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Life in the Spirit

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[b] from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life[d] because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,[e] you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,[f] you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children[g] of God.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[h] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[i] 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

The Future Glory

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,[j] including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope[k] for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[l] in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[m] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[n] among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[o]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[p] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 8:2a Greek the law; also in 8:2b.
  2. 8:2b Some manuscripts read me.
  3. 8:3 Greek our flesh; similarly in 8:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12.
  4. 8:10 Or your spirit is alive.
  5. 8:12 Greek brothers; also in 8:29.
  6. 8:13 Greek deeds of the body.
  7. 8:14 Greek sons; also in 8:19.
  8. 8:15a Greek you received a spirit of sonship.
  9. 8:15b Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”
  10. 8:23 Greek wait anxiously for sonship.
  11. 8:24 Some manuscripts read wait.
  12. 8:27 Greek for God’s holy people.
  13. 8:28 Some manuscripts read And we know that everything works together.
  14. 8:29 Or would be supreme.
  15. 8:36 Ps 44:22.
  16. 8:38 Greek nor rulers.

There is therefore ara now nyn no oudeis condemnation katakrima for those ho who are in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous. For gar the ho law nomos of the ho Spirit pneuma of ho life zōē in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous has set you sy free eleutheroō from apo the ho law nomos of ho sin hamartia and kai of ho death thanatos. For gar what ho the ho law nomos could not do adynatos, weak astheneō as it was through dia the ho flesh sarx, · ho God theos, by sending pempō · ho his heautou own Son hyios in en the likeness homoiōma of sinful hamartia flesh sarx and kai as peri a sin hamartia offering , condemned katakrinō · ho sin hamartia in en the ho flesh sarx, so hina that the ho righteous dikaiōma requirement of the ho law nomos might be fulfilled plēroō in en us hēmeis, who ho do peripateō not walk peripateō according kata to the flesh sarx but alla according kata to the Spirit pneuma. For gar those ho who live eimi according kata to the flesh sarx have set their minds phroneō on the ho things of the ho flesh sarx, but de those ho who live according kata to the Spirit pneuma have set their minds on the ho things of the ho Spirit pneuma. To set the ho mind phronēma on the ho flesh sarx leads to death thanatos, but to set the ho · de mind phronēma on the ho Spirit pneuma brings life zōē and kai peace eirēnē, because dioti the ho mind phronēma set on the ho flesh sarx is hostile echthra to eis God theos; it does hypotassō not ou submit hypotassō to the ho law nomos of ho God theos; in fact gar, it is not oude even able dynamai to do so. Those ho · de controlled eimi by en the flesh sarx are dynamai not ou able dynamai to please areskō God theos. You hymeis, however de, are eimi not ou controlled by en the flesh sarx but alla by en the Spirit pneuma, if eiper indeed the Spirit pneuma of God theos lives oikeō in en you hymeis. · de Whoever tis does echō not ou have echō the Spirit pneuma of Christ Christos does not ou belong eimi to him autos. 10 But de if ei Christ Christos is in en you hymeis, although men the ho body sōma is dead nekros because dia of sin hamartia, the ho · de Spirit pneuma is life zōē because dia of righteousness dikaiosynē. 11 But de if ei the ho Spirit pneuma of ho him who raised egeirō · ho Jesus Iēsous from ek the dead nekros lives oikeō in en you hymeis, the ho one who raised egeirō Christ Christos Jesus from ek the dead nekros will also kai give zōiopoieō life to · ho your hymeis mortal thnētos bodies sōma through dia his autos Spirit pneuma who ho lives enoikeō in en you hymeis. 12 So ara then oun, brethren adelphos, we are eimi debtors opheiletēs, not ou to the ho flesh sarx, to live zaō according kata to the flesh sarx, 13 for gar if ei you live zaō according kata to the flesh sarx, you will certainly mellō die apothnēskō; but de if ei by the Spirit pneuma you put to death thanatoō the ho deeds praxis of the ho body sōma, you will live zaō. 14 For gar it is those hosos who are led agō by the Spirit pneuma of God theos who houtos are eimi the sons hyios of God theos. 15 For gar you did not ou receive lambanō the spirit pneuma of slavery douleia leading back palin to eis fear phobos, but alla you received lambanō the Spirit pneuma of adoption hyiothesia. By en him hos we cry out krazō, “ Abba abba! · ho Father patēr!” 16 The ho Spirit pneuma himself autos bears symmartyreō witness with · ho our hēmeis spirit pneuma that hoti we are eimi children teknon of God theos, 17 and de if ei children teknon, then kai heirs klēronomos, heirs klēronomos of God theos and de fellow heirs synklēronomos with Christ Christos, provided eiper we suffer sympaschō with him so hina that we may also kai be glorified syndoxazō with him.

18 For gar I consider logizomai that hoti the ho sufferings pathēma of this ho present nyn time kairos are not ou worth axios comparing with pros the ho glory doxa that will mellō be revealed apokalyptō to eis us hēmeis. 19 · ho For gar the ho creation ktisis eagerly apokaradokia waits apekdechomai for the ho revealing apokalypsis of the ho sons hyios of ho God theos. 20 For gar the ho creation ktisis was subjected hypotassō to ho futility mataiotēs, not ou of its own choosing hekōn, but alla because dia of him ho who subjected hypotassō it, in epi hope elpis 21 that hoti · kai the ho creation ktisis itself autos will be set eleutheroō free from apo its ho bondage douleia to ho decay phthora into eis the ho glorious doxa freedom eleutheria · ho of the ho children teknon of ho God theos. 22 For gar we know oida that hoti the ho entire pas creation ktisis has been groaning systenazō and kai suffering synōdinō together up achri to the ho present nyn hour. 23 And de not ou only monon this, but alla · kai we stenazō ourselves autos, who have echō the ho first aparchē fruits of the ho Spirit pneuma, groan stenazō inwardly en as we hēmeis · kai eagerly await apekdechomai our adoption hyiothesia, the ho redemption apolytrōsis of ho our hēmeis bodies sōma. 24 For gar in this ho hope elpis we were saved sōzō. Now de hope elpis that is seen blepō is eimi not ou hope elpis, for gar who tis hopes for elpizō what hos he sees blepō? 25 But de if ei we hope for elpizō what hos we do not ou see blepō, we wait for apekdechomai it with dia patience hypomonē. 26 In the same hōsautōs way , · de · kai the ho Spirit pneuma helps synantilambanomai us in ho our hēmeis weakness astheneia; · ho for gar we do oida not ou know oida how tis to pray proseuchomai as katho we ought dei, but alla the ho Spirit pneuma himself autos intercedes hyperentynchanō for us with groanings stenagmos too deep for words alalētos. 27 · ho And de God, who searches eraunaō our ho hearts kardia, knows oida the ho desire phronēma of the ho Spirit pneuma, because hoti the Spirit intercedes entynchanō for hyper the saints hagios according kata to the will of God theos. 28 And de we know oida that hoti all things pas work together synergeō for eis good agathos for those ho who love agapaō · ho God theos, for those ho who are eimi called klētos according kata to his purpose prothesis, 29 because hoti those hos he foreknew proginōskō he also kai predestined proorizō to become conformed symmorphos to the ho image eikōn of ho his autos Son hyios, that eis he autos might be eimi the firstborn prōtotokos among en many polys brethren adelphos. 30 And de those hos he predestined proorizō, these houtos he also kai called kaleō; and kai those hos he called kaleō, these houtos he also kai justified dikaioō; and de those hos he justified dikaioō, these houtos he also kai glorified doxazō.

31 What tis then oun shall we say legō in response to pros these houtos things ? If ei · ho God theos is for hyper us hēmeis, who tis can be against kata us hēmeis? 32 He pheidomai who hos did pheidomai not ou spare pheidomai · ho his idios own Son hyios, but alla delivered paradidōmi him autos up paradidōmi for hyper us hēmeis all pas, how pōs will he charizomai not ouchi also kai, along with syn him autos, graciously give charizomai us hēmeis · ho all pas things ? 33 Who tis will bring a charge enkaleō against kata God’ s theos elect eklektos? It is God theos who ho justifies dikaioō. 34 Who tis is it that ho condemns katakrinō? Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous is the ho one who died apothnēskō and de more mallon than that, he was raised egeirō who hos · kai is eimi at en the right dexios hand of ho God theos, who hos also kai is interceding entynchanō for hyper us hēmeis. 35 Who tis can separate chōrizō us hēmeis from apo the ho love agapē of ho Christ Christos? Can tribulation thlipsis, or ē distress stenochōria, or ē persecution diōgmos, or ē famine limos, or ē nakedness gymnotēs, or ē danger kindynos, or ē sword machaira? 36 As kathōs it is written graphō, “For your sy sake we face death thanatoō all holos · ho day hēmera long; we are regarded logizomai as hōs sheep probaton to be slaughtered sphagē.” 37 No alla, in en all pas these houtos things we are winning a most glorious victory hypernikaō through dia him ho who loved agapaō us hēmeis. 38 For gar I am convinced peithō that hoti neither oute death thanatos, nor oute life zōē, nor oute angels angelos, nor oute rulers archē, nor oute things present enistēmi, nor oute things to come mellō, nor oute powers dynamis, 39 nor oute height hypsōma, nor oute depth bathos, nor oute any tis other heteros created ktisis thing will be able dynamai to separate chōrizō us hēmeis from apo the ho love agapē of ho God theos · ho in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous · ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios.