Galatians:4-6
Seeker Overlay ON
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Now I say ,
That the heir ,
as long as he is a child ,
differeth nothing from a servant ,
though he be lord of all ;
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But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father .
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Even so we ,
when we were children ,
were in bondage under the elements of the world :
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But when the fulness of the time was come ,
God sent forth his Son ,
made of a woman ,
made under the law ,
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To redeem them that were under the law ,
that we might receive the adoption of sons .
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And because ye are sons ,
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts ,
crying ,
Abba ,
Father .
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Wherefore thou art no more a servant ,
but a son ;
and if a son ,
then an heir of God through Christ .
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Howbeit then ,
when ye knew not God ,
ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods .
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But now ,
after that ye have known God ,
or rather are known of God ,
how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements ,
whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage ?
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Ye observe days ,
and months ,
and times ,
and years .
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I am afraid of you ,
lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain .
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Brethren ,
I beseech you ,
be as I am ;
for I am as ye are :
ye have not injured me at all .
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Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first .
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And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not ,
nor rejected ;
but received me as an angel of God ,
even as Christ Jesus .
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Where is then the blessedness ye spake of ?
for I bear you record ,
that ,
if it had been possible ,
ye would have plucked out your own eyes ,
and have given them to me .
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Am I therefore become your enemy ,
because I tell you the truth ?
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They zealously affect you ,
but not well ;
yea ,
they would exclude you ,
that ye might affect them .
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But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing ,
and not only when I am present with you .
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My little children ,
of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you ,
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I desire to be present with you now ,
and to change my voice ;
for I stand in doubt of you .
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Tell me ,
ye that desire to be under the law ,
do ye not hear the law ?
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For it is written ,
that Abraham had two sons ,
the one by a bondmaid ,
the other by a freewoman .
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But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh ;
but he of the freewoman was by promise .
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Which things are an allegory :
for these are the two covenants ;
the one from the mount Sinai ,
which gendereth to bondage ,
which is Agar .
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For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia ,
and answereth to Jerusalem which now is ,
and is in bondage with her children .
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But Jerusalem which is above is free ,
which is the mother of us all .
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For it is written ,
Rejoice ,
thou barren that bearest not ;
break forth and cry ,
thou that travailest not :
for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband .
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Now we ,
brethren ,
as Isaac was ,
are the children of promise .
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But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit ,
even so it is now .
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Nevertheless what saith the scripture ?
Cast out the bondwoman and her son :
for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman .
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So then ,
brethren ,
we are not children of the bondwoman ,
but of the free .
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Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free ,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage .
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Behold ,
I Paul say unto you ,
that if ye be circumcised ,
Christ shall profit you nothing .
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For I testify again to every man that is circumcised ,
that he is a debtor to do the whole law .
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Christ is become of no effect unto you ,
whosoever of you are justified by the law ;
ye are fallen from grace .
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For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith .
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For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing ,
nor uncircumcision ;
but faith which worketh by love .
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Ye did run well ;
who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth ?
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This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you .
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A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump .
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I have confidence in you through the Lord ,
that ye will be none otherwise minded :
but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment ,
whosoever he be .
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And I ,
brethren ,
if I yet preach circumcision ,
why do I yet suffer persecution ?
then is the offence of the cross ceased .
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I would they were even cut off which trouble you .
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For ,
brethren ,
ye have been called unto liberty ;
only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh ,
but by love serve one another .
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For all the law is fulfilled in one word ,
even in this ;
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself .
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But if ye bite and devour one another ,
take heed that ye be not consumed one of another .
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This I say then ,
Walk in the Spirit ,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh .
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For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit ,
and the Spirit against the flesh :
and these are contrary the one to the other :
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would .
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But if ye be led of the Spirit ,
ye are not under the law .
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Now the works of the flesh are manifest ,
which are these ;
Adultery ,
fornication ,
uncleanness ,
lasciviousness ,
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Idolatry ,
witchcraft ,
hatred ,
variance ,
emulations ,
wrath ,
strife ,
seditions ,
heresies ,
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Envyings ,
murders ,
drunkenness ,
revellings ,
and such like :
of the which I tell you before ,
as I have also told you in time past ,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God .
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love ,
joy ,
peace ,
longsuffering ,
gentleness ,
goodness ,
faith ,
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Meekness ,
temperance :
against such there is no law .
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And they that are Christ '
s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts .
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If we live in the Spirit ,
let us also walk in the Spirit .
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Let us not be desirous of vain glory ,
provoking one another ,
envying one another .
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Brethren ,
if a man be overtaken in a fault ,
ye which are spiritual ,
restore such an one in the spirit of meekness ;
considering thyself ,
lest thou also be tempted .
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Bear ye one another '
s burdens ,
and so fulfil the law of Christ .
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For if a man think himself to be something ,
when he is nothing ,
he deceiveth himself .
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But let every man prove his own work ,
and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone ,
and not in another .
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For every man shall bear his own burden .
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Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things .
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Be not deceived ;
God is not mocked :
for whatsoever a man soweth ,
that shall he also reap .
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For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting .
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And let us not be weary in well doing :
for in due season we shall reap ,
if we faint not .
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As we have therefore opportunity ,
let us do good unto all men ,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith .
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Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand .
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As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh ,
they constrain you to be circumcised ;
only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ .
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For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law ;
but desire to have you circumcised ,
that they may glory in your flesh .
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But God forbid that I should glory ,
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ,
by whom the world is crucified unto me ,
and I unto the world .
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For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing ,
nor uncircumcision ,
but a new creature .
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And as many as walk according to this rule ,
peace be on them ,
and mercy ,
and upon the Israel of God .
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From henceforth let no man trouble me :
for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus .
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Brethren ,
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit .
Amen .