For no human being can be made upright in the sight of God by observing the Law. All that the Law can do is to make man conscious of sin.

But who indeed are you -- a mere human being -- to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder, "Why have you made me like this?"

Consequently, brothers, we are not with respect to human nature, that is under an obligation to live according to human nature.

So then God’s choice is not dependent on human will, nor on human effort [the totality of human striving], but on God who shows mercy [to whomever He chooses—it is His sovereign gift].

For what was impossible to the Law--powerless as it was because it acted through frail humanity--God effected. Sending His own Son in a body like that of sinful human nature and as a sacrifice for sin, He pronounced sentence upon sin in human nature;

I am using human reasoning because of your human weakness. For just as you once offered the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to wickedness, which led to further wickedness; so now [you should] offer the parts of your body as slaves to do what is right, which leads to holy living.

For from the first making of the world, those things of God which the eye is unable to see, that is, his eternal power and existence, are fully made clear, he having given the knowledge of them through the things which he has made, so that men have no reason for wrongdoing:

conscienceless, treacherous, with no human love or pity.

to every human soul who practices doing evil, the Jew first and then the Greek.

But if our wrongdoing brings to light the uprightness of God, what shall we infer? Is it wrong (I am using everyday human terms) for God to inflict punishment?

as the Scriptures say: "Not a single human creature is upright,

So where has human boasting gone? It was completely shut out. On what principle? On that of doing something? No, but on the principle of faith.

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images that looked like mortal human beings, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

What, then, are we to say about Abraham, our human ancestor?

For while we were living according to our human nature, sinful passions were at work in our bodies by means of the Law, to bear fruit resulting in death.

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am merely human, sold as a slave to sin.

Thank God through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord, because with my mind I myself can serve the Law of God, even while with my human nature I serve the law of sin.

so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to human nature but according to the Spirit.

To focus our minds on the human nature leads to death, but to focus our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace.

That is why the mind that focuses on human nature is hostile toward God. It refuses to submit to the authority of God's Law because it is powerless to do so.

Indeed, those who are under the control of human nature cannot please God.

You, however, are not under the control of the human nature but under the control of the Spirit, since God's Spirit lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of the Messiah, he does not belong to him.

For if you live according to human nature, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you continuously put to death the activities of the body, you will live.

But now having been made free from sin and made servants to God, you have your fruit in sanctification, and the end eternal life.

May it never be! But let God be true but every human being a liar, just as it is written, "In order that you may be justified in your words, and may prevail when you are judged."

For the creation was made subject to vanity, not voluntarily, but by him who made it subject,

[to] whom [belong] the patriarchs, and from whom [is] the Christ according to human descent, who is God over all, blessed {forever}! Amen.

That is, [it is] not the children {by human descent} [who are] children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.

Because by them the true word of God was changed into that which is false, and they gave worship and honour to the thing which is made, and not to him who made it, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it.

And being made free from sin you have been made the servants of righteousness.

But if the Spirit of him who made Jesus come again from the dead is in you, he who made Christ Jesus come again from the dead will in the same way, through his Spirit which is in you, give life to your bodies which now are under the power of death.

Yes, it has been made their good pleasure, and their debt, too. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual riches, they owe it to them also to minister to them the Jews in worldly goods.

For just as there are many parts united in our human bodies, and the parts do not all have the same function,

on the day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

[the good news] regarding His Son, who, as to the flesh [His human nature], was born a descendant of David [to fulfill the covenant promises],

In hope against hope Abraham believed that he would become a father of many nations, as he had been promised [by God]: “So [numberless] shall your descendants be.”

As they did not seek the favour of God, by worshipping him, God gave them over to a depraved sense, to act unworthy of human nature;