Follow the Spirit

5 ^(A)It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore ^(B)keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a ^(C)yoke of slavery.

² Look! I, ^(D)Paul, tell you that if you have yourselves ^(E)circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ And I ^(F)testify again to every man who has himself ^(G)circumcised, that he is obligated to ^(H)keep the whole Law. ⁴ You have been severed from Christ, you who ^[a]are seeking to be justified by the ^[b]Law; you have ^(I)fallen from grace. ⁵ For we, ^[c]through the Spirit, ^[d]by faith, are ^(J)waiting for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in ^(K)Christ Jesus ^(L)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but ^(M)faith working through love.

⁷ You were ^(N)running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion did not come from ^(O)Him who calls you. ^9 (P)A little ^[e]leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. ^10 (Q)I have confidence ^[f]in you in the Lord, that you ^(R)will adopt no other view; but the one who is ^(S)disturbing you will bear the punishment, whoever he is. ¹¹ But as for me, brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still ^(T)persecuted? Then ^(U)the stumbling block of the cross has been eliminated. ¹² I wish that ^(V)those who are troubling you would even ^[g](W)emasculate themselves.

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

¹⁶ But I say, ^(AD)walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out ^(AE)the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(AF)the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, ^(AG)in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are ^(AH)led by the Spirit, ^(AI)you are not under the Law. ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: ^(AJ)sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, ²⁰ idolatry, ^(AK)witchcraft, hostilities, ^(AL)strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, ^(AM)selfish ambition, dissensions, ^(AN)factions, ²¹ envy, ^(AO)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 ^(AP)inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But ^(AQ)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(AR)love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, ^(AS)self-control; against such things ^(AT)there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who ^[h]belong to ^(AU)Christ Jesus ^(AV)crucified the flesh with its passions and ^(AW)desires.

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

Bear One Another’s Burdens

6 ^(A)Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are ^(B)spiritual are to ^(C)restore such a person ^(D)in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. ^2 (E)Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill ^(F)the law of Christ. ³ For ^(G)if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But each one must ^(H)examine his own work, and then he will have reason for ^(I)boasting, but ^[a]to himself alone, and not ^[b]to another. ⁵ For ^(J)each one will bear his own load.

^6 (K)The one who is taught ^(L)the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. ^7 (M)Do not be deceived, ^(N)God is not mocked; for ^(O)whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. ^8 (P)For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap ^(Q)destruction from the flesh, but ^(R)the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. ^9 (S)Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we ^(T)do not become weary. ¹⁰ So then, ^[c](U)while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the ^(V)household of ^(W)the faith.

¹¹ See with what large letters I have written to you ^(X)with my own hand! ¹² All who want ^(Y)to make a good showing in the flesh try to ^(Z)compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they ^(AA)will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For those who ^[d]are circumcised do not even ^(AB)keep ^[e]the Law themselves, but they want to have you circumcised so that they may ^(AC)boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But ^(AD)[f]far be it from me to boast, ^(AE)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(AF)through ^[g]which the world has been crucified to me, and ^(AG)I to the world. ¹⁵ For ^(AH)neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a ^(AI)new ^[h]creation. ¹⁶ And all who will follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the ^(AJ)Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the ^[i](AK)marks of Jesus.

^18 (AL)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^(AM)with your spirit, ^(AN)brothers and sisters. Amen.

The Blessings of Redemption

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of ^(B)Christ Jesus ^[a](C)by the will of God,

To the ^[b](D)saints who are ^[c]at ^(E)Ephesus and ^(F)are faithful in ^(G)Christ Jesus: ^2 (H)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^3 (I)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in ^(J)the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as ^(K)He chose us in Him before ^(L)the foundation of the world, that we would be ^(M)holy and blameless before ^[d]Him. ^(N)In love ^5 [e]He ^(O)predestined us to ^(P)adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, ^(Q)according to the good pleasure of His will, ^6 (R)to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in ^(S)the Beloved. ^7 (T)In ^[f]Him we have ^(U)redemption ^(V)through His blood, the ^(W)forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to ^(X)the riches of His grace ⁸ which He ^[g]lavished on ^[h]us. In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He ^[i](Y)made known to us the mystery of His will, ^(Z)according to His good pleasure which He ^(AA)set forth in Him, ¹⁰ regarding His plan of ^(AB)the fullness of the times, ^(AC)to bring all things together in Christ, things ^[j]in the heavens and things on the earth. ^11 [k]In Him we also ^(AD)have obtained an inheritance, having been ^(AE)predestined ^(AF)according to the purpose of Him who works all things ^(AG)in accordance with the plan of His will, ¹² to the end that ^[l]we who were the first to hope in the ^[m]Christ would be ^(AH)to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In ^[n]Him, ^[o]you also, after listening to ^(AI)the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also ^[p]believed, you were ^(AJ)sealed in ^[q]Him with ^(AK)the Holy Spirit of the promise, ¹⁴ who is a ^(AL)first installment of ^(AM)our inheritance, in regard to the ^(AN)redemption of ^(AO)God’s own possession, ^(AP)to the praise of His glory.

¹⁵ For this reason I too, ^(AQ)having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and ^[r]your love for ^(AR)all the ^[s]saints, ^16 (AS)do not cease giving thanks for you, ^(AT)while making mention of you in my prayers; ¹⁷ that the ^(AU)God of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(AV)the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of ^(AW)wisdom and of ^(AX)revelation in the ^[t]knowledge of Him. ¹⁸ I pray that ^(AY)the eyes of your heart ^[u]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the ^(AZ)hope of His ^(BA)calling, what are ^(BB)the riches of the glory of ^(BC)His inheritance in ^(BD)the ^[v]saints, ¹⁹ and what is the ^[w]boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. ^(BE)These are in accordance with the working of the ^(BF)strength of His might ²⁰ which He brought about in Christ, when He ^(BG)raised Him from the dead and ^(BH)seated Him at His right hand in ^(BI)the heavenly places, ²¹ far above ^(BJ)all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every ^(BK)name that is named, not only in ^(BL)this age but also in the one to come. ²² And He ^(BM)put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him ^(BN)head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His ^(BO)body, the ^(BP)fullness of Him who ^(BQ)fills ^(BR)all in all.