Romans 8

Be Ruled by the Spirit

1 So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty. 2 Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you 3 The law was without power, because the law 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 others use for sin. By sending his Son to be an offering for sin, God used a human life to destroy sin.

4 He did this so that we could be the kind of people the law correctly wants us to be. Now we do not live following our sinful selves, but we live following the Spirit.
5 Those who live following their sinful selves think only about things that their sinful selves want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about the things the Spirit wants them to do.6 If people’s thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace.7 When people’s thinking is controlled by the sinful self, they are against God, because they refuse to obey God’s law and really are not even able to obey God’s law.

8 Those people who are ruled by their sinful selves cannot please God.
9 But you are not ruled by your sinful selves. You are ruled by the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But the person who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ.10 Your 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.11 God raised Jesus from the dead, and if God’s Spirit is living in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. God is the One who raised Christ from the dead, and he will give life through 12 So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves or live the way our sinful selves want.

13 If you use your lives to do the wrong things 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.
14 The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.15 The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, “Father.” 16 And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God’s children.

17 If we are God’s children, we will receive blessings from God together with Christ. But we must suffer as Christ suffered so that we will have glory as Christ has glory.

Our Future Glory

18 The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us.19 Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God to show his children’s glory completely.20 Everything God made was changed to become useless, not by its own wish but because God wanted it and because all along there was this hope:

21 that everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belong to God’s children.
22 We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth.23 Not 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, which means our bodies will be made free.24 We were saved, and we have this hope. If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People do not hope for something they already have.

25 But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently.
26 Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain.

27 God can see what is in people’s hearts. And he knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way God wants.
28 We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. 29 God knew them before he made the world, and he chose them to be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn 

30 God planned for them to be like his Son; and those he planned to be like his Son, he also called; and those he called, he also made right with him; and those he made right, he also glorified.

God’s Love in Christ Jesus

31 So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can defeat us.32 He did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all. So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.33 Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one, because God is the One who makes them right.34 Who can say God’s people are guilty? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God’s right side, appealing to God for us.35 Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can troubles or problems or sufferings or hunger or nakedness or danger or violent death?

36 As it is written in the Scriptures:
“For you we are in danger of death all the time. People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.” t
37 But in all these things we are completely victorious through God who showed his love for us.38 Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers,39 nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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.