Chosen to Be Free

13My brothers and sisters, you were chosen to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to live in sin. Instead, serve one another in love. 14The whole law can be found in a single command. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)

15You must not keep on biting each other. You must not keep eating each other up. Watch out! You might destroy each other.

Living by the Holy Spirit’s Power

16So I say, live by the Holy Spirit’s power. Then you will not do what your sinful nature wants you to do.

17The sinful nature does not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the sinful nature delights in. The two are at war with each other. That’s what makes you do what you don’t want to do. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law.

19What the sinful nature does is clear. It enjoys sexual sins, impure acts and wild living. 20It worships statues of gods. It also worships evil powers. It is full of hatred and fighting. It is full of jealousy and fits of anger. It is interested only in getting ahead. It stirs up trouble. It separates people into their own little groups. 21It wants what others have. It gets drunk and takes part in wild parties. It does many things of that kind. I warn you now as I did before. People who live like that will not receive God’s kingdom.

22But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful 23and gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind.

24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed their sinful nature to his cross. They don’t want what their sinful nature loves and longs for.

25Since we live by the Spirit, let us march in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become proud. Let us not make each other angry. Let us not want what belongs to others.