Be Ruled by the Spirit

8 So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not ·judged guilty^[a] [condemned; punished for their sins]. ² [^LFor] ·Through [or In] Christ Jesus the ·law [principle; or power] of the Spirit that brings life set you^[b] free from the ·law [principle; or power] that brings sin and death. ³ The law [^Cof Moses] was without power, because the law was made weak by our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh]. But God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son to earth ·with the same human life that others use for sin [or in a body like ours, prone to sin; ^Lin the likeness of sinful flesh]. By sending his Son ·to be an offering for sin [^Lconcerning sin], God ·used a human life to destroy sin [^Lcondemned sin in the flesh]. ⁴ He did this so that ·we could be the kind of people that the law demands that we be [^Lthe law’s righteous/just requirements would be fulfilled in us]. Now we do not ·live [walk; ^Clife’s journey] following our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh], but following the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live following their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh] ·think only about [have their minds set on; or have their outlook shaped by] things that their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh] want. But those who live following the Spirit ·are thinking about [have their minds set on; or have their outlook shaped by] the things ·the Spirit wants them to do [^Lof the Spirit]. ⁶ If people’s ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the ·sinful self [sinful nature; ^Tflesh], ·there is [the result is] death. But if their ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the Spirit, ·there is [the result is] life and peace. ⁷ When people’s ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the ·sinful self [sinful nature; ^Tflesh], they are ·against [hostile to] God, because they refuse to ·obey [submit to] God’s law and really are not even able to ·obey [submit to] God’s law. ⁸ Those people who are ·ruled by [or under the control of; ^Lin] ·their sinful selves [their sinful nature; ^Tthe flesh] cannot please God.

⁹ But you are not ·ruled by [controlled by; or in] ·your sinful selves [your sinful nature; ^Tthe flesh], but ·by [or in] the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But the person who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ Your body ·will always be [^Lis] dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit ·gives you [^Lis] life, because ·Christ made you right with God [^Lof righteousness]. ¹¹ God raised Jesus from the dead, and if God’s Spirit is living in you, the One who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies that die, through^[c] his Spirit who lives in you.

¹² So, my brothers and sisters, we ·must not be ruled by [^Lare not obligated to] ·our sinful selves [our sinful nature; ^Tthe flesh] or live ·the way our sinful selves want [according to the sinful nature/^Tflesh]. ¹³ [^LFor] If you ·use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want [^Llive according to the flesh], you will ·die spiritually [^Ldie]. But if you ·use the Spirit’s help to [^Lby the Spirit] ·stop doing the wrong things you do with [^Lput to death the deeds of] your body, you will ·have true life [^Llive].

¹⁴ For all those who are led by the Spirit of God are the ·children [or sons] of God. ¹⁵ ·The Spirit you received does not make you slaves again to fear [or You did not receive the spirit of slavery, leading to fear]; instead, you received the Spirit ·who adopts you as God’s children [^Lof adoption]. ·With [Through] that Spirit we cry out, “Abba [^CAramaic for “Father”; Mark 14:36], Father.” ¹⁶ And the Spirit himself ·joins with [or testifies to] our spirits to say we are God’s children. ¹⁷ If we are God’s children, we ·will receive blessings from God together with Christ [^Lare heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ]. ·But we must [^L…if indeed we] ·suffer as Christ suffered [share in his sufferings] so that we ·will have glory as Christ has glory [may share in his glory].

Our Future Glory

¹⁸ [^LFor I consider that] The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be ·shown [revealed] to us. ¹⁹ ·Everything God made [^LThe creation] is waiting with ·excitement [eager expectation] for ·God to show his children’s glory completely [the revelation of the children/sons of God]. ²⁰ ·Everything God made [^LFor the creation] was ·changed to become useless [subjected to futility/meaninglessness; Gen. 3; Eccl. 1:2], not by its own wish but because God ·wanted [^Lsubjected] it ·and because all along there was this hope [yet with the hope…]: ²¹ that ·everything God made [the creation itself] would be set free from ·ruin [inevitable decay; ^Lthe slavery of decay] to have the ·freedom and glory [or glorious freedom] that belong to God’s children.

²² We know that ·everything God made [all creation] has been ·waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth [^Lgroaning with labor pains until now]. ²³ Not only the world, but we also ·have been waiting with pain inside us [^Lgroan within ourselves]. We have the Spirit as the ·first part of God’s promise [^Lfirstfruits; ^Cas the first crops confirmed the future harvest, so the Spirit’s presence confirms believers’ final salvation]. So we are [eagerly] waiting for ·God to finish making us his own children [^Lour adoption], which means ·our bodies will be made free [^Lthe redemption of our bodies]. ²⁴ We were saved, ·and we have this hope [or …by this hope; ^Lin hope]. If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. ·People do not hope [^LFor who hopes…?] for something they already have. ²⁵ But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it ·patiently [with perseverance].

²⁶ ·Also [or In the same way], the Spirit helps us ·with [or in] our weakness. We do not know ·how to pray as we should [or what we ought to pray for]. But the Spirit himself ·speaks to God for us [intercedes] with ·deep feelings [^Lgroanings] ·that words cannot explain [or that are inexpressible; or that are unspoken; or too deep for words]. ²⁷ ·God can see what is in people’s hearts and [^LThe one who searches hearts] knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit ·speaks to God [intercedes; appeals] for ·his people [or his holy people; ^Tthe saints] ·in the way God wants [or in harmony with God; ^Laccording to God].

²⁸ We know that ·in everything God works [or God works everything together; or everything works together (see text note)] for the good of those who love him.^[d] They are the people he called, ·because that was his plan [^L…according to his purpose]. ²⁹ ·God knew them before he made the world [^LFor those whom he foreknew…], ·and he chose them […he also predestined/chose beforehand] to be ·like [molded to the pattern of; conformed to the image of] his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn [^Cthe preeminent one, but also indicating others will follow] of many brothers and sisters [^CJesus’ resurrection confirms that his followers will also share in God’s glory]. ³⁰ And those God ·chose to be like his Son [predestined; chose beforehand], he also called; and those he called, he also ·made right with him [declared righteous; justified]; and those he ·made right [declared righteous; justified], he also glorified [^Cboth a past act in Christ, and a future transformation].

God’s Love in Christ Jesus

³¹ So what should we say ·about this [in response to these things]? If God is for us, ·no one can defeat us [^Lwho is against us?]. ³² He did not spare his own Son but ·gave him [or delivered him over; ^Cto death] for us all. So with Jesus, ·God will surely [how could he not…?] give us all things. ³³ Who can ·accuse [bring an accusation/charge against] the people God has chosen? No one, because God is the One who ·makes them right [declares them righteous; justifies them]. ³⁴ Who can ·say God’s people are guilty [condemn; pronounce punishment]? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God’s right ·side [hand; Ps. 110:1], ·appealing to God [interceding; pleading] for us. ³⁵ ·Can anything [or Who can] separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can ·troubles [trials; tribulations] or ·problems [distress; hardship] or ·sufferings [persecution] or ·hunger [famine] or ·nakedness [destitution] or danger or ·violent death [^Lsword]? ³⁶ As it is written in the Scriptures:

³⁷ But in all these things we are completely victorious through ·God [or Christ; ^Lthe One] who showed his love for us. ³⁸ Yes, I am ·sure [convinced] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ·ruling spirits [or heavenly rulers; or demons; ^Lrulers; ^Tprincipalities], nothing ·now [in the present], nothing in the future, no ·powers [or spiritual powers/authorities], ³⁹ ·nothing above us [or no powers in the sky], ·nothing below us [or nor powers in the depths], nor ·anything else in the whole world [any created thing] will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.