Romans 8

God’s Spirit Makes Us His Children

1 So those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned.2 The standards of the Spirit, who gives life through Christ Jesus, have set you free from the standards of sin and death.3 It is impossible to do what God’s standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin. That way God condemned sin in our corrupt nature.

4 Therefore, we, who do not live by our corrupt nature but by our spiritual nature, are able to meet God’s standards.
5 Those who live by the corrupt nature have the corrupt nature’s attitude. But those who live by the spiritual nature have the spiritual nature’s attitude.6 The corrupt nature’s attitude leads to death. But the spiritual nature’s attitude leads to life and peace.7 This is so because the corrupt nature has a hostile attitude toward God. It refuses to place itself under the authority of God’s standards because it can’t.8 Those who are under the control of the corrupt nature can’t please God.

9 But if God’s Spirit lives in you, you are under the control of your spiritual nature, not your corrupt nature.
Whoever doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ doesn’t belong to him.10 However, if Christ lives in you, your bodies are dead because of sin, but your spirits are alive because you have God’s approval.

11 Does the Spirit of the one who brought Jesus back to life live in you? Then the one who brought Christ back to life will also make your mortal bodies alive by his Spirit who lives in you.
12 So, brothers and sisters, we have no obligation to live the way our corrupt nature wants us to live.13 If you live by your corrupt nature, you are going to die. But if you use your spiritual nature to put to death the evil activities of the body, you will live.14 Certainly, all who are guided by God’s Spirit are God’s children.15 You haven’t received the spirit of slaves that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the spirit of God’s adopted children by which we call out, “Abba!t Father!”16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

17 If we are his children, we are also God’s heirs. If we share in Christ’s suffering in order to share his glory, we are heirs together with him.

God’s Spirit Helps Us

18 I consider our present sufferings insignificant compared to the glory that will soon be revealed to us.19 All creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal who his children are.20 Creation was subjected to frustration but not by its own choice. The one who subjected it to frustration did so in the hope21 that it would also be set free from slavery to decay in order to share the glorious freedom that the children of God will have.

22 We know that all creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth up to the present time.
23 However, not only creation groans. We, who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts, also groan inwardly. We groan as we eagerly wait for our adoption, the freeing of our bodies from sin.24 We were saved with this hope in mind. If we hope for something we already see, it’s not really hope. Who hopes for what can be seen?

25 But if we hope for what we don’t see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26 At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words.

27 The one who searches our hearts knows what the Spirit has in mind. The Spirit intercedes for God’s people the way God wants him to.

Nothing Can Separate Us From God’s Love

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan.29 This is true because he already knew his people and had already appointed them to have the same form as the image of his Son. Therefore, his Son is the firstborn among many children.

30 He also called those whom he had already appointed. He approved of those whom he had called, and he gave glory to those whom he had approved of.
31 What can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us?32 God didn’t spare his own Son but handed him over to death for all of us. So he will also give us everything along with him.33 Who will accuse those whom God has chosen? God has approved of them.34 Who will condemn them? Christ has died, and more importantly, he was brought back to life. Christ has the highest position in heaven. Christ also intercedes for us.35 What will separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or violent death separate us from his love?

36 As Scripture says:
“We are being killed all day long because of you.We are thought of as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 The one who loves us gives us an overwhelming victory in all these difficulties.38 I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us.t We can’t be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces

39 or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation.

Romans 8

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that 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.3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.5 For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.6 For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:8 and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh:13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope21 that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.23 And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.24 For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth?25 But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.26 And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered;27 and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.28 And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:30 and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth;34 who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36 Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that 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,39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.