1Those who belong to Christ Jesus are no longer under God’s judgment.2Because of what Christ Jesus has done, you are free. You are now controlled by the law of the Holy Spirit who gives you life. The law of the Spirit frees you from the law of sin that brings death.3The written law was made weak by the power of sin. But God did what the written law could not do. He made his Son to be like those who live under the power of sin. God sent him to be an offering for sin. Jesus suffered God’s judgment against our sin.4Jesus does for us everything the holy law requires. The power of sin should no longer control the way we live. The Holy Spirit should control the way we live.5So don’t live under the control of sin. If you do, you will think about what sin wants. Live under the control of the Holy Spirit. If you do, you will think about what the Spirit wants.6The thoughts of a person ruled by sin bring death. But the mind ruled by the Spirit brings life and peace.7The mind ruled by the power of sin is at war with God. It does not obey God’s law. It can’t.8Those who are under the power of sin can’t please God.9But you are not ruled by the power of sin. Instead, the Holy Spirit rules over you. This is true if the Spirit of God lives in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ.10If Christ lives in you, you will live. Though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life. The Spirit does this because you have been made right with God.11The Spirit of the God who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. So the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your bodies. He will do this because of his Spirit who lives in you.12Brothers and sisters, we have a duty. Our duty is not to live under the power of sin.13If you live under the power of sin, you will die. But by the Spirit’s power you can put to death the sins you commit. Then you will live.14Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.15The Spirit you received doesn’t make you slaves. Otherwise you would live in fear again. Instead, the Holy Spirit you received made you God’s adopted child. By the Spirit’s power we call God Abba. Abba means Father.16The Spirit himself joins with our spirits. Together they tell us that we are God’s children.17As his children, we will receive all that he has for us. We will share what Christ receives. But we must share in his sufferings if we want to share in his glory.
Suffering now and glory in the future
18What we are suffering now is nothing compared with our future glory.19Everything God created looks forward to the future. That will be the time when his children appear in their full and final glory.20The created world was held back from fulfilling its purpose. But this was not the result of its own choice. It was planned that way by the one who held it back. God planned21to set the created world free. He didn’t want it to rot away. Instead, God wanted it to have the same freedom and glory that his children have.22We know that all that God created has been groaning. It is in pain as if it were giving birth to a child. The created world continues to groan even now.23And that’s not all. We have the Holy Spirit as the promise of future blessing. But we also groan inside ourselves. We do this as we look forward to the time when God adopts us as full members of his family. Then he will give us everything he has for us. He will raise our bodies and give glory to them.24That’s the hope we had when we were saved. But hope that can be seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?25We hope for what we don’t have yet. So we are patient as we wait for it.26In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us when we are weak. We don’t know what we should pray for. But the Spirit himself prays for us. He prays through groans too deep for words.27God, who looks into our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit. And the Spirit prays for God’s people just as God wants him to pray.28We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. He appointed them to be saved in keeping with his purpose.29God planned that those he had chosen would become like his Son. In that way, Christ will be the first and most honoured among many brothers and sisters.30And those God has planned for, he has also appointed to be saved. Those he has appointed, he has made right with himself. To those he has made right with himself, he has given his glory.
We are more than winners
31What should we say then? Since God is on our side, who can be against us?32God did not spare his own Son. He gave him up for us all. Then won’t he also freely give us everything else?33Who can bring any charge against God’s chosen ones? God makes us right with himself.34Then who can sentence us to death? No one. Christ Jesus is at the right hand of God and is also praying for us. He died. More than that, he was raised to life.35Who can separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or hard times or harm or hunger? Can nakedness or danger or war?36It is written, ‘Because of you, we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be killed.’ (Ps 44:22)37No! In all these things we are more than winners! We owe it all to Christ, who has loved us.38I am absolutely sure that not even death or life can separate us from God’s love. Not even angels or demons, the present or the future, or any powers can separate us.39Not even the highest places or the lowest, or anything else in all creation can separate us. Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done.
Romans 8
English Standard Version
Life in the Spirit
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[1]2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you[2] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Ro 6:14; Ro 6:18; Ro 7:4; Ro 8:12; 1Co 15:45; 2Co 3:6)3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[3] he condemned sin in the flesh, (Le 16:5; Joh 1:14; Ac 13:39; 2Co 5:21; Ga 4:9; Php 2:7; Heb 7:18; Heb 10:1; Heb 10:6; Heb 10:8; Heb 10:10; Heb 10:14; Heb 13:11)4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Ro 1:32; Ro 2:26; Ga 5:16; Ga 5:25)5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (Ga 5:19; Ga 5:22; Ga 5:25; Ga 6:8)6For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (Ro 6:21; Ro 8:13; Col 2:18)7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. (1Co 2:14; Jas 4:4)8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. (Joh 14:17; Ac 16:7; Ro 8:11; 1Co 3:16; 1Co 6:19; 2Co 6:16; 2Ti 1:14; Jud 1:19)10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus[4] from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Ac 2:24; 2Co 3:6)
Heirs with Christ
12So then, brothers,[5] we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. (Ro 8:2)13For 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. (Col 3:5)14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons[6] of God. (De 14:1; Ho 1:10; Joh 1:12; Ro 8:16; Ro 8:19; Ro 9:8; Ro 9:26; Ga 5:18)15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Isa 56:5; Jer 31:9; Mr 14:36; Ro 8:23; Ro 9:4; 1Co 2:12; Ga 2:4; Ga 4:5; Ga 4:6; 2Ti 1:7; Heb 2:15; 1Jo 4:18)16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (2Co 1:22; 2Co 5:5; Eph 1:13; 1Jo 3:24)17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Ac 14:22; 2Co 1:7; Ga 3:29; Ga 4:7; 2Ti 2:12; Tit 3:7)
Future Glory
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (2Co 4:17; 1Pe 1:5)19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. (Ro 2:7; 1Pe 4:13; 1Pe 5:1; 1Jo 3:2)20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope (Ge 3:17; Ge 3:18; Ec 1:2)21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Ac 3:21)22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (Jer 12:4; Jer 12:11; Mr 16:15)23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Isa 25:9; Lu 21:28; Ro 7:24; Ro 8:19; Ro 8:25; 2Co 5:2; 2Co 5:4; 2Co 5:5; Ga 5:5; Jas 1:18)24For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? (2Co 4:18; 1Th 1:3; 1Th 5:8; Heb 11:1)25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (1Th 1:3; 1Th 5:8)26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Zec 12:10; Mt 20:22; Joh 14:16; Eph 6:18; Jas 4:3)27And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[7] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (1Sa 16:7; 1Ch 28:9; Pr 15:11; Pr 17:3; Jer 11:20; Jer 17:10; Lu 16:15; Ro 8:6; Ro 8:34; 1Th 2:4; 1Jo 5:14)28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[8] for those who are called according to his purpose. (Ezr 8:22; Ec 8:12; Ro 9:24; 1Co 1:9; 1Co 7:15; 1Co 7:17; Ga 1:15; Ga 5:8; Eph 4:1; Eph 4:4; 2Ti 1:9)29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Ro 9:23; Ro 11:2; 1Co 2:7; 1Co 15:49; Eph 1:5; Eph 1:11; Php 3:21; Col 1:15; Col 1:18; Col 3:10; Heb 1:6; 1Pe 1:2; 1Jo 3:2; Re 1:5)30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Joh 17:22; 1Co 6:11; Heb 2:10)
God’s Everlasting Love
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be[9] against us? (Nu 14:9; 2Ki 6:16; Ps 118:6; 1Jo 4:4)32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Joh 3:16; Ro 4:25)33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. (Isa 50:8; Re 12:10)34Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.[10] (Mr 16:19; Ro 8:1; Ro 8:27; Heb 7:25; 1Jo 2:1)35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?36As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Ps 44:22; Ac 20:24; 1Co 4:9; 1Co 15:30; 2Co 4:10)37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Joh 16:33; 1Co 15:57; Ga 2:20; Eph 5:2; Re 1:5; Re 3:9)38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.