Paul tells the Galatians that Christ has set them free, so they must stand firm and not take on a yoke of slavery again. If they rely on circumcision and the law to be made right with God, Christ will be of no benefit to them. In Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; what counts is faith working through love.

The Galatians had been running a good race, but someone cut in on them. Paul is frustrated with the false teachers who are troubling them. A little yeast spreads through the whole batch of dough, and their teaching spreads like that. Paul reminds them that they were called to freedom. They should not use it to serve selfish desires, but should serve one another in love. The whole law is summed up in loving one's neighbor as oneself.

Paul tells them to walk by the Spirit, and they will not carry out selfish desires. The flesh and the Spirit work against each other. The works of the flesh are clear: wrong and impure behavior, worship of false gods, hatred, fighting, jealousy, anger, selfishness, and envy. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Since believers live by the Spirit, they should keep in step with the Spirit.

Paul's argument reaches its practical climax. Christ has set believers free for freedom, so they must stand firm and not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Paul warns that if the Galatians accept circumcision as necessary for justification, Christ will be of no advantage to them. Those seeking justification by the law have fallen away from grace. Through the Spirit, by faith, believers eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. In Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has value, but only faith working through love.

The Galatians were running well, but someone hindered them from obeying the truth. Paul uses a proverb: a little leaven leavens the whole lump. He expresses confidence that they will agree, and that the troublemaker will bear his judgment. He reveals his strong frustration with those unsettling them. Then he turns to the danger on the other side. Freedom must not become an opportunity for the flesh. Instead, through love, believers should serve one another as slaves, for the whole law is fulfilled in one word, which Paul takes from Leviticus 19:18: love of neighbor as of oneself.

Paul explains how freedom works without the law as a guardian. Believers walk by the Spirit and so do not gratify the desires of the flesh, for flesh and Spirit are in conflict. The works of the flesh are evident: sexual sin, impurity, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, rage, rivalries, divisions, envy, drunkenness, and the like. Those who practice them will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit, one fruit with many qualities produced together by the Spirit, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh, so they should keep in step with the Spirit, without conceit or envy.