Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.(A) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a];(B) rather, serve one another(C) humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b](D) 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit,(E) and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.(F) 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.(G) They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want.(H) 18 But if you are led by the Spirit,(I) you are not under the law.(J)

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,(K) impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.(L) I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.(M)

22 But the fruit(N) of the Spirit is love,(O) joy, peace,(P) forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.(Q) Against such things there is no law.(R) 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh(S) with its passions and desires.(T) 25 Since we live by the Spirit,(U) let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited,(V) provoking and envying each other.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
  2. Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
  3. Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. (A)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love (B)serve one another. 14 For (C)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: (D)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you (E)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

16 But I say, (F)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify (G)the desires of the flesh. 17 For (H)the 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, (I)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are (J)led by the Spirit, (K)you are not under the law. 19 Now (L)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, (M)divisions, 21 envy,[a] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that (N)those who do[b] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But (O)the fruit of the Spirit is (P)love, joy, peace, patience, (Q)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 (R)gentleness, (S)self-control; (T)against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus (U)have crucified the flesh with its (V)passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, (W)let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 (X)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:21 Some manuscripts add murder
  2. Galatians 5:21 Or make a practice of doing

13 For you were called to (A)freedom, brothers and sisters; (B)only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but (C)serve one another through love. 14 For (D)the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “(E)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you (F)bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, (G)walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out (H)the desire of the flesh. 17 For (I)the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, (J)in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. 18 But if you are (K)led by the Spirit, (L)you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: (M)sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, 20 idolatry, (N)witchcraft, hostilities, (O)strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, (P)selfish ambition, dissensions, (Q)factions, 21 envy, (R)drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not (S)inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But (T)the fruit of the Spirit is (U)love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, (V)self-control; against such things (W)there is no law. 24 Now those who [a]belong to (X)Christ Jesus (Y)crucified the flesh with its passions and (Z)desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow (AA)the Spirit as well. 26 Let’s not become (AB)boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:24 Lit are of Christ Jesus

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only (A)do not use liberty as an (B)opportunity for the flesh, but (C)through love serve one another. 14 For (D)all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: (E)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Walking in the Spirit

16 I say then: (F)Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For (G)the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, (H)so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But (I)if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now (J)the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that (K)those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But (L)the fruit of the Spirit is (M)love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, (N)goodness, (O)faithfulness, 23 [d]gentleness, self-control. (P)Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s (Q)have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 (R)If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 (S)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:19 NU omits adultery
  2. Galatians 5:19 sexual immorality
  3. Galatians 5:21 NU omits murders
  4. Galatians 5:23 meekness

13-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are contrary to each other, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

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19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.

22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

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