There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in
Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For 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, he condemned sin
in the flesh, in 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. 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 set their minds on the things of the
Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the
mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on
the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law;
indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, 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. But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life
because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus
from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit
who dwells in you.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live
according to the flesh. 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. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are
sons of God. For 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!” The Spirit himself bears
witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and 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.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not
worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For
the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons
of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,
but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation
itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain
the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that
the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of
childbirth until now. And 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. For in
this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who
hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we
wait for it with patience.
Likewise 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. And he who searches hearts
knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes
for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for
those who love God all things work together for good, for those who
are called according to his purpose. For 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. And those whom
he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also
justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can
be against us? He 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? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God
who justifies. Who 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. Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
powers, nor 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.
