Jeremiah]] long ago tell you that the human [[heart]] is deceitful above all [[things]] and sometimes even desperately wicked? How easy for you to become self-deceived and thereby fall into foolish fears, divers lusts, enslaving pleasures, malice, envy, and even vengeful hatred!