Romans 8
8
The Life-Giving Spirit
1Therefore, no condemnation # Rm 5:16; 8:34 now exists for those in # Rm 8:9-10 Christ Jesus, # Other mss add who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit # Rm 8:11,39; 16:3 2because the Spirit’s law of life # 1Co 15:45 in Christ Jesus has set you # Other mss read me free from the law of sin and of death. # Jn 8:32,36; Rm 6:14,18; 7:4 3What the law could not do # Ac 13:39; Heb 10:1-2 since it was limited # Or weak by the flesh, # Rm 7:18; Heb 7:18 God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours # Php 2:7; Heb 2:14,17; 4:15 under sin’s domain, # Lit in the likeness of sinful flesh and as a sin offering, # Lv 5:6-7,11; 14:31; Is 53:10 4in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished # Lk 1:6; Rm 2:26 in us who do not walk according to the flesh # Gl 5:16 but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live # Or those who are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, # Gl 5:19-25 but those who live # Or those who are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. 6For the mind-set of the flesh # Gl 6:8 is death, # Rm 6:21 but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile # Jms 4:4 to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. 8Those who are in the flesh # Rm 7:5 cannot please God. 9You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since # Or provided that the Spirit of God lives in you. # Jn 14:23; 1Co 3:16; 6:19; 2Co 6:16; 2Tm 1:14 But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, # Jn 14:17; Gl 4:6; Php 1:19; 1Jn 4:13 he does not belong to Him. 10Now if Christ is in you, # Jn 17:23; Gl 2:20; Eph 3:17; Col 1:27 the body is dead # Or the body will die because of sin, but the Spirit # Or spirit is life because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead # Ac 2:24; Rm 6:4 lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through # Other mss read because of His Spirit who lives in you.
The Holy Spirit’s Ministries
12So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13for 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, # Col 3:5 you will live. 14All those led by God’s Spirit # Gl 5:18 are God’s sons. # Hs 1:10; Mt 5:9; Jn 1:12; Rm 9:8,26; 2Co 6:18; Gl 3:26; 1Jn 3:1; Rv 21:7 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, # 2Tm 1:7; Heb 2:15 but you received the Spirit of adoption, # Gl 4:5 by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father! ” # Mk 14:36; Gl 4:6 16The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit # Ac 5:32 that we are God’s children, 17and if children, also heirs # Ac 20:32; Gl 3:29; 4:7; Eph 3:6; Ti 3:7; Heb 1:14; Rv 21:7 — heirs of God and coheirs with Christ — seeing that # Or provided that we suffer with Him # 2Co 1:5,7; Php 3:10; Col 1:24; 2Tm 2:12 so that we may also be glorified with Him.
From Groans to Glory
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing # 2Co 4:17; 1Pt 4:13 with the glory # Rm 1:5; Col 3:4; Ti 2:13; 1Pt 5:1 that is going to be revealed to us. 19For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation # Php 1:20 for God’s sons # 1Co 1:7; Col 3:4; 1Pt 1:7,13; 1Jn 3:2 to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected # Gn 3:17-19 to futility # Ps 39:5; Ec 1:2 — not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it # Gn 3:17; 5:29 — in the hope 21that the creation itself # Ac 3:21; 2Pt 3:13; Rv 21:1 will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains # Jr 12:4,11 until now. 23And not only that, # Rm 5:3 but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits # Nm 15:17-21; 1Co 16:15; 2Co 1:22 — we also groan within ourselves, # 2Co 5:2,4 eagerly waiting for adoption, # Gl 5:5 the redemption of our bodies. # Rm 7:24 24Now in this hope # 1Th 5:8; Ti 3:7 we were saved, yet hope # Rm 4:18; 2Co 5:7; Heb 11:1 that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, # 1Th 1:3 we eagerly wait for it with patience.
26In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, # Mt 20:22; 2Co 12:8 but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us # Some mss omit for us # Jn 14:16; Rm 8:15-16; Eph 6:18 with unspoken groanings. 27And He who searches the hearts # Ps 139:1-5; Lk 16:15; Ac 1:24; Rv 2:23 knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28We know that all things work together # Other mss read that God works together in all things for the good # The ultimate good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. # Rm 9:24; 11:29; 1Co 1:9; Gl 1:6,15; 5:8; Eph 1:11; 3:11; 2Th 2:14; Heb 9:15; 1Pt 2:9; 3:9 29For those He foreknew He also predestined # Rm 9:23; 1Co 2:7; Eph 1:5,11 to be conformed to the image of His Son, # 1Co 15:49; Php 3:21; Col 3:10; 1Jn 3:2 so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. # Col 1:18; Heb 1:6 30And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; # 1Co 6:11 and those He justified, He also glorified. # Jn 17:22; Rm 9:23; 1Co 2:7
The Believer’s Triumph
31What then are we to say about these things? # Rm 3:5; 4:1
If God is for us, who is against us? # Ps 118:6; Mt 1:23
32He did not even spare His own Son # Jn 3:16; Rm 5:8
but offered Him up for us all; # Rm 4:25
how will He not also with Him grant us everything?
33Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? # Lk 18:7
God is the One who justifies. # Is 50:8-9
34Who is the one who condemns? # Rm 8:1
Christ Jesus is the One who died, # Rm 5:6-8
but even more, has been raised; # Ac 2:24
He also is at the right hand of God # Mk 16:19
and intercedes for us. # Heb 7:25; 9:24; 1Jn 2:1
35Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
Can affliction # Rm 2:9; 2Co 4:8 or anguish or persecution # 1Co 4:11; 2Co 11:26-27
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36As it is written:
Because of You
we are being put to death all day long; # Ac 20:24; 1Co 4:9; 15:30-31; 2Co 1:9; 6:9; 11:23
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. # Is 53:7; Zch 11:4,7 # Ps 44:22
37No, in all these things we are more than victorious # Jn 16:33; 1Co 15:57
through Him who loved us. # Gl 2:20; Eph 5:2; Rv 1:5
38For I am persuaded that not even death or life, # 1Co 3:22
angels or rulers, # 1Co 15:24; Eph 1:21; 1Pt 3:22
things present or things to come, # 1Co 3:22 hostile powers,
39height or depth, or any other created thing
will have the power to separate us
from the love of God # Rm 5:8 that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! # Rm 8:1
Currently Selected:
Romans 8: HCSB
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Romans 8
8
Life in the Spirit
1So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2And because you belong to him, the power#8:2a Greek the law; also in 8:2b. of the life-giving Spirit has freed you#8:2b Some manuscripts read me. from the power of sin that leads to death. 3The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.#8:3 Greek our flesh; similarly in 8:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12. 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. 4He 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.
5Those 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. 6So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
9But 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.) 10And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life#8:10 Or your spirit is alive. because you have been made right with God. 11The 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.
12Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,#8:12 Greek brothers; also in 8:29. you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13For 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,#8:13 Greek deeds of the body. you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children#8:14 Greek sons; also in 8:19. of God.
15So 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.#8:15a Greek you received a spirit of sonship. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”#8:15b Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.” 16For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17And 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
18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23And 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,#8:23 Greek wait anxiously for sonship. including the new bodies he has promised us. 24We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope#8:24 Some manuscripts read wait. for it. 25But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
26And 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. 27And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers#8:27 Greek for God’s holy people. in harmony with God’s own will. 28And we know that God causes everything to work together#8:28 Some manuscripts read And we know that everything works together. for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn#8:29 Or would be supreme. among many brothers and sisters. 30And 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
31What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34Who 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.
35Can 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.”#8:36 Ps 44:22.) 37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,#8:38 Greek nor rulers. neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39No 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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
For more information about the NLT: