You,
my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your
freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one
another humbly in love. For the entire law
is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and
devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
So
I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not
gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh
desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the
flesh. They are in conflict with each
other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. But if you are led
by the Spirit, you are not under
the law.
The
acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; idolatry and
witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions and envy;
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I
did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control. Against such things
there is no law. Those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions
and desires. Since we live by
the Spirit, let us keep in step
with the Spirit. Let us not become
conceited, provoking and
envying each other. (Galatians 5:13-26)
