A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you,^(A) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,^(B) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform^(C) to the pattern of this world,^(D) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.^(E) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is^(F)—his good, pleasing^(G) and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

³ For by the grace given me^(H) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,^{(I) 5} so in Christ we, though many, form one body,^(J) and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts,^(K) according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,^(L) then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith;^{(M) 7} if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;^{(N) 8} if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;^(O) if it is giving, then give generously;^(P) if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action

⁹ Love must be sincere.^(Q) Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.^{(R) 10} Be devoted to one another in love.^(S) Honor one another above yourselves.^{(T) 11} Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,^(U) serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope,^(V) patient in affliction,^(W) faithful in prayer.^{(X) 13} Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.^(Y) Practice hospitality.^(Z)

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you;^(AA) bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.^{(AB) 16} Live in harmony with one another.^(AC) Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[c] Do not be conceited.^(AD)

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil.^(AE) Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.^{(AF) 18} If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.^{(AG) 19} Do not take revenge,^(AH) my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d](AI) says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

God’s Faithfulness

3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? ² Much in every way!^(A) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.^(B)

³ What if some were unfaithful?^(C) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?^{(D) 4} Not at all! Let God be true,^(E) and every human being a liar.^(F) As it is written:

⁵ But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,^(H) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)^{(I) 6} Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?^{(J) 7} Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,^(K) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”^{(L) 8} Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?^(M) Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

⁹ What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?^(N) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.^{(O) 10} As it is written:

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says,^(V) it says to those who are under the law,^(W) so that every mouth may be silenced^(X) and the whole world held accountable to God.^{(Y) 20} Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;^(Z) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.^(AA)

Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God^(AB) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.^{(AC) 22} This righteousness^(AD) is given through faith^(AE) in^[h] Jesus Christ^(AF) to all who believe.^(AG) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,^{(AH) 23} for all have sinned^(AI) and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified^(AJ) freely by his grace^(AK) through the redemption^(AL) that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[i](AM) through the shedding of his blood^(AN)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(AO)— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting?^(AP) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.^{(AQ) 29} Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,^{(AR) 30} since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.^{(AS) 31} Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say^(AT) that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,^(AU) discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.^{(AV) 3} What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[j](AW)

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift^(AX) but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.^{(AY) 6} David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?^(BA) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.^{(BB) 10} Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.^(BC) So then, he is the father^(BD) of all who believe^(BE) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise^(BF) that he would be heir of the world,^(BG) but through the righteousness that comes by faith.^{(BH) 14} For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,^{(BI) 15} because the law brings wrath.^(BJ) And where there is no law there is no transgression.^(BK)

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace^(BL) and may be guaranteed^(BM) to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.^{(BN) 17} As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”^[l](BO) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life^(BP) to the dead and calls^(BQ) into being things that were not.^(BR)

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,^(BS) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”^{[m](BT) 19} Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead^(BU)—since he was about a hundred years old^(BV)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.^{(BW) 20} Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened^(BX) in his faith and gave glory to God,^{(BY) 21} being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.^{(BZ) 22} This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”^{(CA) 23} The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us,^(CB) to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him^(CC) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.^{(CD) 25} He was delivered over to death for our sins^(CE) and was raised to life for our justification.^(CF)

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified^(CG) through faith,^(CH) we^[n] have peace^(CI) with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,^{(CJ) 2} through whom we have gained access^(CK) by faith into this grace in which we now stand.^(CL) And we^[o] boast in the hope^(CM) of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[p] also glory in our sufferings,^(CN) because we know that suffering produces perseverance;^{(CO) 4} perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope^(CP) does not put us to shame, because God’s love^(CQ) has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,^(CR) who has been given to us.

⁶ You see, at just the right time,^(CS) when we were still powerless,^(CT) Christ died for the ungodly.^{(CU) 7} Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.^(CV)

⁹ Since we have now been justified^(CW) by his blood,^(CX) how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath^(CY) through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies,^(CZ) we were reconciled^(DA) to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!^{(DB) 11} Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.^(DC)

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,^(DD) and death through sin,^(DE) and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned^(DF)—

¹³ To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.^{(DG) 14} Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam,^(DH) who is a pattern of the one to come.^(DI)

¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man,^(DJ) how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ,^(DK) overflow to the many! ¹⁶ Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death^(DL) reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life^(DM) through the one man, Jesus Christ!

¹⁸ Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,^(DN) so also one righteous act resulted in justification^(DO) and life^(DP) for all people. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man^(DQ) the many were made sinners,^(DR) so also through the obedience^(DS) of the one man the many will be made righteous.

²⁰ The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.^(DT) But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,^{(DU) 21} so that, just as sin reigned in death,^(DV) so also grace^(DW) might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life^(DX) through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

6 What shall we say, then?^(DY) Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?^{(DZ) 2} By no means! We are those who have died to sin;^(EA) how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized^(EB) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death^(EC) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead^(ED) through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.^(EE)

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.^{(EF) 6} For we know that our old self^(EG) was crucified with him^(EH) so that the body ruled by sin^(EI) might be done away with,^[q] that we should no longer be slaves to sin^(EJ)— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.^(EK)

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.^{(EL) 9} For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,^(EM) he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.^{(EN) 10} The death he died, he died to sin^(EO) once for all;^(EP) but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin^(EQ) but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign^(ER) in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,^(ES) but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.^{(ET) 14} For sin shall no longer be your master,^(EU) because you are not under the law,^(EV) but under grace.^(EW)

Slaves to Righteousness

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?^(EX) By no means! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey^(EY)—whether you are slaves to sin,^(EZ) which leads to death,^(FA) or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God^(FB) that, though you used to be slaves to sin,^(FC) you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching^(FD) that has now claimed your allegiance. ¹⁸ You have been set free from sin^(FE) and have become slaves to righteousness.^(FF)

¹⁹ I am using an example from everyday life^(FG) because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness^(FH) leading to holiness. ²⁰ When you were slaves to sin,^(FI) you were free from the control of righteousness.^{(FJ) 21} What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!^{(FK) 22} But now that you have been set free from sin^(FL) and have become slaves of God,^(FM) the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.^{(FN) 23} For the wages of sin is death,^(FO) but the gift of God is eternal life^(FP) in^[r] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters^(FQ)—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? ² For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.^{(FR) 3} So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.^(FS) But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

⁴ So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law^(FT) through the body of Christ,^(FU) that you might belong to another,^(FV) to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵ For when we were in the realm of the flesh,^[s](FW) the sinful passions aroused by the law^(FX) were at work in us,^(FY) so that we bore fruit for death.^{(FZ) 6} But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law^(GA) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.^(GB)

The Law and Sin

⁷ What shall we say, then?^(GC) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!^(GD) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.^(GE) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”^{[t](GF) 8} But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^(GG) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.^{(GH) 9} Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. ¹⁰ I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life^(GI) actually brought death. ¹¹ For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^(GJ) deceived me,^(GK) and through the commandment put me to death. ¹² So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.^(GL)

¹³ Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good^(GM) to bring about my death,^(GN) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,^(GO) sold^(GP) as a slave to sin.^{(GQ) 15} I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.^{(GR) 16} And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.^{(GS) 17} As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.^{(GT) 18} For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[u](GU) For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.^{(GV) 20} Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.^(GW)

²¹ So I find this law at work:^(GX) Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being^(GY) I delight in God’s law;^{(GZ) 23} but I see another law at work in me, waging war^(HA) against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin^(HB) at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?^{(HC) 25} Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!^(HD)

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,^(HE) but in my sinful nature^[v] a slave to the law of sin.^(HF)

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation^(HG) for those who are in Christ Jesus,^{(HH) 2} because through Christ Jesus^(HI) the law of the Spirit who gives life^(HJ) has set you^[w] free^(HK) from the law of sin^(HL) and death. ³ For what the law was powerless^(HM) to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[x](HN) God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh^(HO) to be a sin offering.^[y](HP) And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement^(HQ) of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.^(HR)

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;^(HS) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.^{(HT) 6} The mind governed by the flesh is death,^(HU) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life^(HV) and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;^(HW) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh^(HX) cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh^(HY) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.^(HZ) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,^(IA) they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you,^(IB) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[z] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead^(IC) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies^(ID) because of^[aa] his Spirit who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.^{(IE) 13} For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;^(IF) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,^(IG) you will live.^(IH)

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God^(II) are the children of God.^{(IJ) 15} The Spirit^(IK) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;^(IL) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[ab] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[ac] Father.”^{(IM) 16} The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit^(IN) that we are God’s children.^{(IO) 17} Now if we are children, then we are heirs^(IP)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings^(IQ) in order that we may also share in his glory.^(IR)

Present Suffering and Future Glory

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.^{(IS) 19} For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God^(IT) to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,^(IU) in hope ²¹ that^[ad] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay^(IV) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.^(IW)

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning^(IX) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,^(IY) groan^(IZ) inwardly as we wait eagerly^(JA) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.^{(JB) 24} For in this hope we were saved.^(JC) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.^(JD) Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.^(JE)

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit^(JF) himself intercedes for us^(JG) through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts^(JH) knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes^(JI) for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good^(JJ) of those who love him, who^[ae] have been called^(JK) according to his purpose.^{(JL) 29} For those God foreknew^(JM) he also predestined^(JN) to be conformed to the image of his Son,^(JO) that he might be the firstborn^(JP) among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined,^(JQ) he also called;^(JR) those he called, he also justified;^(JS) those he justified, he also glorified.^(JT)

More Than Conquerors

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things?^(JU) If God is for us,^(JV) who can be against us?^{(JW) 32} He who did not spare his own Son,^(JX) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge^(JY) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns?^(JZ) No one. Christ Jesus who died^(KA)—more than that, who was raised to life^(KB)—is at the right hand of God^(KC) and is also interceding for us.^{(KD) 35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?^(KE) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?^{(KF) 36} As it is written:

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors^(KH) through him who loved us.^{(KI) 38} For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[ag] neither the present nor the future,^(KJ) nor any powers,^{(KK) 39} neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God^(KL) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(KM)