A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you,^(A) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,^(B) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform^(C) to the pattern of this world,^(D) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.^(E) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is^(F)—his good, pleasing^(G) and perfect will.

¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,^(A) sold^(B) as a slave to sin.^{(C) 15} I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.^{(D) 16} And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.^{(E) 17} As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.^{(F) 18} For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[a](G) For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.^{(H) 20} Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.^(I)

²¹ So I find this law at work:^(J) Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being^(K) I delight in God’s law;^{(L) 23} but I see another law at work in me, waging war^(M) against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin^(N) at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?^(O)

⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death,^(A) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life^(B) and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;^(C) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh^(D) cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh^(E) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.^(F) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,^(G) they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you,^(H) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[a] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead^(I) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies^(J) because of^[b] his Spirit who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.^{(K) 13} For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;^(L) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,^(M) you will live.^(N)

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God^(O) are the children of God.^{(P) 15} The Spirit^(Q) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;^(R) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[c] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[d] Father.”^{(S) 16} The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit^(T) that we are God’s children.^{(U) 17} Now if we are children, then we are heirs^(V)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings^(W) in order that we may also share in his glory.^(X)