Romans

Life Through the Spirit

This contradiction no longer exists for those in Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Christ, the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death.

The law was ineffective, weak as it was through the flesh. God, planning to destroy sin, sent his own Son in the likeness of those subject to the sinful human condition; by doing this he condemned the sin in this human condition.

Since then, the perfection intended by the law will be fulfilled by those who walk in the way of the spirit rather than in the way of the flesh.

Those who walk according to the flesh tend toward fleshly things; those led by the Spirit tend toward spiritual things.

The flesh tends to death, while the spirit seeks life and peace.

What the flesh desires goes against God: it does not agree, and it cannot even submit to God’s law.

Therefore, those living according to the flesh cannot please God.

However, your existence is not in the flesh but in the spirit because God’s Spirit dwells within you. If you did not have the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to him.

But Christ is within you; although the body is marked by death as a consequence of sin, the spirit is life and holiness.

And if the Spirit of him, who raised Jesus from the dead, is within you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. Yes, he will do it through his Spirit who dwells within you.

Then, brothers and sisters, let us forsake the flesh and stop living according to it.

If not, we will die. Instead, by walking in the Spirit, let us eliminate the body’s deeds so that we may live.

Everyone who walks in God’s Spirit is a son or daughter of God.

Then, do not fear anymore: you did not receive a spirit of slavery, but the spirit that makes you sons and daughters, and every time we cry, “Abba! (which means Dad!) Father!”

The Spirit reassures our spirit that we are sons and daughters of God.

If we are children, then we are also heirs. Our inheritance will be from God, and we will share it with Christ; for if we suffer with him now, we will also share in his glory.

Hope of Glory

I believe that the suffering of our current life cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed and given to us.

All creation eagerly awaits the glorious birth of God’s children.

For if the created world was unable to achieve its purpose, that does not come from itself but from the one who subjected it. However, there is still hope;

for even the created world will be freed from this fate of death and share in the freedom and glory of God’s children.

We understand that all of creation groans and experiences the pains of childbirth.

Not creation alone, but even ourselves; although the Spirit was given to us as a foretaste of what we are to receive, we groan in our innermost being, eagerly awaiting the day when God will give us full rights and rescue our bodies as well.

In hope, we already possess salvation. But if we saw what we hoped for, there would be no hope. For who hopes for what one sees?

So we hope for what we do not see, and we will receive it through patient hope.

Similarly, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but that very Spirit intercedes for us without words, as if with groans.

And he, who sees inner secrets, knows the desires of the Spirit, for he asks the holy ones what is pleasing to God.

The Love of God

We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love him, whom he has called according to his plan.

Those he knew beforehand, he also predestined to be like his Son, so that he may be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And so, those whom God predestined, he called; and those he called, he makes righteous; and to those he makes righteous, he will give his glory.

What should we say after this? If God is with us, who can be against us?

If he did not hold back his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also give us everything along with him?

Who will accuse those chosen by God? He removes their guilt.

Who will dare condemn them? Christ, who died and, even better, rose and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will it be trials, or anguish, persecution, or hunger, lack of clothing, or dangers, or the sword?

As the scripture says: For your sake, we are being killed all day long; they treat us like sheep to be slaughtered.

No, through all of this, we are more than conquerors, thanks to him who loved us.

I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor spiritual powers, neither the present nor the future, nor cosmic powers—

whether from heaven or the depths below—nor any creature whatsoever will separate us from the love of God, which we have in Jesus Christ, our Lord.