Life through the Spirit
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,8:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 4-13. God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.8:3 Or flesh, for sin And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through his Spirit who lives in you.
12Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation – but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23. And by him we cry, ‘Abba,8:15 Aramaic for father Father.’ 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Present suffering and future glory
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that8:20,21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good – with those who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
More than conquerors
31What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who then is the one who condemns? No-one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
‘For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’8:36 Psalm 44:22
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Život po Duhu
1Nema dakle nikakve osude za one koji pripadaju Kristu Isusu. 2Jer zakon Duha, koji daje život, oslobodio nas je zakona grijeha, koji vodi u smrt. 3Jer ono što Zakon, oslabljen grešnim tijelom, nije mogao učiniti, učinio je Bog poslavši svojeg Sina u obličju tjelesnog čovjeka da bude žrtva za grijehe. Tako je osudio grijeh u tijelu. 4Učinio je to zato da bi se pravednost Zakona potpuno ispunila u nama koji više ne živimo po staroj grešnoj naravi, nego po Duhu.
5Oni kojima vlada grešna narav razmišljaju o onomu što je grešno, ali oni koji su pod nadzorom Božjega Duha razmišljaju o onomu što je ugodno Duhu. 6Nadzire li vaša grešna narav vaš um, vodi vas u smrt. Ali ako vaš um nadzire Sveti Duh, imat ćete život i mir. 7Jer grešna tjelesna narav u nama protivi se Bogu. Nikada nije bila pokorna Božjemu Zakonu niti će to ikada biti. 8Zato oni kojima još vlada njihova grešna narav ne mogu ugoditi Bogu.
9Ali vama više ne vlada grešna narav. Pod nadzorom ste Svetoga Duha ako Božji Duh zaista prebiva u vama. A u kome ne prebiva Kristov Duh, taj i nije Kristov. 10Ako je Krist u vama, tijelo vam je mrtvo za grijeh, ali Duh živi u vama zato što vas je Bog opravdao. 11Živi li u vama Božji Duh koji je Isusa uskrsnuo od mrtvih, Bog koji je Isusa podignuo od mrtvih oživjet će i vaša smrtna tijela tim istim Duhom koji u vama živi.
12Zato, draga braćo, nismo dužni činiti ono na što nas tjera naša grešna narav. 13Jer ako živite slušajući tu svoju tjelesnu narav, propast ćete. Ako pak silom Duha usmrćujete nju i njezina zla djela, živjet ćete.
14Svi koje vodi Božji Duh Božja su djeca. 15Ne budite zato poput strašljivih robova te svoje naravi. Budite prava Božja djeca jer vas je Bog svojim Duhom posinio te mu sada možete radosno klicati: “Abba!8:15 Na aramejskome: Oče! Oče!” 16Sveti Duh govori nam duboko u srcima da smo Božja djeca. 17A kako smo njegova djeca, njegovi smo baštinici—jer sve što Bog daje svojemu Sinu, Kristu, to i nama pripada. Kao što s njim trpimo, s njim ćemo se i proslaviti.
Buduća slava
18Ali naše sadašnje patnje nisu ništa prema budućoj slavi koja će se očitovati u nama. 19Jer sve stvorenje sa žudnjom iščekuje da dođe dan kad će Bog pokazati tko su zaista njegova djeca. 20Sve što je na zemlji stvoreno postalo je jalovim, ne vlastitom, nego Božjom voljom—ali u nadi 21da će biti oslobođeno od robovanja pokvarljivosti, da sudjeluje u slobodi i u slavi Božje djece. 22Jer znamo da cjelokupno stvorenje sve dosad uzdiše i muči se u porođajnim bolima. 23Čak i mi kršćani, iako je u nama Sveti Duh kao predukus buduće slave, također stenjemo čekajući posinjenje, otkupljenje našega tijela. 24Tom smo nadom spašeni. Ako nešto već imamo, onda se tomu više ne trebamo nadati. 25Ali ako se nadamo nečemu što još nemamo, valja čekati strpljivo i postojano.
26Isto tako, Sveti Duh nam pomaže u našoj slabosti. Jer mi ne znamo ni kako ni što bismo trebali moliti, ali Sveti Duh moli se za nas uzdasima koji se ne mogu riječima izraziti. 27A Onaj, koji poznaje svačije srce, poznaje naum Duha, jer on se moli za nas u skladu s Božjom voljom.
28Znamo kako Bog čini da sve pridonosi dobru onih koji njega vole i koje je on pozvao prema svojoj nakani. 29Jer Bog je svoj narod unaprijed poznavao i odabrao ih je da budu poput njegova Sina, tako da bi njegov Sin mogao biti prvorođenac s brojnom braćom i sestrama. 30A kad ih je odabrao, pozvao ih je k sebi. Zatim ih je opravdao i obećao im svoju slavu.
Ništa nas ne može odvojiti od Božje ljubavi
31Što na sve to reći? Ako je Bog za nas, tko će biti protiv nas? 32Kad već nije poštedio ni vlastitoga Sina, nego ga je predao za nas, neće li nam Bog, koji nam je dao Krista, s njime dati i sve drugo?
33Tko će optužiti Božje izabranike? Nas Bog opravdava. 34Tko će nas onda optužiti? Isus Krist je umro, štoviše, i uskrsnuo; on sjedi na počasnome mjestu, Bogu zdesna, i posreduje za nas. 35Tko će nas odvojiti od Kristove ljubavi? Može li u tome uspjeti nevolja? Tjeskoba? Progonstvo? Glad? Golotinja? Pogibao? Mač? 36U Svetome pismu piše:
“Zbog tebe nas ubijaju dan za danom;
mi smo im kao ovce za klanje.”8:36 Psalam 44:2.
37Nadmoćno pobjeđujemo sve što nas snađe u Kristu koji nas voli. 38Čvrsto vjerujem da nas ni smrt, ni život, ni anđeli ni demoni, ni sadašnjost ni budućnost, ni sile, 39ni visina, ni dubina, ni bilo koje stvorenje neće moći rastaviti od ljubavi Božje objavljene u našemu Gospodinu Kristu Isusu.
