The Holy Spirit’s Ministries

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,(A) you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit(B) are God’s sons.(C) 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.(D) Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption,(E) by whom we cry out, “Abba,[a] Father!” (F) 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit(G) that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs(H)—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him(I) so that we may also be glorified with him.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:15 Aramaic for father

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it isn’t an obligation to ourselves to live our lives on the basis of selfishness. 13 If you live on the basis of selfishness, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the actions of the body, you will live. 14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. 15 You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The same Spirit agrees with our spirit, that we are God’s children. 17 But if we are children, we are also heirs. We are God’s heirs and fellow heirs with Christ, if we really suffer with him so that we can also be glorified with him.

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