Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. | It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and refuse to submit again to the yoke of slavery. |
You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace. | Those of you who seek to be justified by the Law have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from grace. |
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For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision amounts to anything, but faith working through love. | Since in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor lack of circumcision is worth anything. All that matters is faith expressing itself through love. |
For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. | Brethren, you were called to freedom. However, make sure that you do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Instead, serve one another in love. |
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” | For the entire Law can be summed up in a single commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” |
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. | Hence, I advise you to be guided by the Spirit, so that you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. |
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. | For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit, and those of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh. They are in conflict with one another, so that you cannot do what you want. |
Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom. | Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you previously, that no one who does such things will inherit the kingdom of God. |
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. | In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. |
If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. | If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. |