Romans 8:1-11

Expanded Bible

Be Ruled by the Spirit

8 So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not ·judged guilty^[a] [condemned; punished for their sins]. ² [^LFor] ·Through [or In] Christ Jesus the ·law [principle; or power] of the Spirit that brings life set you^[b] free from the ·law [principle; or power] that brings sin and death. ³ The law [^Cof Moses] was without power, because the law was made weak by our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh]. But God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son to earth ·with the same human life that others use for sin [or in a body like ours, prone to sin; ^Lin the likeness of sinful flesh]. By sending his Son ·to be an offering for sin [^Lconcerning sin], God ·used a human life to destroy sin [^Lcondemned sin in the flesh]. ⁴ He did this so that ·we could be the kind of people that the law demands that we be [^Lthe law’s righteous/just requirements would be fulfilled in us]. Now we do not ·live [walk; ^Clife’s journey] following our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh], but following the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live following their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh] ·think only about [have their minds set on; or have their outlook shaped by] things that their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; ^Tflesh] want. But those who live following the Spirit ·are thinking about [have their minds set on; or have their outlook shaped by] the things ·the Spirit wants them to do [^Lof the Spirit]. ⁶ If people’s ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the ·sinful self [sinful nature; ^Tflesh], ·there is [the result is] death. But if their ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the Spirit, ·there is [the result is] life and peace. ⁷ When people’s ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the ·sinful self [sinful nature; ^Tflesh], they are ·against [hostile to] God, because they refuse to ·obey [submit to] God’s law and really are not even able to ·obey [submit to] God’s law. ⁸ Those people who are ·ruled by [or under the control of; ^Lin] ·their sinful selves [their sinful nature; ^Tthe flesh] cannot please God.

⁹ But you are not ·ruled by [controlled by; or in] ·your sinful selves [your sinful nature; ^Tthe flesh], but ·by [or in] the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But the person who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ Your body ·will always be [^Lis] dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit ·gives you [^Lis] life, because ·Christ made you right with God [^Lof righteousness]. ¹¹ God raised Jesus from the dead, and if God’s Spirit is living in you, the One who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies that die, through^[c] his Spirit who lives in you.