Deliverance from Bondage

8 Therefore there is now no ^(A)condemnation for those who are ^(B)in ^(C)Christ Jesus. ² For ^(D)the law of the Spirit of life ^[a]in ^(E)Christ Jesus ^(F)has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For ^(G)what the Law could not do, ^[b](H)weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in ^(I)the likeness of ^[c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the ^(J)requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who ^(K)do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on ^(L)the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, ^(M)the things of the Spirit. ^6 (N)For the mind set on the flesh is ^(O)death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is ^(P)hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are ^(Q)in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ However, you are not ^(R)in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God ^(S)dwells in you. But ^(T)if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ^10 (U)If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is ^[d]alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who ^(V)raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, ^(W)He who raised ^(X)Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies ^[e]through His Spirit who dwells in you.

¹² So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³ for ^(Y)if you are living according to the flesh, you ^[f]must die; but if by the Spirit you are ^(Z)putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are ^(AA)being led by the Spirit of God, these are ^(AB)sons of God. ¹⁵ For you ^(AC)have not received a spirit of slavery ^[g]leading to fear again, but you ^(AD)have received ^[h]a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “^(AE)Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself ^(AF)testifies with our spirit that we are ^(AG)children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, ^(AH)heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, ^(AI)if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time ^(AJ)are not worthy to be compared with the ^(AK)glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the ^(AL)anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for ^(AM)the revealing of the ^(AN)sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation ^(AO)was subjected to ^(AP)futility, not willingly, but ^(AQ)because of Him who subjected it, ^[i]in hope ²¹ that ^(AR)the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation ^(AS)groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. ^23 (AT)And not only this, but also we ourselves, having ^(AU)the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves ^(AV)groan within ourselves, ^(AW)waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, ^(AX)the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For ^(AY)in hope we have been saved, but ^(AZ)hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? ²⁵ But ^(BA)if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Our Victory in Christ

²⁶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for ^(BB)we do not know how to pray as we should, but ^(BC)the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and ^(BD)He who searches the hearts knows what ^(BE)the mind of the Spirit is, because He ^(BF)intercedes for the ^[j]saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that ^[k]God causes ^(BG)all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are ^(BH)called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He ^(BI)foreknew, He also ^(BJ)predestined to become ^(BK)conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the ^(BL)firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He ^(BM)predestined, He also ^(BN)called; and these whom He called, He also ^(BO)justified; and these whom He justified, He also ^(BP)glorified.

^31 (BQ)What then shall we say to these things? ^(BR)If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who ^(BS)did not spare His own Son, but ^(BT)delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against ^(BU)God’s elect? ^(BV)God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who ^(BW)condemns? Christ Jesus is He who ^(BX)died, yes, rather who was ^[l](BY)raised, who is ^(BZ)at the right hand of God, who also ^(CA)intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from ^(CB)the love of ^[m]Christ? Will ^(CC)tribulation, or distress, or ^(CD)persecution, or ^(CE)famine, or ^(CF)nakedness, or ^(CG)peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly ^(CI)conquer through ^(CJ)Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither ^(CK)death, nor life, nor ^(CL)angels, nor principalities, nor ^(CM)things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from ^(CN)the love of God, which is ^(CO)in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Solicitude for Israel

9 ^(A)I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, ² that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. ³ For ^(B)I could ^[a]wish that I myself were ^(C)accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen ^(D)according to the flesh, ⁴ who are ^(E)Israelites, to whom belongs ^(F)the adoption as sons, and ^(G)the glory and ^(H)the covenants and ^(I)the giving of the Law and ^(J)the temple service and ^(K)the promises, ⁵ whose are ^(L)the fathers, and ^(M)from whom is ^[b]the Christ according to the flesh, ^(N)who is over all, ^(O)God ^(P)blessed ^[c]forever. Amen.

⁶ But it is not as though ^(Q)the word of God has failed. ^(R)For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; ⁷ nor are they all children ^(S)because they are Abraham’s ^[d]descendants, but: “^[e](T)through Isaac your ^[f]descendants will be named.” ⁸ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are ^(U)children of God, but the ^(V)children of the promise are regarded as ^[g]descendants. ⁹ For this is the word of promise: “^(W)At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.” ^10 (X)And not only this, but there was ^(Y)Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; ¹¹ for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that ^(Z)God’s purpose according to His choice would ^[h]stand, not ^[i]because of works but ^[j]because of Him who calls, ¹² it was said to her, “^(AA)The older will serve the younger.” ¹³ Just as it is written, “^(AB)Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

^14 (AC)What shall we say then? ^(AD)There is no injustice with God, is there? ^(AE)May it never be! ¹⁵ For He says to Moses, “^(AF)I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who ^(AG)runs, but on ^(AH)God who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “^(AI)For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed ^[k]throughout the whole earth.” ¹⁸ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He ^(AJ)hardens whom He desires.

^19 (AK)You will say to me then, “^(AL)Why does He still find fault? For ^(AM)who resists His will?” ²⁰ On the contrary, who are you, ^(AN)O man, who ^(AO)answers back to God? ^(AP)The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? ²¹ Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel ^[l]for honorable use and another ^[m]for common use? ^22 [n]What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much ^(AQ)patience vessels of wrath ^(AR)prepared for destruction? ²³ And He did so to make known ^(AS)the riches of His glory upon ^(AT)vessels of mercy, which He ^(AU)prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ even us, whom He also ^(AV)called, ^(AW)not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. ²⁵ As He says also in Hosea,

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “^(BA)Though the number of the sons of Israel be ^(BB)like the sand of the sea, it is ^(BC)the remnant that will be saved; ^28 (BD)for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, ^[o]thoroughly and ^[p]quickly.” ²⁹ And just as Isaiah foretold,

^30 (BH)What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even ^(BI)the righteousness which is ^[t]by faith; ³¹ but Israel, ^(BJ)pursuing a law of righteousness, did not ^(BK)arrive at that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it ^[u]by faith, but as though it were ^[v]by works. They stumbled over ^(BL)the stumbling stone, ³³ just as it is written,

The Word of Faith Brings Salvation

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. ² For I testify about them that they have ^(A)a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. ³ For not knowing about ^(B)God’s righteousness and ^(C)seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For ^(D)Christ is the ^[a]end of the law for righteousness to ^(E)everyone who believes.

⁵ For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is ^[b]based on law ^(F)shall live ^[c]by that righteousness. ⁶ But ^(G)the righteousness ^[d]based on faith speaks as follows: “^(H)Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), ⁷ or ‘Who will descend into the ^(I)abyss?’ (that is, to ^(J)bring Christ up from the dead).” ⁸ But what does it say? “^(K)The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, ^9 [e]that ^(L)if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and ^(M)believe in your heart that ^(N)God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, ^[f]resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, ^[g]resulting in salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “^(O)Whoever believes in Him will not be ^[h]disappointed.” ¹² For ^(P)there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is ^(Q)Lord of ^(R)all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; ¹³ for “^(S)Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him ^(T)whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without ^(U)a preacher? ¹⁵ How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “^(V)How beautiful are the feet of those who ^[i](W)bring good news of good things!”

¹⁶ However, they ^(X)did not all heed the ^[j]good news; for Isaiah says, “^(Y)Lord, who has believed our report?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from ^(Z)hearing, and hearing by ^(AA)the word ^[k]of Christ.

¹⁸ But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have;

¹⁹ But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says,

²⁰ And Isaiah is very bold and says,

²¹ But as for Israel He says, “^(AF)All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”