Romans 8:12–39

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MINISTRIES

¹²So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, ¹³because 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. ¹⁴For all those led by God’s Spirit^l 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 spirit^q that we are God’s children, ¹⁷and if children, also heirs^r—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him^s so that we may also be glorified with him.

FROM GROANS TO GLORY

¹⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing^t with the glory^u that is going to be revealed to us. ¹⁹For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation^v for God’s sons^w to be revealed. ²⁰For the creation was subjected^x to futility^y—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it^z—in the hope ²¹that the creation itself^aa will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. ²²For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains^ab until now. ²³Not only that,^ac but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits^ad—we also groan within ourselves,^ae eagerly waiting for adoption,^af the redemption of our bodies.^{ag 24}Now in this hope^ah we were saved, but hope^ai that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵Now if we hope for what we do not see,^aj we eagerly wait for it with patience.

²⁶In 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 us^Eal with inexpressible groanings. ²⁷And he who searches our hearts^am knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸We know that all things work together^F for the good^G of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.^{an 29}For those he foreknew he also predestined^ao 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

³¹What, 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 Son^av but gave him up for us all.^aw How will he not also with him grant us everything? ³³Who 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 God^bc and intercedes for us.^{bd 35}Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction^be or distress or persecution^bf or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written:

Because of you

we are being put to death all day long;^bg

we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.^Abh

³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors^a 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, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God^f that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.^g