Life in the Spirit

8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and concerning sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, ⁷ for the carnal mind is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if through the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received the spirit of slavery again to fear. But you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him.

The Glory That Is to Be

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us. ¹⁹ The eager expectation of the creation waits for the appearance of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

²² We know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. ²³ Not only that, but we also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves while eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For we are saved through hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for why does a man still hope for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

²⁶ Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified.

The Love of God

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes, who is risen, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.