Life in the Spirit
Study note
Paul opens with the triumphant declaration that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. The law of the Spirit of life has set believers free from the law of sin and death. What the law could not accomplish because of human weakness, God did by sending his Son as a sin offering. Those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on spiritual things, which lead to life and peace. The indwelling Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to mortal bodies.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 The Spirit gives life, and his law in Christ Jesus has broken the chains of the law of sin and death that held me down. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 He did this so we could live up to what the law always wanted. We do this not by trying harder on our own but by following the Spirit. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 People who are controlled by their old nature think about old-nature things. But people who follow the Spirit think about what the Spirit cares about. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 Letting your old nature run your thinking leads to death. But letting the Spirit shape your thinking leads to life and peace. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 A mind controlled by the old nature is fighting against God. It refuses to do what God says, and honestly, it cannot. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 People who are run by their old nature simply cannot make God happy. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But that is not you -- not if God's Spirit is living in you. And if someone does not have Christ's Spirit, they do not truly belong to him. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 But Christ is in you. Even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because God has made you right with him. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 The Spirit of the God who raised Jesus from death is living inside you right now. And the same God who brought Christ back to life will also give new life to your body that is going to die, through his Spirit who lives in you. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Adopted as Children of God
Study note
Believers have no obligation to live according to the flesh. Those led by the Spirit are children of God who have received the spirit of adoption, not a spirit of slavery and fear. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children. And if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing in both his suffering and his glory.
12 So, my friends, we do have a responsibility -- but it is not to our old sinful nature. We do not owe it anything. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 If you let your old nature run your life, you will end up dead. But if you use the Spirit's power to shut down the wrong things your body wants to do, you will truly live. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 Everyone who lets God's Spirit guide them is a child of God. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 The Spirit God gave you does not turn you into a scared slave. Instead, the Spirit brought you into God's family as his own child. And through the Spirit, we call out to God, 'Daddy! Father!' For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 God's Spirit joins with our own spirit to tell us something wonderful: we truly are God's children. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And since we are his children, we get an inheritance -- an inheritance from God himself! We share it with Christ. But just as we share in his glory, we also need to be willing to share in his suffering. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Future Glory and Creation's Hope
Study note
Paul places present suffering in eternal perspective: it is not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed. All creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of God's children, when it will be liberated from its bondage to decay. Even believers groan inwardly as they await the full redemption of their bodies. This hope sustains them with patience as they wait for what they cannot yet see.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 All of creation is waiting eagerly. It is watching for the moment when God's children are finally shown to the world. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 The world was dragged into frustration and brokenness -- not because it chose to be, but because God allowed it to happen. And he did it with a purpose, For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 because one day creation itself will be set free from being trapped in decay. It will share in the same glorious freedom that God's children enjoy. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 We can see that the whole created world has been groaning like a woman in labor, right up to this very moment. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And it is not creation. We ourselves, even though we already have a taste of the Spirit, are groaning inside. We are waiting for God to fully adopt us and give us new bodies. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 We were saved with this hope in mind. But hope you can already see is not truly hope -- who hopes for something they already have? For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 When we hope for something we have not seen yet, we wait for it with steady patience. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
The Spirit Intercedes
Study note
The Holy Spirit helps believers in their weakness, especially in prayer. When we do not know what to pray for, the Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. God, who searches hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to God's will.
26 And here is something beautiful: the Spirit steps in to help us when we are weak. We do not even know the right words to pray, but the Spirit himself talks to God for us with feelings too deep for any words. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And God, who sees everything in our hearts, knows exactly what the Spirit is saying. The Spirit prays for God's people in perfect step with what God wants. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
More Than Conquerors
Study note
Paul builds to a magnificent crescendo of assurance. God works all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. The golden chain of salvation -- foreknown, predestined, called, justified, glorified -- reveals God's unbreakable commitment to his people. If God is for us, no one can stand against us. Nothing in all creation -- neither death nor life, angels nor rulers, present nor future, height nor depth -- can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 Because this is what God did: the people he already knew about, he marked out ahead of time to become like his Son. That way, Jesus would be the oldest brother in a great family. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 The people he marked out, he called. The people he called, he made right with himself. And the people he made right, he gave a share in his glory. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 God did not even hold back his own Son -- he gave him up for all of us. After doing something that incredible, do you truly think he would refuse to give us everything else we need? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who would dare accuse the people God has chosen? God himself has declared them not guilty. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is going to condemn them? Christ Jesus already died for them -- and more than that, he came back to life! Right now he is sitting in the place of highest honor next to God, and he is speaking up for us. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 So what could ever tear us away from how much Christ loves us? Could trouble do it? Or hard times? Or being hunted down? Or going hungry? Or having nothing to wear? Or facing danger? Or being threatened with death? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 The scriptures describe it: 'Because of you, we face the risk of death all day long. People treat us like sheep headed for slaughter.' As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.