5:1   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.

5:2   I, Paul, promise you that Christ won't do you any good if you get circumcised.

5:3   If you do, you must obey the whole Law.

5:4   And if you try to please God by obeying the Law, you have cut yourself off from Christ and his wonderful kindness.

5:5   But the Spirit makes us sure that God will accept us because of our faith in Christ.

5:6   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.

5:7   You were doing so well until someone made you turn from the truth.

5:8   And that person was certainly not sent by the one who chose you.

5:9   A little yeast can change a whole batch of dough,

5:10   but you belong to the Lord. That makes me certain that you will do what I say, instead of what someone else tells you to do. Whoever is causing trouble for you will be punished.

5:11   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.

5:12   I wish that everyone who is upsetting you would not only get circumcised, but would cut off much more!

5:13   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.

5:14   All that the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself.

5:15   But if you keep attacking each other like wild animals, you had better watch out or you will destroy yourselves.

5:16   If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires.

5:17   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.

5:18   But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.

5:19   People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds.

5:20   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

5:21   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.

5:22   God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful,

5:23   gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.

5:24   And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires.

5:25   God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit.

5:26   But don't be conceited or make others jealous by claiming to be better than they are.