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Romans 7:13-25
International Children’s Bible
Romans 7:13-25
International Children’s Bible
13 Does this mean that something that is good brought death to me? No! Sin used something that is good to bring death to me. This happened so that I could see what sin is really like. The command was used to show that sin is something very evil.
The War Within Man
14 We know that the law is spiritual. But I am not spiritual. Sin rules me as if I were its slave. 15 I do not understand the things I do. I do not do the good things I want to do. And I do the bad things I hate to do. 16 And if I do not want to do the bad things I do, then that means that I agree that the law is good. 17 But I am not really the one who is doing these bad things. It is sin living in me that does these things. 18 Yes, I know that nothing good lives in me—I mean nothing good lives in the part of me that is earthly and sinful. I want to do the things that are good. But I do not do them. 19 I do not do the good things that I want to do. I do the bad things that I do not want to do. 20 So if I do things I do not want to do, then I am not the one doing those things. It is sin living in me that does those bad things.
21 So I have learned this rule: When I want to do good, evil is there with me. 22 In my mind, I am happy with God’s law. 23 But I see another law working in my body. That law makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and that law makes me its prisoner. 24 What a miserable man I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death? 25 God will. I thank him for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So in my mind I am a slave to God’s law. But in my sinful self I am a slave to the law of sin.
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Romans 7:13-25
New International Version
Romans 7:13-25
New International Version
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good(A) to bring about my death,(B) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,(C) sold(D) as a slave to sin.(E) 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.(F) 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.(G) 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.(H) 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a](I) 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.(J) 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.(K)
21 So I find this law at work:(L) Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being(M) I delight in God’s law;(N) 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war(O) against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin(P) at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?(Q) 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!(R)
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,(S) but in my sinful nature[b] a slave to the law of sin.(T)
Footnotes
- Romans 7:18 Or my flesh
- Romans 7:25 Or in the flesh
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
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