Christ Has Set Us Free
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For 1freedom Christ has 2set us free; 3stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to 4a yoke of 5slavery.
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Look: I, Paul, say to you that 6if you accept circumcision, 7Christ will be of no advantage to you.
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I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that 8he is obligated to keep the whole law.
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You are 9severed from Christ, 10you who would be justifieda by the law; 11you have fallen away from grace.
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For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly 12wait for the hope of righteousness.
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For in Christ Jesus 13neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but 14only faith working through love.
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This persuasion is not from 17him who calls you.
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18A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
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19I have confidence in the Lord that you will 20take no other view than mine, and 21the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.
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But if I, brothers,b still preachc circumcision, 22why am I still being persecuted? In that case 23the offense of the cross has been removed.
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I wish 24those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
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For you were called to freedom, brothers. 25Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love 26serve one another.
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But if you 29bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Walk by the Spirit
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For 32the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, 33to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
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Now 36the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
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idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, 37divisions,
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envy,d drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that 38those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
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But 39the fruit of the Spirit is 40love, joy, peace, patience, 41kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
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If we live by the Spirit, 47let us also walk by the Spirit.
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48Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)