Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, called as an apostle, set apart to preach God's good news,

about His Son, who on the physical side became a descendant of David, and on the holy, spiritual side

as the Scripture says, "I have made you the father of many nations." That is, the promise is in force in the sight of God in whom he put his faith, the God who can bring the dead to life and can call to Himself the things that do not exist as though they did.

What are we then to conclude? Is the law sin? Of course not! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have learned what sin was, for I should not have known what an evil desire was, if the law had not said, "You must not have an evil desire."

For the life-giving power of the Spirit through union with Christ Jesus has set us free from the power of sin and death.

so that the requirement of the law might be fully met in us who do not live by the standard set by our lower nature, but by the standard set by the Spirit.

For people who live by the standard set by their lower nature are usually thinking the things suggested by that nature, and people who live by the standard set by the Spirit are usually thinking the things suggested by the Spirit.

So, brothers, we are under obligations, but not to our lower nature to live by the standard set by it;

that even nature itself might finally be set free from its bondage to decay, so as to share the glorious freedom of God's children.

For those on whom He set His heart beforehand He marked off as His own to be made like His Son, that He might be the eldest of many brothers;

And in the place where it was said, 'You are no people of mine,' they shall be called sons of the living God."

For they were ignorant of God's way of right standing and were trying to set up one of their own, and so would not surrender to God's way of right standing.

But of Israel he said: "All day long I have held out my hands to a people that is disobedient and obstinate."

No, God has not disowned His people, on whom He set His heart beforehand. Do you know what the Scripture says in Elijah's case, how he pleaded with God against Israel?

And David said: "Let their food become a snare and a trap to them, their pitfall and retribution;

Stop returning evil for evil to anyone. Always see to it that your affairs are right in the sight of everybody.

so that anyone who resists the authorities sets himself against what God has established, and those who set themselves against Him will get the penalty due them.

On your part, you must exercise your faith by the standard of yourself in the sight of God. Happy is the man who need not condemn himself for doing the thing that he approves.

And again Isaiah says: "The noted Son of Jesse will come, even He who rises to rule the heathen; on Him the heathen will set their hope."