Romans
8 (New International Version)
Life Through the Spirit
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus,[a] 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the
Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For
what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the
sinful nature,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness
of sinful man to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin
in sinful man,[d] 4in order that the righteous requirements of
the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to
the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds
set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance
with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
6The mind of sinful man[e] is death, but the mind controlled by
the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind[f] is hostile to
God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those
controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by
the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But
if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your
spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit
of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who
raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not
to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live
according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit
you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because
those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For
you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of sonship.[g] And by him we cry,
"Abba,[h] Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with
our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children,
then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also
share in his glory.
Future Glory
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits
in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For
the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice,
but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i]
the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay
and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the
pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so,
but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan
inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption
of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that
is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do
not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes
for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches
our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes
for the saints in accordance with God's will.
More Than Conquerors
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those
who love him,[j] who[k] have been called according to his purpose.
29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to
the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those
he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for
us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son,
but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with
him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge
against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who
is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that,
who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is
also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love
of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine
or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[l] 37No, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved
us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor
any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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