1 N ow, because of this, those who belong to Christ will not suffer the punishment of sin.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

2 T he power of the Holy Spirit has made me free from the power of sin and death. This power is mine because I belong to Christ Jesus.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 T he Law could not make me free from the power of sin and death. It was weak because it had to work with weak human beings. But God sent His own Son. He came to earth in a body of flesh which could be tempted to sin as we in our bodies can be. He gave Himself to take away sin. By doing that, He took away the power sin had over us.

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

4 I n that way, Jesus did for us what the Law said had to be done. We do not do what our sinful old selves tell us to do anymore. Now we do what the Holy Spirit wants us to do.

that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 T hose who let their sinful old selves tell them what to do live under that power of their sinful old selves. But those who let the Holy Spirit tell them what to do are under His power.

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.

6 I f your sinful old self is the boss over your mind, it leads to death. But if the Holy Spirit is the boss over your mind, it leads to life and peace.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 T he mind that thinks only of ways to please the sinful old self is fighting against God. It is not able to obey God’s Laws. It never can.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

8 T hose who do what their sinful old selves want to do cannot please God.

So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 B ut you are not doing what your sinful old selves want you to do. You are doing what the Holy Spirit tells you to do, if you have God’s Spirit living in you. No one belongs to Christ if he does not have Christ’s Spirit in him.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

10 I f Christ is in you, your spirit lives because you are right with God, and yet your body is dead because of sin.

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 T he Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. If the same Holy Spirit lives in you, He will give life to your bodies in the same way.

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Sonship Through the Spirit

12 S o then, Christian brothers, we are not to do what our sinful old selves want us to do.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

13 I f you do what your sinful old selves want you to do, you will die in sin. But if, through the power of the Holy Spirit, you destroy those actions to which the body can be led, you will have life.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 A ll those who are led by the Holy Spirit are sons of God.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

15 Y ou should not act like people who are owned by someone. They are always afraid. Instead, the Holy Spirit makes us His sons, and we can call to Him, “My Father.”

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

16 F or the Holy Spirit speaks to us and tells our spirit that we are children of God.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 I f we are children of God, we will receive everything He has promised us. We will share with Christ all the things God has given to Him. But we must share His suffering if we are to share His shining-greatness.

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 together. From Suffering to Glory

18 I am sure that our suffering now cannot be compared to the shining-greatness that He is going to give us.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19 E verything that has been made in the world is waiting for the day when God will make His sons known.

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

20 E verything that has been made in the world is weak. It is not that the world wanted it to be that way. God allowed it to be that way. Yet there is hope.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;

21 E verything that has been made in the world will be set free from the power that can destroy. These will become free just as the children of God become free.

because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 W e know that everything on the earth cries out with pain the same as a woman giving birth to a child.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

23 W e also cry inside ourselves, even we who have received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the first of God’s gifts to us. We are waiting to become His complete sons when our bodies are made free.

Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

24 W e were saved with this hope ahead of us. Now hope means we are waiting for something we do not have. How can a man hope for something he already has?

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

25 B ut if we hope for something we do not yet see, we must learn how to wait for it.

But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

26 I n the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us where we are weak. We do not know how to pray or what we should pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays to God for us with sounds that cannot be put into words.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 G od knows the hearts of men. He knows what the Holy Spirit is thinking. The Holy Spirit prays for those who belong to Christ the way God wants Him to pray.

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 W e know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

29 G od knew from the beginning who would put their trust in Him. So He chose them and made them to be like His Son. Christ was first and all those who belong to God are His brothers.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 H e called to Himself also those He chose. Those He called, He made right with Himself. Then He shared His shining-greatness with those He made right with Himself.

Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. God’s Everlasting Love

31 W hat can we say about all these things? Since God is for us, who can be against us?

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 G od did not keep His own Son for Himself but gave Him for us all. Then with His Son, will He not give us all things?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

33 W ho can say anything against the people God has chosen? It is God Who says they are right with Himself.

Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34 W ho then can say we are guilty? It was Christ Jesus Who died. He was raised from the dead. He is on the right side of God praying to Him for us.

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

35 W ho can keep us away from the love of Christ? Can trouble or problems? Can suffering wrong from others or having no food? Can it be because of no clothes or because of danger or war?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 T he Holy Writings say, “Because of belonging to Jesus, we are in danger of being killed all day long. We are thought of as sheep that are ready to be killed.”

As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 B ut we have power over all these things through Jesus Who loves us so much.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 F or I know that nothing can keep us from the love of God. Death cannot! Life cannot! Angels cannot! Leaders cannot! Any other power cannot! Hard things now or in the future cannot!

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

39 T he world above or the world below cannot! Any other living thing cannot keep us away from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.

nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.