Romans Chapter 8
Freedom Through Christ
1 So there’s no condemnation in Christ Jesus. 2 The life-producing spirit that operates in him has freed you from law that produces sin and death. 3 What the Law couldn’t do because it operated through weak flesh, God did by sending his Son in the form of sin-oriented flesh to deal with sin in the flesh and put it in its place. 4 So the goodness the Law called for, you can fulfill by living according to the spirit instead of the flesh. 5 People that live in a flesh-oriented way focus on material things; people that live in a spirit-oriented way focus on things that are not material. 6 The fleshly mentality leads to a dead end; the spiritual mentality leads to life and peace. 7 So the flesh-oriented mentality opposes God because it doesn’t—and can’t—be in submission to his Law. 8 People that live in a flesh-oriented way can’t be pleasing God. 9 But, we’re not flesh-oriented, but spirit-oriented if God’s Spirit lives in us. If we don’t have Christ’s spirit, we don’t belong to him. 10 If Christ is in us, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of goodness. 11 If the Spirit of the one that resurrected Jesus is living in us, the One that resurrected Christ will make our mortal bodies alive by the Spirit that is living in us.
Rom 8:1-11
Living Above the Flesh
12 So, we’re not obliged to live in a flesh-oriented way. 13 We’ll die if we live that way. But, we’ll live if by spirit we put to death the misdeeds of flesh. 14 As many as God’s spirit leads, are God’s children. 15 We didn’t receive again a sense of bondage resulting in fear, but a sense of sonship that calls out ‘Father!’ 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we’re God’s children. 17 If we’re children, then we’re heirs, God’s heirs, fellow heirs with Christ—if we suffer with him so we can be glorified with him.
Rom 8:12-17
Longing for the Eternal
18 I don’t consider the sufferings of this time worth comparing to the glory that’ll be revealed. 19 Creation’s deep longing waits for that revelation to God’s children. 20 Creation’s been subjected to worthlessness, not willingly, but by the One who subjected it in hopes 21 of freeing it from bondage to decay and delivering it to the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 Up till now the whole creation has been groaning in birth pains. 23 We, too, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, long to be adopted as children, and to have our bodies redeemed. 24 Hope has saved us but hope that we can see isn’t hope. 25 We hope for what we don’t see, and patiently long for it.
26 And, the Spirit helps our weaknesses. We don’t know what to pray for, but he intercedes for us with sighs we can’t say. 27 The One who examines hearts understands what our spirits mean and intercedes for the saints in a way that harmonizes with God’s will. 28 We know everything works out for good for those who love God and are called in a way that fits with his purpose. 29 The ones he foreknew he predestined to conform to the image of his Son so he’d be the oldest of many brothers. 30 The ones he predestined he called, justified, and glorified.
Rom 8:18-30
Trials Don’t Show Separation from God
31 What’s that tell us? If God’s for us, who’s against us? 32 If he didn’t spare his own Son, but offered him up for us all, how will he not graciously give us everything we need? 33 Who’s going to level accusation against God’s chosen people? He justifies; who condemns? 34 Jesus Christ is the One that died and, beyond that, resurrected to God’s right hand to intercede for us. 35 What’s going to separate us from the love Christ has for us? Trouble, distress, persecution famine, nakedness, danger, or sword? 36 As the scripture says,
“We’re killed all day long for your sake;
we’re considered sheep for slaughter” [Ps 44:22].
37 In all these things, we more than conquer through the One who loved us. 38 I’m confident that death or life, angels or rulers, present or future things, powers, 39 height or depth, or any other created thing, can’t separate us from the love God has for us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 8:31-39