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1 So there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 What the law couldn't do because it was powerless due to our sinful nature,* “Sinful nature,” Literally, “flesh,” meaning the sinful, fallen, physical nature of humanity. This word is used frequently in the following verses in contrast to the spiritual nature. God was able to do! By sending his own Son in human form, God dealt with the whole problem of sin† Or “by making a sacrifice of himself for sin.” and destroyed sin's power in our sinful human nature. 4 In this way we could fulfill the good requirements of the law by following the Spirit and not our sinful nature. 5 Those who follow their sinful nature are preoccupied with sinful things, but those who follow the Spirit concentrate on spiritual things. 6 The sinful human mind results in death, but having the mind led by the Spirit results in life and peace. 7 The sinful human mind is hostile to God because it refuses to obey the law of God—in fact it never can, 8 and those who follow their sinful nature can never please God. 9 But you're not following your sinful nature, but the Spirit—if it's true that the Spirit of God is living in you. For those that don't have the Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him.
10 However, if Christ is in you, even though your body is going to die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you're now right with God. 11 The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. He who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your dead bodies through his Spirit that lives in you. 12 So brothers and sisters, we don't have to follow‡ Or “have no obligation to.” our sinful nature that operates according to our human desires. 13 For if you live under the control of your sinful nature, you're going to die. But if you follow the way of the Spirit, putting to death the evil things you do, then you will live. 14 All those who are led by the Spirit of God are God's children. 15 You were not given a spirit to enslave and terrify you once more. No, what you received was the spirit that makes you children in God's family. Now we can shout out, “God is our Father!” 16 The Spirit himself agrees with us§ Literally, “our spirit.” that we're God's children. 17 If we're his children, then we're his heirs. We are heirs of God, and heirs together with Christ. But if we want to share in his glory we must share in his sufferings.
18 Yet I'm convinced that what we suffer in the present is nothing compared to the future glory that will be revealed to us. 19 All of creation is patiently waiting, longing for God to reveal his children. 20 For God allowed the purpose of creation to be frustrated. 21 But creation itself waits in hope for the time when it will be set free from the slavery of decay and share the glorious freedom of God's children. 22 We know that all creation groans with longing, suffering birth-pains even up till now. 23 Not only creation, but we too, who have a foretaste of the Spirit, we groan inwardly as we wait for God to “adopt” us—the redemption of our bodies. 24 For we were saved by hope. Yet hope that's already seen isn't hope at all. Who hopes for what they can already see? 25 Since we're hoping for what we haven't yet seen, we wait for it patiently.
26 Similarly the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We don't know how to speak with God, but the Spirit himself intercedes with and through us by groans that can't be put into words. 27 The one who examines the minds of everyone knows the Spirit's motives,* Or “the mind of the Spirit.” because the Spirit pleads God's cause on behalf of the believers. 28 We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, those who he has called to be part of his plan. 29 For God, choosing them in advance, set them apart to be like his Son, so that the Son would be the first of many brothers and sisters. 30 Those that he chose, he also called; and those that he called, he also made right; and those that he made right, he also glorified.
31 So what's our response to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 God, who did not hold back his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, won't he also freely give us everything? 33 Who can accuse God's special people of anything? It's God who sets us right, 34 so who can condemn us? It's Christ Jesus who died—more importantly, who was raised from the dead—who stands at God's right-hand, presenting our case.
35 Who can separate us from Christ's love? Can oppression, distress, or persecution? Or hunger, poverty, danger, or violence? 36 Just as Scripture says, “For your sake we're in danger of being killed all the time. We're treated like sheep to be slaughtered.”† Quoting Psalms 44:22. 37 No—in all that happens to us we're more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 I'm absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor devils, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, 39 neither height nor depth, in fact nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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*8:3 “Sinful nature,” Literally, “flesh,” meaning the sinful, fallen, physical nature of humanity. This word is used frequently in the following verses in contrast to the spiritual nature.

†8:3 Or “by making a sacrifice of himself for sin.”

‡8:12 Or “have no obligation to.”

§8:16 Literally, “our spirit.”

*8:27 Or “the mind of the Spirit.”

†8:36 Quoting Psalms 44:22.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher