3/2/2023
From The Letter To The Romans, Chapter 8
“Therefore….
There is no condemnation
for those in Christ Jesus,
because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus
has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
For what the law
was powerless to do,
being limited by the flesh,
God did.
He condemned sin in the flesh
by sending His own Son in flesh
(like ours and under sin’s domain)
as a sin offering,
in order that the law’s requirement
would be accomplished in us and for us,
who do not walk according to the flesh
but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh
think about the things of the flesh,
but those who live according to the Spirit,
about the things of the Spirit.
The mind-set of the flesh is death,
but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.
For the mind-set of the flesh
is hostile to God
because it does not submit itself to God’s law,
and indeed ~ it is even unable to do so.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however,
are not in the flesh,
but you are in the Spirit
(if the Spirit of God indeed lives in you).
But,
if anyone
does not have
the Spirit of Christ,
then they do not belong to Christ.
Now,
if Christ is in you,
then your body is as good as dead because of sin,
but the Spirit in you is alive because of righteousness.
And if the Spirit of Him
who raised Jesus from the dead
lives within you,
then He
who raised Christ from the dead
will also bring life back
to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit
who lives in you
and your body.
So then, brothers,
we are indeed
under obligation,
but not to the flesh,
to live according to it.
For if you live
according to the flesh,
you will die.
But if,
by the Spirit,
you put to death
the misdeeds of the body,
you will live.
All those
led by God’s Spirit
are God’s true sons.
For you did not receive
a spirit of slavery
to fall back into fear,
but you received
a Spirit of adoption,
by whom
we cry out,
“Abba! Father!”
The Spirit Himself
testifies together
with our spirit
that we are indeed
God’s children;
and if we
are His children,
then we
are also his heirs —
heirs of God
and coheirs with Christ —
provided that
we suffer
with Him
so that
we may also
be glorified
with Him.
For this reason,
I consider
that the sufferings
of this present time
are not worth comparing
with the glory
yet to be revealed
within us.
For the Creation
eagerly waits
with anticipation
for God’s sons
to be revealed….
For we know
that the whole of Creation
has been groaning together
with labor pains
right up until now.
And not only that,
but we ourselves
who have the Spirit
as an initial firstfruit—
we also groan
within ourselves,
eagerly waiting
for adoption,
the redemption of our bodies.
Now,
in this hope
we were saved…
Yet hope
that is seen
is no hope at all,
because
who hopes
for what he already has?
But,
if we hope for
what we do not see,
we eagerly wait for it
with patience.
In the same way
the Spirit also joins
to help in our weakness,
because we do not know
what to pray for as we should,
but the Spirit Himself
intercedes for us
with unspoken groanings.
And He who
searches hearts
knows the Spirit’s mind-set
and He intercedes for the saints
according to the will of God.
We know
that all things
work together
for the good
of those who love God:
those who are called according to His purpose.
For those He foreknew
He also predestined
to be conformed
to the image of His Son,
so that He would be
the firstborn among many brothers.
And those He predestined,
He also called;
and those He called,
He also justified;
and those He justified,
He also glorified.
What then are we to say about these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?
How could He,
who did not even spare His own Son
but offered Him up for us all on our behalf,
not also with Christ grant us everything as his heirs?
Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?
God is the One who justifies.
Who is the one who condemns?
Christ Jesus is the One who died,
but even more,
the One raised from the dead
and is right now
at the right hand of God,
interceding for us on our behalf.
Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
Can affliction?
Or anguish?
Or persecution?
Or famine?
Or nakedness?
Or danger?
Or sword?
As it is written:
“Because of You,
we are being
put to death
|all day long;
we are counted
as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No!
In all these things,
we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us.
For I am persuaded
that not even death or life,
nor angels or principalities,
nor things present,
nor things to come,
nor hostile powers,
neither height or depth
or any other created thing
has the power to separate us
from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord!”
~ Paul of Tarsus
