Romans 8:15-12:2

New American Standard Bible

¹⁵ For you ^(A)have not received a spirit of slavery ^[a]leading to fear again, but you ^(B)have received ^[b]a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “^(C)Abba! ^[c]Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself ^(D)testifies with our spirit that we are ^(E)children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, ^(F)heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, ^(G)if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time ^(H)are not worthy to be compared with the ^(I)glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the ^(J)eagerly awaiting creation waits for ^(K)the revealing of the ^(L)sons and daughters of God. ²⁰ For the creation ^(M)was subjected to ^(N)futility, not willingly, but ^(O)because of Him who subjected it, ^[d]in hope ²¹ that ^(P)the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation ^(Q)groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. ^23 (R)And not only that, but also we ourselves, having ^(S)the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves ^(T)groan within ourselves, ^(U)waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, ^(V)the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For ^(W)in hope we have been saved, but ^(X)hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? ²⁵ But ^(Y)if we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Our Victory in Christ

²⁶ Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for ^(Z)we do not know what to pray for as we should, but ^(AA)the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with ^[e]groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and ^(AB)He who searches the hearts knows what ^(AC)the mind of the Spirit is, because He ^(AD)intercedes for the ^[f]saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that ^[g]God ^[h]causes ^(AE)all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are ^(AF)called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He ^(AG)foreknew, He also ^(AH)predestined to become ^(AI)conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the ^(AJ)firstborn among many brothers and sisters; ³⁰ and these whom He ^(AK)predestined, He also ^(AL)called; and these whom He called, He also ^(AM)justified; and these whom He justified, He also ^(AN)glorified.

^31 (AO)What then shall we say to these things? ^(AP)If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who ^(AQ)did not spare His own Son, but ^(AR)delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring charges against ^(AS)God’s elect? ^(AT)God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who ^(AU)condemns? Christ Jesus is He who ^(AV)died, but rather, was ^[i](AW)raised, who is ^(AX)at the right hand of God, who also ^(AY)intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from ^(AZ)the love of ^[j]Christ? Will ^(BA)tribulation, or trouble, or ^(BB)persecution, or ^(BC)famine, or ^(BD)nakedness, or ^(BE)danger, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written:

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly ^(BG)conquer through ^(BH)Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither ^(BI)death, nor life, nor ^(BJ)angels, nor principalities, nor ^(BK)things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from ^(BL)the love of God that is ^(BM)in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Deep Concern for Israel

9 ^(BN)I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, ² that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. ³ For ^(BO)I could ^[k]wish that I myself were ^(BP)accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my countrymen, my kinsmen ^(BQ)according to the flesh, ⁴ who are ^(BR)Israelites, to whom belongs ^(BS)the adoption as sons and daughters, ^(BT)the glory, ^(BU)the covenants, ^(BV)the giving of the Law, ^(BW)the temple service, and ^(BX)the promises; ⁵ whose are ^(BY)the fathers, and ^(BZ)from whom is the ^[l]Christ according to the flesh, ^(CA)who is over all, ^(CB)God ^(CC)blessed ^[m]forever. Amen.

⁶ But it is not as though ^(CD)the word of God has failed. ^(CE)For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; ⁷ nor are they all children ^(CF)because they are Abraham’s ^[n](CG)descendants, but: “^[o](CH)through Isaac your ^[p]descendants shall be named.” ⁸ That is, it is not the children of the flesh ^[q]who are ^(CI)children of God, but the ^(CJ)children of the promise are regarded as ^[r](CK)descendants. ⁹ For this is the word of promise: “^(CL)At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” ^10 (CM)And not only that, but there was also ^(CN)Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; ¹¹ for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that ^(CO)God’s purpose according to His choice would ^[s]stand, not ^[t]because of works but ^[u]because of Him who calls, ¹² it was said to her, “^(CP)The older will serve the younger.” ¹³ Just as it is written: “^(CQ)Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

^14 (CR)What shall we say then? ^(CS)There is no injustice with God, is there? ^[v](CT)Far from it! ¹⁵ For He says to Moses, “^(CU)I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I show compassion.” ¹⁶ So then, it does not depend on the person who ^[w]wants it nor the one who ^[x](CV)runs, but on ^(CW)God who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “^(CX)For this very reason I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed ^[y]throughout the earth.” ¹⁸ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He ^(CY)hardens whom He desires.

^19 (CZ)You will say to me then, “^(DA)Why does He still find fault? For ^(DB)who has resisted His will?” ²⁰ On the contrary, who are you, ^[z](DC)you foolish person, who ^(DD)answers back to God? ^(DE)The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? ²¹ Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object ^[aa]for honorable use, and another ^[ab]for common use? ^22 [ac]What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great ^(DF)patience objects of wrath ^(DG)prepared for destruction? ²³ And He did so to make known ^(DH)the riches of His glory upon ^(DI)objects of mercy, which He ^(DJ)prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ namely us, whom He also ^(DK)called, ^(DL)not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles, ²⁵ as He also says in Hosea:

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “^(DP)Though the number of the sons of Israel may be ^(DQ)like the sand of the sea, only ^(DR)the remnant will be saved; ^28 (DS)for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, ^[ad]thoroughly and ^[ae]quickly.” ²⁹ And just as Isaiah foretold:

^30 (DX)What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but ^(DY)the righteousness that is ^[ai]by faith; ³¹ however, Israel, ^(DZ)pursuing a law of righteousness, did not ^(EA)arrive at that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it ^[aj]by faith, but as though they could ^[ak]by works. They stumbled over ^(EB)the stumbling stone, ³³ just as it is written:

The Word of Faith Brings Salvation

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. ² For I testify about them that they have ^(EG)a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. ³ For not knowing about ^(EH)God’s righteousness and ^(EI)seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For ^(EJ)Christ is the ^[am]end of the Law for righteousness to ^(EK)everyone who believes.

⁵ For Moses writes of the righteousness that is ^[an]based on the Law, that the person who performs ^[ao]them ^(EL)will live by ^[ap]them. ⁶ But ^(EM)the righteousness ^[aq]based on faith speaks as follows: “^(EN)Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), ⁷ or ‘Who will descend into the ^(EO)abyss?’ (that is, to ^(EP)bring Christ up from the dead).” ⁸ But what does it say? “^(EQ)The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, ^9 [ar]that ^(ER)if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and ^(ES)believe in your heart that ^(ET)God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, ^[as]resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, ^[at]resulting in salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “^(EU)Whoever believes in Him will not be ^[au]put to shame.” ¹² For ^(EV)there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is ^(EW)Lord of ^(EX)all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; ¹³ for “^(EY)Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him ^(EZ)whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without ^(FA)a preacher? ¹⁵ But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “^(FB)How beautiful are the feet of those who ^[av](FC)bring good news of good things!”

¹⁶ However, they ^(FD)did not all heed the ^[aw]good news; for Isaiah says, “^(FE)Lord, who has believed our report?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from ^(FF)hearing, and hearing by ^(FG)the word ^[ax]of Christ.

¹⁸ But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? On the contrary:

¹⁹ But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says,

²⁰ And Isaiah is very bold and says,

²¹ But as for Israel, He says, “^(FL)I have spread out My hands all day long to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Israel Has Not Been Rejected

11 I say then, God has not ^(FM)rejected His people, has He? ^[az](FN)Far from it! For ^(FO)I too am an Israelite, ^[ba]a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God ^(FP)has not rejected His people whom He ^(FQ)foreknew. ^(FR)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ³ “Lord, ^(FS)they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” ⁴ But what ^[bb]is the divine response to him? “^(FT)I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time ^(FU)a remnant according to God’s ^[bc]gracious choice. ⁶ But ^(FV)if it is by grace, it is no longer ^[bd]on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.

⁷ What then? What ^(FW)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but ^[be]those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were ^(FX)hardened; ⁸ just as it is written:

⁹ And David says,

^11 (GB)I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? ^[bf](GC)Far from it! But by their wrongdoing ^(GD)salvation has come to the Gentiles, to ^(GE)make them jealous. ¹² Now if their wrongdoing proves to be riches for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their ^[bg](GF)fulfillment be! ¹³ But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as ^(GG)I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴ if somehow I may ^(GH)move ^(GI)my ^[bh]own people to jealousy and ^(GJ)save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection proves to be the ^(GK)reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but ^(GL)life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the ^(GM)first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are as well.

¹⁷ But if some of the ^(GN)branches were broken off, and ^(GO)you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the ^[bi]rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that ^(GP)it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. ^19 (GQ)You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you ^(GR)stand by your faith. ^(GS)Do not be conceited, but fear; ²¹ for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. ²² See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s ^(GT)kindness, ^(GU)if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too ^(GV)will be cut off. ²³ And they also, ^(GW)if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵ For ^(GX)I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this ^(GY)mystery—so that you will not be ^(GZ)wise in your own estimation—that a partial ^(HA)hardening has happened to Israel until the ^(HB)fullness of the Gentiles has come in; ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written:

²⁸ In relation to the gospel they are ^(HF)enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved ^(HG)on account of the fathers; ²⁹ for the gifts and the ^(HH)calling of God ^(HI)are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. ³² For ^(HJ)God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.

³³ Oh, the depth of ^(HK)the riches, ^[bk]both of the ^(HL)wisdom and knowledge of God! ^(HM)How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For ^(HN)who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵ Or ^(HO)who has first given to Him, ^[bl]that it would be paid back to him? ³⁶ For ^(HP)from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. ^(HQ)To Him be the glory ^[bm]forever. Amen.

Dedicated Service

12 Therefore ^(HR)I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to ^(HS)present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, ^[bn]acceptable to God, which is your ^[bo]spiritual service of worship. ² And do not ^(HT)be conformed to ^(HU)this ^[bp]world, but be transformed by the ^(HV)renewing of your mind, so that you may ^[bq](HW)prove what the will of God is, that which is good and ^[br]acceptable and perfect.