Christ Gives Freedom
1 Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again.
2 I, Paul, promise you that Christ won't do you any good if you get circumcised. 3 If you do, you must obey the whole Law. 4 And if you try to please God by obeying the Law, you have cut yourself off from Christ and his gift of undeserved grace. 5 But the Spirit makes us sure God will accept us because of our faith in Christ. 6 If you are a follower of Christ Jesus, it makes no difference whether you are circumcised or not. All that matters is your faith that makes you love others.
7 You were doing so well until someone made you turn from the truth. 8 And that person was certainly not sent by the one who chose you. 9 A little yeast can change a whole batch of dough, 10 but you belong to the Lord. This makes me certain you will do what I say, instead of what someone else tells you to do. Whoever is causing trouble for you will be punished.
11 My friends, if I still preach that people need to be circumcised, why am I in so much trouble? The message about the cross would no longer be a problem, if I told people to be circumcised. 12 I wish everyone who is upsetting you would not only get circumcised, but would cut off much more!
13 My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. 14 All the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself. 15 But if you keep attacking each other like wild animals, you had better watch out or you will destroy yourselves.
God's Spirit and Our Own Desires
16 If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. 17 The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. 18 But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.
19 People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. 20 They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are 21 envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.
22 God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24 And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires. 25 God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. 26 But don't be conceited or make others jealous by claiming to be better than they are.
Kristīgā brīvība
1 Brīvībai Kristus mūs ir atsvabinājis, tad nu pastāviet tajā un neuzņemieties atkal bauslības jūgu. 2 Redzi, es, Pāvils, jums to saku: ja jūs ļaujat sevi apgraizīt, tad Kristus jums neko nepalīdzēs. 3 Un es vēlreiz apliecinu katram, kas apgraizās, – tāds viņš kļūst par parādnieku, kam jāpilda visa bauslība. 4 Jūs, kas gribat bauslībā tikt attaisnoti, esat šķirti no Kristus, jūs esat atkrituši no žēlastības. 5 Bet mēs garā gaidām uz taisnības cerību, kas ir no ticības. 6 Jo Kristū Jēzū neko neiespēj nedz apgraizīšana, nedz neapgraizīšana, bet gan ticība, kas darbojas caur mīlestību.
7 Jūs skrējāt labi; kas gan jūs traucēja paklausīt patiesībai? 8 Šī pierunāšana nenāk no tā, kas jūs aicina. 9 Mazumiņš rauga saraudzē visu mīklu. 10 Es esmu pārliecināts par jums mūsu Kungā, ka jūs vairs neprātosiet neko citu, bet jūsu musinātājs saņems sodu. 11 Brāļi, ja es vēl aizvien sludinu apgraizīšanu, tad kādēļ es tieku vajāts? Tad jau krusts vairs nav par piedauzību. 12 Lai tie, kas jūs musina, kropļo sevi!
13 Bet jūs, brāļi, esat aicināti brīvībai; vienīgi nedodiet vaļu miesas tieksmēm, bet kalpojiet viens otram mīlestībā. 14 Jo visa bauslība ir piepildīta vienā vārdā, un proti: mīli savu tuvāko kā sevi pašu! 15 Ja jūs cits citam kožat un viens otru graužat, pielūkojiet, ka cits citu neaprijat!
Gara auglis un miesas darbi
16 Bet es jums saku: dzīvojiet Garā, tad jūs neļausieties miesas iegribām. 17 Jo miesa iekāro pretēji Garam, bet Gars – pretēji miesai. Tādēļ ka tie abi stāv viens otram pretī, jūs nevarat darīt visu, ko gribat. 18 Ja Gars jūs vada, jūs neesat zem bauslības. 19 Miesas darbi ir skaidri redzami, tie ir: netiklība, nešķīstība, izlaidība, 20 kalpošana elkiem, pūšļošana, ienaids, ķildas, greizsirdība, dusmas, patmīlība, nesaticība, šķeltniecība, 21 skaudība, dzeršana, dzīrošana un tamlīdzīgas lietas, par kurām es jūs tagad brīdinu, tāpat kā jau iepriekš esmu jums sacījis: tie, kas tādas lietas dara, Dieva valstību neiemantos.
22 Bet Gara auglis ir: mīlestība, miers, prieks, izturība, krietnums, labestība, uzticamība, 23 lēnprātība, savaldība. Pret tādām lietām nav bauslības. 24 Tie, kas ir Kristū, ir miesu krustā piesituši kopā ar kaislībām un iekārēm. 25 Ja mēs caur Garu esam dzīvi, tad, Gara vadīti, arī dzīvosim. 26 Nekārosim pēc tukša goda, cits citu izaicinādami un skauzdami.
