Romans 7:14-8:39

New American Standard Bible 1995

The Conflict of Two Natures

¹⁴ For we know that the Law is ^(A)spiritual, but I am ^(B)of flesh, ^(C)sold ^[a](D)into bondage to sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, ^(E)I do not understand; for I am not practicing ^(F)what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. ¹⁶ But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with ^(G)the Law, confessing that the Law is good. ¹⁷ So now, ^(H)no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my ^(I)flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. ¹⁹ For ^(J)the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. ²⁰ But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, ^(K)I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

²¹ I find then ^(L)the ^[b]principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. ²² For I joyfully concur with the law of God ^[c]in ^(M)the inner man, ²³ but I see ^(N)a different law in ^[d]the members of my body, waging war against the ^(O)law of my mind and making me a prisoner ^[e]of ^(P)the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from ^[f](Q)the body of this ^(R)death? ^25 (S)Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh ^(T)the law of sin.

Deliverance from Bondage

8 Therefore there is now no ^(U)condemnation for those who are ^(V)in ^(W)Christ Jesus. ² For ^(X)the law of the Spirit of life ^[g]in ^(Y)Christ Jesus ^(Z)has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For ^(AA)what the Law could not do, ^[h](AB)weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in ^(AC)the likeness of ^[i]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the ^(AD)requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who ^(AE)do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on ^(AF)the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, ^(AG)the things of the Spirit. ^6 (AH)For the mind set on the flesh is ^(AI)death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is ^(AJ)hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are ^(AK)in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ However, you are not ^(AL)in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God ^(AM)dwells in you. But ^(AN)if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ^10 (AO)If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is ^[j]alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who ^(AP)raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, ^(AQ)He who raised ^(AR)Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies ^[k]through His Spirit who dwells in you.

¹² So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³ for ^(AS)if you are living according to the flesh, you ^[l]must die; but if by the Spirit you are ^(AT)putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are ^(AU)being led by the Spirit of God, these are ^(AV)sons of God. ¹⁵ For you ^(AW)have not received a spirit of slavery ^[m]leading to fear again, but you ^(AX)have received ^[n]a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “^(AY)Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself ^(AZ)testifies with our spirit that we are ^(BA)children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, ^(BB)heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, ^(BC)if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time ^(BD)are not worthy to be compared with the ^(BE)glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the ^(BF)anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for ^(BG)the revealing of the ^(BH)sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation ^(BI)was subjected to ^(BJ)futility, not willingly, but ^(BK)because of Him who subjected it, ^[o]in hope ²¹ that ^(BL)the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation ^(BM)groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. ^23 (BN)And not only this, but also we ourselves, having ^(BO)the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves ^(BP)groan within ourselves, ^(BQ)waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, ^(BR)the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For ^(BS)in hope we have been saved, but ^(BT)hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? ²⁵ But ^(BU)if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Our Victory in Christ

²⁶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for ^(BV)we do not know how to pray as we should, but ^(BW)the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and ^(BX)He who searches the hearts knows what ^(BY)the mind of the Spirit is, because He ^(BZ)intercedes for the ^[p]saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that ^[q]God causes ^(CA)all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are ^(CB)called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He ^(CC)foreknew, He also ^(CD)predestined to become ^(CE)conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the ^(CF)firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He ^(CG)predestined, He also ^(CH)called; and these whom He called, He also ^(CI)justified; and these whom He justified, He also ^(CJ)glorified.

^31 (CK)What then shall we say to these things? ^(CL)If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who ^(CM)did not spare His own Son, but ^(CN)delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against ^(CO)God’s elect? ^(CP)God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who ^(CQ)condemns? Christ Jesus is He who ^(CR)died, yes, rather who was ^[r](CS)raised, who is ^(CT)at the right hand of God, who also ^(CU)intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from ^(CV)the love of ^[s]Christ? Will ^(CW)tribulation, or distress, or ^(CX)persecution, or ^(CY)famine, or ^(CZ)nakedness, or ^(DA)peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly ^(DC)conquer through ^(DD)Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither ^(DE)death, nor life, nor ^(DF)angels, nor principalities, nor ^(DG)things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from ^(DH)the love of God, which is ^(DI)in Christ Jesus our Lord.