My brothers and sisters, you were chosen to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to live under the power of sin. Instead, serve one another in love.

弟兄们，你们蒙召是要得自由，只是不可将你们的自由当作放纵情欲的机会，总要用爱心互相服侍。

弟兄们，你们蒙召是要得自由；只是不可把这自由当作放纵情欲的机会，总要用爱心互相服侍。

弟兄们，你们蒙召是要得自由；只是不可把这自由当作放纵情欲的机会，总要用爱心互相服侍。

弟兄姊妹，你们蒙召得了自由，但不要以自由为借口来放纵情欲，要本着爱心互相服侍，

弟兄们，你们蒙召得了自由；只是不可把这自由当作放纵情欲的机会，总要凭着爱心互相服事。

弟兄们，你们蒙召是为了得自由，只是不可用这自由给肉体一个机会，而是要藉着爱彼此服事，

弟兄們，你們蒙召是要得自由，只是不可將你們的自由當作放縱情慾的機會，總要用愛心互相服事。

弟兄們，你們蒙召是要得自由；只是不可把這自由當作放縱情慾的機會，總要用愛心互相服侍。

弟兄們，你們蒙召是要得自由；只是不可把這自由當作放縱情慾的機會，總要用愛心互相服侍。

弟兄姊妹，你們蒙召得了自由，但不要以自由為藉口來放縱情慾，要本著愛心互相服侍，

弟兄們，你們蒙召得了自由；只是不可把這自由當作放縱情慾的機會，總要憑著愛心互相服事。

弟兄們，你們是蒙了召以得自由了；不過別用那自由去為肉體造機會；卻要憑着愛心互相服事。

弟兄們，你們蒙召是為了得自由，只是不可用這自由給肉體一個機會，而是要藉著愛彼此服事，

兄弟乎、爾蒙召得自由、然勿以自由為形軀之機、惟以愛相供役、

兄弟乎、爾蒙召得自由、然勿以爾得自由、因而從欲、惟以仁愛相將、

兄弟乎、爾曹蒙召以得自由、然勿以爾之自由、為縱欲之機、惟以愛互相服事、

今兄弟等已蒙召而獲自由矣惟勿以自由為名、而行其放縱恣肆之實；務望以仁愛之精神、而彼此互相服務也。

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.

For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only[ use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

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.

For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.

Live as free people. But don’t use your freedom to cover up evil. Live as people who are God’s slaves.

I am free and don’t belong to anyone. But I have made myself a slave to everyone. I do it to win as many as I can to Christ.

But be careful how you use your rights. Be sure you don’t cause someone weaker than you to fall into sin.

We who have strong faith should help the weak with their problems. We should not please only ourselves.Each of us should please our neighbors. Let us do what is good for them in order to build them up.

The whole law is fulfilled by obeying this one command.“ Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”( Leviticus 19:18)

Follow the lead of one another because of your respect for Christ.

You have been set free from sin. You have become slaves to right living.Because you are human, you find this hard to understand. So I am using an everyday example to help you understand. You used to give yourselves to be slaves to unclean living. You were becoming more and more evil. Now give yourselves to be slaves to right living. Then you will become holy.Once you were slaves of sin. At that time right living did not control you.What benefit did you gain from doing the things you are now ashamed of? Those things lead to death!You have been set free from sin. God has made you his slaves. The benefit you gain leads to holy living. And the end result is eternal life.

Carry one another’s heavy loads. If you do, you will fulfill the law of Christ.

He came to set free those who were under the authority of the law. He wanted us to be adopted as children with all the rights children have.Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. He is the Holy Spirit. By his power we call God Abba. Abba means Father.So you aren’t a slave any longer. You are God’s child. Because you are his child, God gives you the rights of those who are his children.

The Spirit of the Lord and King is on me. The Lord has anointed me to announce good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts have been broken. He has sent me to announce freedom for those who have been captured. He wants me to set prisoners free from their dark cells.

Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not proud.It does not dishonor other people. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people’s wrongs.Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken.It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up.

They promise to give freedom to these new believers. But they themselves are slaves to sinful living. That’s because“ people are slaves to anything that controls them.”

Suppose a brother or a sister has no clothes or food.Suppose one of you says to them,“ Go. I hope everything turns out fine for you. Keep warm. Eat well.” And suppose you do nothing about what they really need. Then what good have you done?It is the same with faith. If it doesn’t cause us to do something, it’s dead.

Certain people have secretly slipped in among you. Long ago it was written that they would be judged. They are ungodly people. They misuse the grace of our God as an excuse for sexual sins. They say no to Jesus Christ, our only Lord and King.

In everything I did, I showed you that we must work hard and help the weak. We must remember the words of the Lord Jesus. He said,‘ It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

The message we preach is not about ourselves. Our message is about Jesus Christ. We say that he is Lord. And we say that we serve you because of Jesus.

But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful

I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet. So you also should wash one another’s feet.I have given you an example. You should do as I have done for you.

But these people say evil things against whatever they don’t understand. And the very things they do understand will destroy them. That’s because they are like wild animals that can’t think for themselves. Instead, they do what comes naturally to them.How terrible it will be for them! They have followed the way of Cain. They have rushed into the same mistake Balaam made. They did it because they loved money. They are like Korah. He turned against his leaders. These people will certainly be destroyed, just as Korah was.These ungodly people are like stains at the meals you share. They have no shame. They are shepherds who feed only themselves. They are like clouds without rain. They are blown along by the wind. They are like trees in the fall. Since they have no fruit, they are pulled out of the ground. So they die twice.

Don’t be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant.And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone.Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.”

“ The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has anointed me to announce the good news to poor people. He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners. He has sent me so that the blind will see again. He wants me to set free those who are treated badly.

It is written that Abraham had two sons. The slave woman gave birth to one of them. The free woman gave birth to the other one.Abraham’s son by the slave woman was born in the usual way. But his son by the free woman was born because of God’s promise.These things are examples. The two women stand for two covenants. One covenant comes from Mount Sinai. It gives birth to children who are going to be slaves. It is Hagar.Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia. She stands for the present city of Jerusalem. That’s because she and her children are slaves.But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother.It is written,“ Be glad, woman, you who have never had children. Shout for joy and cry out loud, you who have never had labor pains. The woman who is all alone has more children than the woman who has a husband.”( Isaiah 54:1)Brothers and sisters, you are children because of God’s promise just as Isaac was.At that time, the son born in the usual way tried to hurt the other son. The other son was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same now.But what does Scripture say?“ Get rid of the slave woman. Get rid of her son. The slave woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property. He’ll never share it with the free woman’s son.”( Genesis 21:10)Brothers and sisters, we are not the slave woman’s children. We are the free woman’s children.Christ has set us free to enjoy our freedom. So remain strong in the faith. Don’t let the chains of slavery hold you again.

Then you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free.”They answered him,“ We are Abraham’s children. We have never been slaves of anyone. So how can you say that we will be set free?”Jesus replied,“ What I’m about to tell you is true. Everyone who sins is a slave of sin.A slave has no lasting place in the family. But a son belongs to the family forever.So if the Son of Man sets you free, you will really be free.

So I will be very happy to spend everything I have for you. I will even spend myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?

We remember you when we pray to our God and Father. Your work is produced by your faith. Your service is the result of your love. Your strength to continue comes from your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.