1Christ has given us freedom and set us free. So stand firm, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Take notice! I, Paul, tell you that if you become circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the entire law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have alienated yourselves from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await the hope of righteousness through the Spirit. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything. The only thing that counts is faith working through love.
has given us freedom and set us free. So stand firm, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Take notice! I, Paul, tell you that if you become circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the entire law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have alienated yourselves from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await the hope of righteousness through the Spirit. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything. The only thing that counts is faith working through love.
7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from Him who called you. 9 “A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough”. 10 I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not take any other stance. The one who is bringing you to confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he is. 11 Brothers, if I still preach circumcision, while am I being persecuted? 12 I wish those agitators who are disturbing you would emasculate themselves!
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. 14 For the entire law is summed up in a single command: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out or you will be consumed by one another.
16 So I say: Walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh. These are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20 Idolatry, and sorcery; hatred, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 and envy; drunkenness, revelries, and other such things. I am warning you, as I also did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.