Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort?

But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you,

But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now.

But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity,

For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

to reveal his Son in me so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from any human being,

and though my physical condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God, as though I were Christ Jesus himself!

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.

Those who want to make a good showing in external matters are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh.

yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.