Romans 8

The Life-Giving Spirit

¹Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,²³because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.⁴⁵For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering,⁶⁷in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.⁸⁹For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit.¹⁰¹¹Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.¹²¹³The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so.¹⁴¹⁵Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.¹⁶¹⁷You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.¹⁸¹⁹Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.²⁰²¹And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.²²

The Holy Spirit’s Ministries

²³So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh,²⁴²⁵because 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, you will live.²⁶²⁷For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.²⁸²⁹For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”³⁰³¹The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,³²³³and if children, also heirs — heirs of God and coheirs with Christ — if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.³⁴

From Groans to Glory

³⁵For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.³⁶³⁷For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed.³⁸³⁹For the creation was subjected to futility — not willingly, but because of him who subjected it — in the hope⁴⁰⁴¹that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.⁴²⁴³For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.⁴⁴⁴⁵Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits — we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.⁴⁶⁴⁷Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?⁴⁸⁴⁹Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.⁵⁰

⁵¹In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.⁵²⁵³And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.⁵⁴

⁵⁵We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.⁵⁶⁵⁷For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.⁵⁸⁵⁹And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.⁶⁰

The Believer’s Triumph

⁶¹What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?⁶²⁶³He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?⁶⁴⁶⁵Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.⁶⁶⁶⁷Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.⁶⁸⁶⁹Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?⁷⁰⁷¹As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.⁷²

⁷³No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.⁷⁴⁷⁵For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,⁷⁶⁷⁷nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.⁷⁸