Romans 8
8
Life in the Spirit
1So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. 2That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you#8:2 you Some Greek copies have “me.” Also in the next sentence. free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. 3The law was without power because it was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do: He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that everyone else uses for sin. God sent him to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to destroy sin. 4He did this so that we could be right just as the law said we must be. Now we don’t live following our sinful selves. We live following the Spirit.
5People who live following their sinful selves think only about what they want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about what the Spirit wants them to do. 6If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. 7Why is this true? Because anyone whose thinking is controlled by their sinful self is against God. They refuse to obey God’s law. And really they are not able to obey it. 8Those who are ruled by their sinful selves cannot please God.
9But you are not ruled by your sinful selves. You are ruled by the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. 10Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God. 11God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit lives in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. Yes, God is the one who raised Christ from death, and he will raise you to life through his Spirit living in you.
12So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves. We must not live the way our sinful selves want. 13If you use your lives to do what your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.
14The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. 15The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “Abba,#8:15 Abba An Aramaic word that was used by Jewish children as a name for their fathers. Father.” 16And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God’s children. 17If we are God’s children, we will get the blessings God has for his people. He will give us all that he has given Christ. But we must suffer like Christ suffered. Then we will be able to share his glory.
We Will Have Glory in the Future
18We have sufferings now, but these are nothing compared to the great glory that will be given to us. 19Everything that God made is waiting with excitement for the time when he will show the world who his children are. The whole world wants very much for that to happen. 20Everything God made was allowed to become like something that cannot fulfill its purpose. That was not its choice, but God made it happen with this hope in view: 21That the creation would be made free from ruin—that everything God made would have the same freedom and glory that belong to God’s children.
22We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain like a woman ready to give birth to a child. 23Not only the world, but we also have been waiting with pain inside us. We have the Spirit as the first part of God’s promise. So we are waiting for God to finish making us his own children. I mean we are waiting for our bodies to be made free. 24We were saved to have this hope. If we can see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People don’t hope for something they already have. 25But we are hoping for something we don’t have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently.
26Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. He begs God for us, speaking to him with feelings too deep for words. 27God already knows our deepest thoughts. And he understands what the Spirit is saying, because the Spirit speaks for his people in the way that agrees with what God wants.
28We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. These are the people God chose, because that was his plan. 29God knew them before he made the world. And he decided that they would be like his Son. Then Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters. 30God planned for them to be like his Son. He chose them and made them right with him. And after he made them right, he gave them his glory.
God’s Love in Christ Jesus
31So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things. 33Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one who makes them right. 34Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. 35Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love? 36As the Scriptures say,
“For you we are in danger of death all the time.
People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.” Psalm 44:22
37But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us. 38-39Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Romans 8
8
Free from Indwelling Sin
1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, #Gal. 5:16who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2For #Rom. 6:18, 22the law of #(1 Cor. 15:45)the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from #Rom. 7:24, 25the law of sin and death. 3For #Acts 13:39; (Heb. 7:18)what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, #(2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13)God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who #(Rom. 6:4; 2 Cor. 5:7); Gal. 5:16, 25; Eph. 4:1; 5:2, 15; (1 John 1:7; 2:6)do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For #John 3:6those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, #(Gal. 5:22–25)the things of the Spirit. 6For #Gal. 6:8to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because #James 4:4the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, #1 Cor. 2:14nor indeed can be. 8So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of #Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, #1 Cor. 6:14He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Sonship Through the Spirit
12#(Rom. 6:7, 14)Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For #Gal. 6:8if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you #Eph. 4:22; (Col. 3:5–10)put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For #(Gal. 5:18)as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For #(1 Cor. 2:12); Heb. 2:15you did not receive the spirit of bondage again #2 Tim. 1:7to fear, but you received the #(Is. 56:5)Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, #Mark 14:36; Gal. 4:6“Abba, Father.” 16#Eph. 1:13The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then #Acts 26:18heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, #Phil. 1:29if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
From Suffering to Glory
18For I consider that #2 Cor. 4:17; (1 Pet. 1:6; 4:13)the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19For #(2 Pet. 3:13)the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For #Gen. 3:17–19the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious #(2 Cor. 3:17); Gal. 5:1, 13liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation #Jer. 12:4, 11groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23Not only that, but we also who have #2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:14the firstfruits of the Spirit, #2 Cor. 5:2, 4even we ourselves groan #(Luke 20:36)within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the #Luke 21:28; Eph. 1:14; 4:30; (Phil. 3:20, 21)redemption of our body. 24For we were saved in this hope, but #Rom. 4:18; 2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:1hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For #Matt. 20:22; 2 Cor. 12:8we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but #John 14:16; Rom. 8:15; Eph. 6:18the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27Now #1 Chr. 28:9He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints #1 John 5:14according to the will of God.
28And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those #2 Tim. 1:9who are the called according to His purpose. 29For whom #2 Tim. 2:19He foreknew, #Rom. 9:23; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5, 11He also predestined #(2 Cor. 3:18)to be conformed to the image of His Son, #(Col. 1:15, 18); Heb. 1:6that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom He predestined, these He also #Rom. 8:28; 9:24; 1 Cor. 1:9; Gal. 1:6, 15; 5:8; Eph. 1:11; 3:11; 2 Thess. 2:14; (Heb. 9:15; 1 Pet. 2:9; 3:9)called; whom He called, these He also #1 Cor. 6:11; (Gal. 2:16)justified; and whom He justified, these He also #John 17:22; Rom. 8:21glorified.
God’s Everlasting Love
31What then shall we say to these things? #Num. 14:9If God is for us, who can be against us? 32#Rom. 5:6, 10He who did not spare His own Son, but #(Rom. 4:25)delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? #Is. 50:8, 9; Rev. 12:10It is God who justifies. 34#John 3:18Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, #Mark 16:19; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3who is even at the right hand of God, #Heb. 7:25; 9:24who also makes intercession for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written:
#Ps. 44:22; Acts 20:24; 1 Cor. 4:9; 15:30; (2 Cor. 1:9; 4:10; 6:9; 11:23)“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37#John 16:33; 1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Cor. 2:14; 1 John 5:4Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor #(1 Cor. 15:24; Eph. 1:21; 1 Pet. 3:22)principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.