Romans 8
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
So there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
What the law couldn't do because it was powerless due to our sinful nature, God was able to do! By sending his own Son in human form, God dealt with the whole problem of sin and destroyed sin's power in our sinful human nature.
4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
In this way we could fulfill the good requirements of the law by following the Spirit and not our sinful nature.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
Those who follow their sinful nature are preoccupied with sinful things, but those who follow the Spirit concentrate on spiritual things.
6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace;
The sinful human mind results in death, but having the mind led by the Spirit results in life and peace.
7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be.
The sinful human mind is hostile to God because it refuses to obey the law of God—in fact it never can,
8 Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.
and those who follow their sinful nature can never please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.
But you're not following your sinful nature, but the Spirit—if it's true that the Spirit of God is living in you. For those that don't have the Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him.
10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
However, if Christ is in you, even though your body is going to die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you're now right with God.
11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. He who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your dead bodies through his Spirit that lives in you.
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
So brothers and sisters, we don't have to follow our sinful nature that operates according to our human desires.
13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
For if you live under the control of your sinful nature, you're going to die. But if you follow the way of the Spirit, putting to death the evil things you do, then you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.
All those who are led by the Spirit of God are God's children.
15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
You were not given a spirit to enslave and terrify you once more. No, what you received was the spirit that makes you children in God's family. Now we can shout out, “God is our Father!”
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;
The Spirit himself agrees with us that we're God's children.
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.
If we're his children, then we're his heirs. We are heirs of God, and heirs together with Christ. But if we want to share in his glory we must share in his sufferings.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.
Yet I'm convinced that what we suffer in the present is nothing compared to the future glory that will be revealed to us.
19 For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
All of creation is patiently waiting, longing for God to reveal his children.
20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
For God allowed the purpose of creation to be frustrated.
21 that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
But creation itself waits in hope for the time when it will be set free from the slavery of decay and share the glorious freedom of God's children.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.
We know that all creation groans with longing, suffering birth-pains even up till now.
23 Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.
Not only creation, but we too, who have a foretaste of the Spirit, we groan inwardly as we wait for God to “adopt” us—the redemption of our bodies.
24 For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees?
For we were saved by hope. Yet hope that's already seen isn't hope at all. Who hopes for what they can already see?
25 But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.
Since we're hoping for what we haven't yet seen, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered.
Similarly the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We don't know how to speak with God, but the Spirit himself intercedes with and through us by groans that can't be put into words.
27 He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.
The one who examines the minds of everyone knows the Spirit's motives, because the Spirit pleads God's cause on behalf of the believers.
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, those who he has called to be part of his plan.
29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
For God, choosing them in advance, set them apart to be like his Son, so that the Son would be the first of many brothers and sisters.
30 Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.
Those that he chose, he also called; and those that he called, he also made right; and those that he made right, he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
So what's our response to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?
God, who did not hold back his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, won't he also freely give us everything?
33 Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies.
Who can accuse God's special people of anything? It's God who sets us right,
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
so who can condemn us? It's Christ Jesus who died—more importantly, who was raised from the dead—who stands at God's right-hand, presenting our case.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Who can separate us from Christ's love? Can oppression, distress, or persecution? Or hunger, poverty, danger, or violence?
36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Just as Scripture says, “For your sake we're in danger of being killed all the time. We're treated like sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
No—in all that happens to us we're more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
I'm absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor devils, neither the present nor the future, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
neither height nor depth, in fact nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
