Galatians 6:1-18

My beloved friends, if you see a believer who is overtaken with a fault, the one who is in the Spirit should seek to restore him in the Spirit of gentleness. But keep watch over your own heart so that you won’t be tempted to exalt yourself over him. Love empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles. If you think you are somebody too important to stoop down to help another (when really you are not), you are living in deception. Let everyone be devoted to fulfill the work God has given them to do with excellence, and their joy will be in doing what’s right and being themselves, and not in being affirmed by others. Every believer is ultimately responsible for his or her own conscience. And those who are taught the Word must share all good things with their teacher. God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest. The harvest you reap reveals the seed that you planted. If you plant the corrupt seeds of self-life into this natural realm, you can expect a harvest of corruption. If you plant the good seeds of Spirit-life you will reap beautiful fruits that grow from the everlasting life of the Spirit. And don’t allow yourselves to be weary in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming! Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith! I’ve written this letter to you with my own handwriting—see how large I have to make the letters? All those who insist that you be circumcised are recruiting you so they can boast in their own achievement. They seek to avoid the persecution that comes with preaching the liberating message of the cross of Messiah! Not even those who are circumcised keep every detail of the written law. Yet they push you to be circumcised so that they can boast that you have become like them. May my only boast be found in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In him I have been crucified to this natural realm; and the natural realm is dead to me and no longer dominates my life. Whether a man is circumcised or uncircumcised is meaningless to me. What really matters is the transforming power of this new creation life. And all those who live in agreement with this standard will have true peace and God’s delight, for they are the Israel of God. From now on, let no one cause me to suffer further, for I am carrying the very scars of our Lord Jesus in my body. Finally my beloved ones—may the wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, be flowing in your spirit. So shall it be!