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Yet now, God’s law is powerless to condemn those people who are united to Jesus the Messiah. 2 This is because the Holy Spirit’s law leads to {eternal} life. This law liberates you who are united to Jesus the Messiah. The Holy Spirit’s law also liberates people from sin’s law, and liberates a person from death. 3 In fact, because we as weak human beings tend toward living sinfully, God’s law became powerless {to help us}. But God personally did what his law could not do. God sent his own Son {to become a human being}. His Son experienced what it is like to live in a human body that tends toward living sinfully. God sent his Son for the sake of {removing humanity’s} sin. {By sending his Son} God condemned {how} sinning {controls humanity. This happened} through {the crucifixion of} the body {of his Son}. 4 {God did these things} so that we could rightly accomplish what his law requires. We rightly accomplish what his law requires when we live as those who are not controlled by living sinfully, but are controlled by the {Holy} Spirit. 5 This is because those people who are controlled by living sinfully, focus on those things that are related to living sinfully. But, those people who are controlled by the {Holy} Spirit, focus on those things that are related to the {Holy} Spirit. 6 Indeed, those who focus on living sinfully will {eternally} die. But those who focus on the {Holy} Spirit will live {eternally and} peacefully. 7 It is certain that those who focus on living sinfully are God’s enemies. This is because they do not submit themselves to God’s law. In fact, they are powerless to submit themselves to God’s law. 8 But, those who are controlled by living sinfully are powerless to do what pleases God. 9 Yet, you {at Rome} are not united to living sinfully. Instead, you are united to the {Holy} Spirit, since God’s Spirit lives among you. But if some person does not possess Jesus the Messiah’s Spirit, this person does not belong to the Jesus the Messiah. 10 Now, the Messiah Jesus is among you. So, your bodies are dead because they are {slaves of} living sinfully. But, the {Holy} Spirit gives {eternal} life because you are right with God. 11 It is certain that God resurrected Jesus from death, and God’s Spirit lives among you {who are at Rome}. Because God resurrected Jesus the Messiah from death, he will also make your physical bodies live again through God’s Spirit, who dwells among you. 12 As a result, {my} fellow believers in the Messiah, we are obligated–but not to live united to being controlled by living sinfully. 13 It is certain that if you live controlled by living sinfully–you are destined to die {eternally}. But if the {Holy} Spirit empowers you to eradicate practicing what is sinful with your bodies–you will live {eternally}.
14 This is because whoever God’s Spirit guides, these people are God's {spiritual} children. 15 Certainly you {at Rome} did not allow a {demonic} spirit to terrify you into becoming its slave again. But, you allowed God’s Spirit to {spiritually} adopt you. Through God's Spirit, you cry out, ”Oh my Father!” 16 God’s Spirit personally testifies along with our own spirits that we are God’s children. 17 Indeed, since we are {God’s} children, we also become heirs. We inherit from God himself and also together with the Messiah Jesus. This is true only if we keep suffering together with the Messiah Jesus. Then God will also glorify us together with the Messiah Jesus.
18 In fact, I regard that what we {fellow believers in the Messiah Jesus} suffer at this {definitive} time {in history}–is incomparable to what glorious things God destines to unveil for us {in the future}. 19 Indeed, God’s creation is watchfully waiting, eagerly expecting the time when God unveils who his {spiritual} children are. 20 Indeed, God subjugated what he created so that it became useless. This was not what God originally intended for what he created. But, God subjugated what he created to insure: 21 that God would also liberate what he created from being enslaved to corruption. Then God will gloriously liberate what he created together with God’s {spiritual} children. 22 Indeed, we acknowledge that even to the present time, {what God created is eagerly expecting the time when God unveils who his spiritual children are}. Because of this, all of what God created keeps moaning and groaning together {like a mother in labor pains anticipates her child’s birth}. 23 Certainly, it is not only what God created that groans! But, we too belong to those people who possess the first portion of the {Holy} Spirit. So, we also keep inwardly groaning. This is because we continue to eagerly wait for God to {spiritually} adopt us. When God {spiritually} adopts us, he will release our physical bodies {from decaying as well}. 24 Certainly, God assures us that he will save us. If God had already saved us, then he would not need to assure us. This is because when God saves us, we no longer need God to assure us that he will save us. 25 But, since God assures us {that he will save us}, we do not need him to show us. We keep eagerly waiting {for God to save us} by persevering.
26 Indeed, the {Holy} Spirit similarly assists us because of how weak we are. This is because we do not understand how to properly pray. But, the {Holy} Spirit personally obtains answers for what we pray, by groaning without words. 27 In fact, God is the one who continues to investigate what is deep within us. God understands what the {Holy} Spirit intends. This is why the {Holy} Spirit obtains answers from God for {what the holy people {of God pray}.
28 Indeed, we acknowledge that God makes all things that happen turn out for the good of those who love him. The people who love him are those God summons to participate in what he previously planned. 29 In fact, those who God knew in advance {would become his people}, he also chose in advance. {He chose them} in order to change them, so they would become exactly like his Son {Jesus. God did these things} so that his Son Jesus would become {like a} firstborn {brother} among many siblings. 30 Certainly, the ones who God chose in advance {to become his people}, God also summoned to become his people. The ones who God summoned {to become his people}, he also made these people right with himself. The ones who God made right with himself, he also glorified these people.
31 This is how we should think about these things: since God {advocates} for us, no one {is powerful enough} to oppose us! 32 {To advocate for us}, God did not even spare his own Son. Instead, God handed him over {to death} for the sake of us all. So it is certain that God will also graciously give us, along with him, all we need! 33 No one can {legally} accuse those whom God chose {to become his people. This is because} God is the one who makes people right with himself. 34 No one can condemn {God’s people}. The Messiah Jesus is the one who died. Even more, the Messiah Jesus is the one who resurrected {from death}. He now sits on God’s throne ruling and obtaining answers for God’s people {when we pray}. 35 No person {or thing} can separate {God’s people} from how much the Messiah {Jesus} loves us. {Jesus’ love protects God’s people} when others afflict us. {Jesus’ love protects God’s people} when others distress us. {Jesus’ love protects God’s people} when others persecute us. {Jesus’ love protects God’s people} during times of famine. {Jesus’ love protects God’s people} if we have no shelter {from the weather}. {Jesus’ love protects God’s people} when danger comes. {Jesus’ love protects God’s people from death} by sword. 36 This is exactly what God says in the holy scriptures, ”They put us to death throughout the whole day because of you. They count us in order to slaughter us like sheep.” 37 However, we completely conquer when all of these things happen. {Jesus protects us, so} we conquer because he loves us. 38 In fact, {Jesus’ love} continues to persuade me that {none of these things}: whether being dead, or what happens while we are alive, or angels, or people who rule, or current events, or future events, or powerful forces, 39 or high places, or low places, or anything else God created–is powerful enough to separate God’s people from how much he loves us. {God loves us} because we are united to our Lord Jesus, the Messiah!