THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MINISTRIES

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,k you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spiritl are God’s sons.m 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.n Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption,o by whom we cry out, “Abba,D Father!”p 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spiritq that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirsr—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with hims so that we may also be glorified with him.

FROM GROANS TO GLORY

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparingt with the gloryu that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipationv for God’s sonsw to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjectedx to futilityy—not willingly, but because of him who subjected itz—in the hope 21 that the creation itselfaa will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor painsab until now. 23 Not only that,ac but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruitsad—we also groan within ourselves,ae eagerly waiting for adoption,af the redemption of our bodies.ag 24 Now in this hopeah we were saved, but hopeai that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see,aj we eagerly wait for it with patience.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should,ak but the Spirit himself intercedes for usE,al with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our heartsam knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 We know that all things work togetherF for the goodG of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.an 29 For those he foreknew he also predestinedao to be conformed to the image of his Son,ap so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.aq 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified;ar and those he justified, he also glorified.as

THE BELIEVER’S TRIUMPH

31 What, then, are we to say about these things?at If God is for us, who is against us?au 32 He did not even spare his own Sonav but gave him up for us all.aw How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?ax God is the one who justifies.ay 34 Who is the one who condemns?az Christ Jesus is the one who died,ba but even more, has been raised;bb he also is at the right hand of Godbc and intercedes for us.bd 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can afflictionbe or distress or persecutionbf or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

Because of you

we are being put to death all day long;bg

we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.H,bh

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerorsa through him who loved us.b 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,c nor angels nor rulers,d nor things present nor things to come,e nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of Godf that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.g