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Romans 7-8
Evangelical Heritage Version

7 Or don’t you know, brothers[a] (since I am speaking to those who know the law), that a law has jurisdiction over a person only as long as he lives? 2 For example, a married woman is bound to her husband by law as long as he is alive, but if he dies, she is released from this law regarding her husband. 3 So then, she will be labeled an adulteress if she is joined to another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from this law, and she is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

4 In the same way, my brothers, you also were put to death in regard to the law by the body of Christ, so that you may be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, in order that we might produce fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, strong sinful desires stirred up by the law were at work in our members, with the result that we produced fruit that results in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law by dying to what held us in its grip, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the letter of the law.

The Law Stirs Up My Sinful Nature

7 What will we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have recognized sin except through the law. For example, I would not have known about coveting if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[b] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity provided by this commandment, produced every kind of sinful desire in me.

For apart from the law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive without the law. But when this commandment came, sin came to life, 10 and I died. This commandment that was intended to result in life actually resulted in death for me. 11 You see, sin, seizing the opportunity provided by this commandment, deceived me and put me to death through it.

12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. 13 Then did what is good become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it might be recognized as sin, brings about my death by this good thing, so that through this commandment sin might prove itself to be totally sinful.

My Constant Struggle With My Sinful Nature

14 Certainly we know that the law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not keep doing what I want. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 But now it is no longer I who am doing it, but it is sin living in me. 18 Indeed, I know that good does not live in me, that is, in my sinful flesh. The desire to do good is present with me, but I am not able to carry it out. 19 So I fail to do the good I want to do. Instead, the evil I do not want to do, that is what I keep doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who am doing it, but it is sin living in me.

21 So I find this law[c] at work: When I want to do good, evil is present with me. 22 I certainly delight in God’s law according to my inner self, 23 but I see a different law at work in my members, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me captive to the law of sin, which is present in my members. 24 What a miserable wretch I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 I thank God[d] through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my sinful flesh I serve the law of sin.

God Placed Our Judgment on Christ

8 So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[e] 2 For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me[f] free from the law of sin and death. 3 Indeed, what the law was unable to do, because it was weakened by the flesh, God did, when he sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to deal with sin.[g] God condemned sin in his flesh, 4 so that the righteous decree of the law would be fully satisfied in us who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.[h]

Living in Harmony With the Spiritual Nature

5 To be sure, those who are in harmony with the sinful flesh think about things the way the sinful flesh does, and those in harmony with the spirit think about things the way the spirit does. 6 Now, the way the sinful flesh thinks results in death, but the way the spirit thinks results in life and peace. 7 For the mind-set of the sinful flesh is hostile to God, since it does not submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the sinful flesh cannot please God.

9 But you are not in the sinful flesh but in the spirit, if indeed God’s Spirit lives in you. And if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit, who is dwelling in you.

12 So then, brothers, we do not owe it to the sinful flesh to live in harmony with it. 13 For if you live in harmony with the sinful flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the actions of the body, you will live.

The Spirit Assures Us We Are Children of God

14 Indeed, those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery so that you are afraid again, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom[i] we call out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself joins our spirit in testifying that we are God’s children.

17 Now if we are children, we are also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, since we suffer with him, so that we may also be glorified with him.

Suffering Leads Us to Look Ahead to Heaven

18 For I conclude that our sufferings at the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 In fact, creation is waiting with eager longing for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in the hope 21 that even creation itself will be set free from slavery to corruption, in order to share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22 For we know that all of creation is groaning with birth pains right up to the present time. 23 And not only creation, but also we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,[j] groan inwardly while we eagerly await our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 Indeed, it was for this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for something we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patient endurance.

26 In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we should pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that are not expressed in words. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints, according to God’s will.

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, 29 because those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called. Those he called, he also justified. And those he justified, he also glorified.

Nothing Can Separate Us From God’s Love

31 What then will we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also graciously give us all things along with him?

33 Who will bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies! 34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus,[k] who died and, more than that, was raised to life, is the one who is at God’s right hand and who is also interceding for us! 35 What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 Just as it is written:

For your sake we are being put to death all day long.
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.[l]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors[m] through him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powerful forces, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 7:1 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female.
  2. Romans 7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21
  3. Romans 7:21 The word law is used in different senses in this chapter. Sometimes it is a moral code. Sometimes it is a fixed principle.
  4. Romans 7:25 A few witnesses to the text read Thanks be to God.
  5. Romans 8:1 Some witnesses to the text add who do not walk according to the sinful nature but according to the spiritual nature; others omit but according to the spiritual nature.
  6. Romans 8:2 Some witnesses to the text read you singular.
  7. Romans 8:3 Or Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering
  8. Romans 8:4 Or Spirit; also in 8:5-10. In this section, the spirit refers to the new nature in contrast with the sinful flesh.
  9. Romans 8:15 Or the spirit of adoption by which, or the Spirit through whom we are adopted as sons and call out
  10. Romans 8:23 Or who have the Spirit as a first fruit
  11. Romans 8:34 Some witnesses to the text omit Jesus.
  12. Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
  13. Romans 8:37 Or we are completely victorious
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Romans 7-8
New International Version

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters(A)—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.(B) 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.(C) But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law(D) through the body of Christ,(E) that you might belong to another,(F) to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh,[a](G) the sinful passions aroused by the law(H) were at work in us,(I) so that we bore fruit for death.(J) 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law(K) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.(L)

The Law and Sin

7 What shall we say, then?(M) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!(N) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.(O) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[b](P) 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(Q) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.(R) 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life(S) actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(T) deceived me,(U) and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.(V)

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(W) to bring about my death,(X) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,(Y) sold(Z) as a slave to sin.(AA) 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.(AB) 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.(AC) 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.(AD) 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c](AE) 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.(AF) 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.(AG)

21 So I find this law at work:(AH) Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being(AI) I delight in God’s law;(AJ) 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war(AK) against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin(AL) at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?(AM) 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!(AN)

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,(AO) but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.(AP)

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation(AQ) for those who are in Christ Jesus,(AR) 2 because through Christ Jesus(AS) the law of the Spirit who gives life(AT) has set you[e] free(AU) from the law of sin(AV) and death. 3 For what the law was powerless(AW) to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[f](AX) God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh(AY) to be a sin offering.[g](AZ) And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement(BA) of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.(BB)

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;(BC) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.(BD) 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death,(BE) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life(BF) and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;(BG) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh(BH) cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh(BI) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.(BJ) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,(BK) they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you,(BL) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[h] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead(BM) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies(BN) because of[i] his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.(BO) 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;(BP) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,(BQ) you will live.(BR)

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God(BS) are the children of God.(BT) 15 The Spirit(BU) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;(BV) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[j] And by him we cry, “Abba,[k] Father.”(BW) 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit(BX) that we are God’s children.(BY) 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs(BZ)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings(CA) in order that we may also share in his glory.(CB)

Present Suffering and Future Glory

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.(CC) 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God(CD) to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,(CE) in hope 21 that[l] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay(CF) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.(CG)

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning(CH) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,(CI) groan(CJ) inwardly as we wait eagerly(CK) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.(CL) 24 For in this hope we were saved.(CM) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.(CN) Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.(CO)

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit(CP) himself intercedes for us(CQ) through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts(CR) knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes(CS) for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good(CT) of those who love him, who[m] have been called(CU) according to his purpose.(CV) 29 For those God foreknew(CW) he also predestined(CX) to be conformed to the image of his Son,(CY) that he might be the firstborn(CZ) among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined,(DA) he also called;(DB) those he called, he also justified;(DC) those he justified, he also glorified.(DD)

More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things?(DE) If God is for us,(DF) who can be against us?(DG) 32 He who did not spare his own Son,(DH) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge(DI) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns?(DJ) No one. Christ Jesus who died(DK)—more than that, who was raised to life(DL)—is at the right hand of God(DM) and is also interceding for us.(DN) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?(DO) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?(DP) 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[n](DQ)

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors(DR) through him who loved us.(DS) 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[o] neither the present nor the future,(DT) nor any powers,(DU) 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God(DV) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(DW)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 7:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
  2. Romans 7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21
  3. Romans 7:18 Or my flesh
  4. Romans 7:25 Or in the flesh
  5. Romans 8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me
  6. Romans 8:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 4-13.
  7. Romans 8:3 Or flesh, for sin
  8. Romans 8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive
  9. Romans 8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through
  10. Romans 8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23.
  11. Romans 8:15 Aramaic for father
  12. Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For
  13. Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who
  14. Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
  15. Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers
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Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

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