Romans 8

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus;

Because [God has erased the record of our sins because we trust in what Christ has done for us], now [God will] not condemn and punish those/us who have a relationship with (OR, are united to) Christ Jesus.

2 for the Spirit's Law-- telling of Life in Christ Jesus--has set me free from the Law that deals only with sin and death.

[God’s] Spirit causes us to live [in a new way] [PRS] as a result of what Christ Jesus [did for us]. And he has set up a way by which he frees [each of] us from continually being forced to sin (OR, to obey our self-directed natures) and from being separated from God.

3 For what was impossible to the Law--powerless as it was because it acted through frail humanity--God effected. Sending His own Son in a body like that of sinful human nature and as a sacrifice for sin, He pronounced sentence upon sin in human nature;

What [we] could not do [by trying to obey] the laws [of God] [PRS], because our self-directed nature was too weak [to obey them], God did. He sent his own Son [into the world in order that his Son might atone] for our sin. His Son came having a body (OR, human nature) that was like [the body] (OR, the [human nature]) of us people who sin. [By sending his Son in this way], he condemned and punished [his Son, who never sinned, instead of punishing us, who] sinned [MTY]. He did that [by making his Son’s] body [a sacrifice] (OR, [by causing his Son’s] body [to suffer/die]) for [all our] sin.

4 in order that in our case the requirements of the Law might be fully met. For our lives are regulated not by our earthly, but by our spiritual natures.

So we can [now] fulfill all that God required in his laws. We do this, not by our acting the way our sinful human nature [desires], but instead by living as [God’s] Spirit [desires us to live].

5 For if men are controlled by their earthly natures, they give their minds to earthly things. If they are controlled by their spiritual natures, they give their minds to spiritual things.

People who live according to what their self-directed nature [desires] think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature [desires]. But people who [live] according to what [God’s] Spirit [desires think about and are concerned about] what [God’s] Spirit [desires].

6 Because for the mind to be given up to earthly things means death; but for it to be given up to spiritual things means Life and peace.

Those people who [PRS] think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature [desires] will not live eternally (OR, will be separated from God). But those people who think about and are concerned about what [God’s] Spirit [desires] will live [eternally] and have [inner] peace.

7 Abandonment to earthly things is a state of enmity to God. Such a mind does not submit to God's Law, and indeed cannot do so.

Let me explain this. [To the extent that] people [PRS] think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature [desires], they are acting contrary to God. They do not obey the laws of God. In fact, they are not even able [to obey his laws].

8 And those whose hearts are absorbed in earthly things cannot please God.

The people who let their self-directed nature [control them] cannot do what pleases God.

9 You, however, are not devoted to earthly, but to spiritual things, if the Spirit of God is really dwelling in you; whereas if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, such a one does not belong to Him.

But we do not have to let our self-directed nature [control us]. Instead, we can [let] God’s Spirit [control us], because he lives within us. If people do not have [living in them] the Spirit [who comes from] Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

10 But if Christ is in you, though your body must die because of sin, yet your spirit has Life because of righteousness.

But since Christ [is living in you/us by his Spirit, although] your/our bodies [are certain to] die because you/we sin, your/our spirits are alive because God has erased the record of your/our sins.

11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead is dwelling in you, He who raised up Christ from the dead will give Life also to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who dwells in you.

[God] caused Jesus to live again after he died. And because his Spirit lives in you/us, [God] will also make your/our bodies, which [now] are sure to die, live [again after you/we die]. God, who caused Christ to live again after he died, will make you/us live again by [causing] his Spirit, who lives within you/us, [to do it].

12 Therefore, brethren, it is not to our lower natures that we are under obligation that we should live by their rule.

Therefore, my fellow believers, we must [live as the Spirit directs us]. What we do not have to do is to live as our self-directed nature [guides us].

13 For if you so live, death is near; but if, through being under the sway of the spirit, you are putting your old bodily habits to death, you will live.

If you live the way your self-directed nature [directs], you will surely not live [eternally] (OR, will surely be eternally separated from God). But if by [the power of God’s] Spirit you quit doing the [sinful] things that your bodies [desire] [MET], you will live eternally.

14 For those who are led by God's Spirit are, all of them, God's sons.

We who are guided by the Spirit of God {allow the Spirit of God to guide us} are God’s children.

15 You have not for the second time acquired the consciousness of being--a consciousness which fills you with terror. But you have acquired a deep inward conviction of having been adopted as sons--a conviction which prompts us to cry aloud, "Abba! our Father!"

[You have showed that this is true], because you received [from God] a Spirit that is not one that makes you fear [God] again. You are not like slaves who [fear their masters] [MET]. On the contrary, we have received a Spirit by whose [work in our hearts God] has adopted us. The Spirit now enables us to cry out [to God], “[You(sg) are my] Father [DOU]!”

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness, along with our own spirits, to the fact that we are children of God;

The Spirit himself confirms what our spirits [say], that we are God’s children.

17 and if children, then heirs too--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ; if indeed we are sharers in Christ's sufferings, in order that we may also be sharers in His glory.

Because we are [God’s] children, we also will some day receive/inherit [eternal blessings/privileges]. We will receive/inherit them from God, and we will [also] receive/inherit [them] just like Christ has [inherited them]. But we must suffer [for doing good] as Christ did, in order to receive splendor as he did.

18 Why, what we now suffer I count as nothing in comparison with the glory which is soon to be manifested in us.

I consider that what we suffer during the present time is not worth [paying attention to, because] the future splendor/glory that will be revealed {that [God] will reveal} to us [is so great].

19 For all creation, gazing eagerly as if with outstretched neck, is waiting and longing to see the manifestation of the sons of God.

The [things that God has] created are very eagerly waiting for [the time] [PRS, DOU] when God will reveal who his [true] children are.

20 For the Creation fell into subjection to failure and unreality (not of its own choice, but by the will of Him who so subjected it).

[God] caused the things that he created to be unable to achieve [what he had purposed. That was] not because they wanted to [be unable to do that]. On the contrary, [God] made them that way because he wanted them to keep confidently expecting

21 Yet there was always the hope that at last the Creation itself would also be set free from the thraldom of decay so as to enjoy the liberty that will attend the glory of the children of God.

that the things that [he] created will be freed {that [he] will free the things that [he] created} from their sure decay [MET]. [He] will free them in order that [he can give them] the same glory that belongs to his children.

22 For we know that the whole of Creation is groaning together in the pains of childbirth until this hour.

We know that until now [it is as though] all [things] that God created have been groaning together, [and they long for that glory, just like a mother having the pains before bearing a child] groans [and longs for her baby’s birth] [MET].

23 And more than that, we ourselves, though we possess the Spirit as a foretaste and pledge of the glorious future, yet we ourselves inwardly sigh, as we wait and long for open recognition as sons through the deliverance of our bodies.

Not only [do those things groan], but we ourselves also groan inwardly. We who have [God’s] Spirit, who is like a partial gift [MET] we have received as we wait for [the future glory, groan inwardly]. We groan while we wait eagerly for the time when we will receive our [full] rights as God’s adopted children. That [will include] his freeing our bodies [from the things that hinder us on earth. He will do this by giving us new bodies].

24 It is in hope that we have been saved. But an object of hope is such no longer when it is present to view; for when a man has a thing before his eyes, how can he be said to hope for it?

Ever since we were saved {since [God] saved us}, we have continued to confidently expect [that future glory]. If we had what we waited for, we would not [need to] wait for it any longer, because those who have something, certainly do not continue to wait for it! [RHQ]

25 But if we hope for something which we do not see, then we eagerly and patiently wait for it.

But because we keep waiting expectantly to receive what we do not yet have, we wait for it eagerly and patiently/perseveringly.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what prayers to offer nor in what way to offer them. But the Spirit Himself pleads for us in yearnings that can find no words,

Similarly, in addition to our continuing to wait for what God will give us, God’s Spirit helps us when our spirits feel weak. We do not know what is proper/necessary for us to pray. But God’s Spirit knows, and he prays for us when we groan (OR, he groans) in a way that cannot be expressed in words (OR, prays with us, groaning in a way that cannot be expressed in words).

27 and the Searcher of hearts knows what the Spirit's meaning is, because His intercessions for God's people are in harmony with God's will.

God, who examines our inner feelings, understands what his Spirit desires. What God understands is that his Spirit prays for us who belong to God exactly as God wants him to pray.

28 Now we know that for those who love God all things are working together for good--for those, I mean, whom with deliberate purpose He has called.

And we know that to those/us who love God, he works out all things that happen [to them/us] in a way that produces good [spiritual] benefits [for us]. He does these things for those/us whom he has chosen, because that was (OR, was according to) what he planned to do.

29 For those whom He has known beforehand He has also pre-destined to bear the likeness of His Son, that He might be the Eldest in a vast family of brothers;

God knew previously [that we would believe] in him (OR, [would be saved]). We are those who God also decided previously would develop a character like his Son’s character. The result of that is that [Christ is like] a firstborn/highest-ranking [son], and [those/we who are God’s children] [MET] are [like] [MET] many [younger] brothers [of Jesus].

30 and those whom He has pre-destined He also has called; and those whom He has called He has also declared free from guilt; and those whom He has declared free from guilt He has also crowned with glory.

And us who God decided previously [that we would become like his Son], he also summoned. And for us whom he summoned, he also erased the record of our sins. And for us whose record of sins he has erased, he also will surely give future splendor.

31 What then shall we say to this? If God is on our side, who is there to appear against us?

So (I will tell you what we must conclude from [all] these things [that God does for us]./what shall we conclude from [all] these things [that God does for us]?) [RHQ] Because God [is acting] on our behalf, (no one can win against us!/can anyone defeat us? (OR, it does not matter if anyone opposes us)!) [RHQ]

32 He who did not withhold even His own Son, but gave Him up for all of us, will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

God did not spare even his very own Son. Instead, he turned him over [to others to cruelly kill him] in order that all we [who believe in him] may benefit [from his dying for us. Therefore, because God did that], (he will also certainly give us freely everything [that we need to live for him], in addition to [giving us] Christ./will he not also certainly give us freely everything [that we need to live for him], in addition to [giving us] Christ?) [RHQ]

33 Who shall impeach those whom God has chosen? God declares them free from guilt.

It is God himself who erases the record of our sins. So (no one who accuses us [before God will win against us] (OR, [it does not matter] if anyone tries to accuse us) whom God has chosen./is it possible that anyone who accuses us [before God] will win against us (OR, does it matter if anyone tries to accuse us) whom God has chosen?) [RHQ]

34 Who is there to condemn them? Christ Jesus died, or rather has risen to life again. He is also at the right hand of God, and is interceding for us.

It is Christ Jesus himself who pleads [with God] for us, so (no one can condemn us (OR, say that we are still guilty for our sin)./can anyone condemn us (OR, say that we are still guilty for our sin)?) [RHQ] Christ died [for us], but he was also brought back to life {[God] also raised him from the dead}, and he is now at the place of honor [ruling] with God [MTY].

35 Who shall separate us from Christ's love? Shall affliction or distress, persecution or hunger, nakedness or danger or the sword?

Absolutely no one and nothing can cause Christ to stop loving us! [RHQ] That could not [RHQ] happen [because someone] caused us to have trouble [DOU], or [because someone did things to] harm us, or [because we did] not have anything to eat, or [because we did] not have enough clothes, or [because we lived in a] dangerous situation, or [because someone killed us with] a sword [MTY] (OR, murdered us).

36 As it stands written in the Scripture, "For Thy sake they are, all day long, trying to kill us. We have been looked upon as sheep destined for slaughter."

[Such things may happen to us, just like] it is written {[as David] wrote} [that David said to God], “Because we are your [(sg)] people, [other people repeatedly attempt to] kill us. They consider that we are [only people to be killed], [like a butcher considers] that sheep are [only] animals to be slaughtered [MET].”

37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who has loved us.

But even though all these bad things [may happen to us], we win a great victory/triumph [over these things because Christ], who loves us, [helps us].

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither the lower ranks of evil angels nor the higher, neither things present nor things future, nor the forces of nature,

I am absolutely certain that neither being dead (OR, being killed), nor [what happens to us while] we live, nor angels, nor demons, nor present events, nor future events, nor powerful [beings/forces],

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which rests upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

nor [powerful beings] above [the horizon] or below [the horizon] [MTY], nor anything else that [God has] created can cause God to stop loving us. [God showed us that he loves us by sending] Jesus Christ our Lord [to die for us].