Romans 8

1 Now then, there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit,

So there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of the sin and the death.

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.

3 Further, what the law could not do, in that it was weak due to the flesh, God has done by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned the sin in the flesh,

What the law couldn't do because it was powerless due to our sinful nature, God was able to do! By sending his own Son in human form, God dealt with the whole problem of sin and destroyed sin's power in our sinful human nature.

4 so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

In this way we could fulfill the good requirements of the law by following the Spirit and not our sinful nature.

5 Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

Those who follow their sinful nature are preoccupied with sinful things, but those who follow the Spirit concentrate on spiritual things.

6 Further, the mindset of the flesh yields death, but the mindset of the Spirit yields life and peace;

The sinful human mind results in death, but having the mind led by the Spirit results in life and peace.

7 because the mindset of the flesh represents enmity against God, since it does not submit to God's law, nor indeed can it.

The sinful human mind is hostile to God because it refuses to obey the law of God—in fact it never can,

8 So, those who are ‘in flesh’ cannot please God.

and those who follow their sinful nature can never please God.

9 You, however, are not ‘in flesh’ but ‘in Spirit’, if indeed God's Spirit dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

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 But if Christ is in you, the body is dead through sin, but the Spirit is life through righteousness.

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 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then He who raised the Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who dwells in you.

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 then, brothers, we have no obligation to the flesh, to live according to it;

So brothers and sisters, we don't have to follow our sinful nature that operates according to our human desires.

13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are about to die; but if you put to death the practices of the body, by the Spirit, you will live.

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 Because as many as are led by God's Spirit, these are God's sons

All those who are led by the Spirit of God are God's children.

15 —you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fear all over again, but you did receive the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

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 That Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children

The Spirit himself agrees with us that we're God's children.

17 —if children, also heirs: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ (if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him).

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 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is going to be revealed in us.

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 You see, the creation waits with eager anticipation for the revelation of God's sons;

All of creation is patiently waiting, longing for God to reveal his children.

20 because without choice the creation was subjected to futility, due to the One who did the subjecting, based on the hope

For God allowed the purpose of creation to be frustrated.

21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the freedom of the glory of God's children.

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 Yes, we know that the whole creation has been groaning and in labor pains until now.

We know that all creation groans with longing, suffering birth-pains even up till now.

23 Not only that, we ourselves also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, eagerly awaiting adoption, the redemption of our body.

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 Yes, we were saved in the hope, but a hope that is seen is not hope—why would anyone hope for what he sees?

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 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly await it with endurance.

Since we're hoping for what we haven't yet seen, we wait for it patiently.

26 Likewise also the Spirit comes to the aid of the hope in our weaknesses, since we do not know what we need to pray for. Indeed the Spirit Himself intercedes on our behalf with inexpressible groanings,

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 while He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit's mind, since He prays for the saints in accordance with God.

The one who examines the minds of everyone knows the Spirit's motives, because the Spirit pleads God's cause on behalf of the believers.

28 Further, we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to purpose.

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 Because whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

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 Further, whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

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 What then shall we say to these things? Since God is for us, who is against us?

So what's our response to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up on behalf of us all, how shall He not with Him also graciously give us all things?

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 will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? God is He who justifies.

Who can accuse God's special people of anything? It's God who sets us right,

34 Who is he who condemns? Christ is He who died, but even more, was indeed raised, who indeed is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes on our behalf.

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 shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will it be affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?

Who can separate us from Christ's love? Can oppression, distress, or persecution? Or hunger, poverty, danger, or violence?

36 (As it is written: “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we are accounted as sheep for slaughter.”)

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.”

37 No, in all these things we prevail completely through Him who loved us.

No—in all that happens to us we're more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 Because I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come,

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 nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

neither height nor depth, in fact nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.