This first lesson (in a three-part series) is a compilation of exhortations from three books written by Paul (Romans, I Corinthians, & II Corinthians) on how to live a righteous life for the Lord.

Our lesson today is a simple study coming directly from God's word. Other than a few introductory and concluding statements from me, everything else may be properly attributed to the apostle Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

I have taken dozens of statements from Paul's writings and compiled them below. As the bold text emphasizes, these verses teach us (and remind us - cf. II Pet. 1:13) how to properly live as Christians. Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list, but let me encourage you to meditate upon these various exhortations pertaining to righteous living for the Lord. Once a person develops a penitent faith and is baptized into Christ, this is how he or she should live.

FROM THE BOOK OF ROMANS:

• "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Rom. 6:1,2).
• "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lusts" (Rom. 6:12).
• "For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom. 8:6).
• "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Rom. 8:13).
• "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
• "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9).
• "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (Rom. 12:1-3).
• "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. Therefore 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:9-21).
• "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God" (Rom. 13:1).
• "Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor" (Rom. 13:7).
• "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy" (Rom. 13:13).
• "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things" (Rom. 14:1).
• "For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's" (Rom. 14:8).
• "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way" (Rom. 14:13).
• "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another" (Rom. 14:19).
• "Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification" (Rom. 15:2).
• "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God" (Rom. 15:5-7).
• "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another" (Rom. 15:14).
• "Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you" (Rom. 16:16).
• "Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them" (Rom. 16:17).

FROM THE BOOK OF FIRST CORINTHIANS:

• "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (I Cor. 1:10).
• "Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other" (I Cor. 4:6).
• "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person" (I Cor. 5:11).
• "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" (I Cor. 6:18).
• "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Cor. 6:20).
• "Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control" (I Cor. 7:3-5).
• "But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion" (I Cor. 7:8,9).
• "Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife" (I Cor. 7:10,11).
• "A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord" (I Cor. 7:39).
• "Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble" (I Cor. 8:13).
• "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more" (I Cor. 9:19).
• "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (I Cor. 9:27).
• "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (I Cor. 10:12,13).
• "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" (I Cor. 10:14).
• "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being" (I Cor. 10:24).
• "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31).
• "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (I Cor. 11:1).
• "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body" (I Cor. 11:28,29).
• "That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it" (I Cor. 12:25,26).
• "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails" (I Cor. 13:3-8).
• "Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature" (I Cor. 14:20).
• "Let all things be done decently and in order" (I Cor. 14:40).
• "Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.' Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have this knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame" (I Cor. 15:33,34).
• "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58).
• "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come" (I Cor. 16:1,2).
• "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love" (I Cor. 16:13,14).

FROM THE BOOK OF SECOND CORINTHIANS:

• "For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ" (II Cor. 2:17).
• "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (II Cor. 4:1,2).
• "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake" (II Cor. 4:5).
• "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day" (II Cor. 4:16).
• "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (II Cor. 5:7).
• "Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (II Cor. 5:9,10).
• "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (II Cor. 5:14,15).
• "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (II Cor. 5:17).
• "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?" (II Cor. 6:14).
• "Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you'" (II Cor. 6:17).
• "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 7:1).
• "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death" (II Cor. 7:10).
• "And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God" (II Cor. 8:5).
• "But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also" (II Cor. 8:7).
• "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful given" (II Cor. 9:6,7).
• "While, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men" (II Cor. 9:13).
• "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh" (II Cor. 10:3).
• "But 'he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.' For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends" (II Cor. 10:17,18).
• "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (II Cor. 12:10).
• "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified" (II Cor. 13:5).
• "Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you" (II Cor. 13:11).

In our next feature lesson, we will continue considering exhortations on Christian living from the writings of Paul. Thank you for listening, and may the Lord bless you as you strive to do His will.