For when he died, he died once and for all as far as sin is concerned. But now that he is alive, he lives for God.

In the same way, you too must continuously consider yourselves dead as far as sin is concerned, but living for God through the Messiah Jesus.

For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace.

What, then, does this mean? Should we go on sinning because we are not under Law but under grace? Of course not!

But thank God that, though you were once slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching with which you were entrusted!

But now that you have been freed from sin and have become God's slaves, the benefit you reap is sanctification, and the result is eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with the Messiah Jesus our Lord.

For a married woman is bound by the Law to her husband while he is living, but if her husband dies, she is released from the Law concerning her husband.

So while her husband is living, she will be called an adulterer if she lives with another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from this Law, so that she is not an adulterer if she marries another man.

But now we have been released from the Law by dying to what enslaved us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit, not under the old writings.

But sin seized the opportunity provided by this commandment and produced in me all kinds of sinful desires, since apart from the Law, sin is dead.

At one time I was alive without any connection to the Law. But when the rule was revealed, sin sprang to life,

Now, did something good bring me death? Of course not! But in order that sin might be recognized as being sin, it used something good to cause my death, so that through the rule, sin might become more exposed as being sinful than ever before.

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

I don't understand what I am doing. For I don't practice what I want to do, but instead do what I hate.

As it is, I am no longer the one who is doing it, but it is the sin that is living in me.

For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but I cannot carry it out.

For I don't do the good I want to do, but instead do the evil that I don't want to do.

But if I do what I don't want to do, I am no longer the one who is doing it, but it is the sin that is living in me.

but I see in my body a different principle waging war with the Law in my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin that exists in my body.

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.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of 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.

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.

But if the Messiah is in you, your bodies are dead due to sin, but the spirit is alive due to righteousness.

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.

However, not only the creation, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit also groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

But if we hope for what we do not yet observe, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

In the same way, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, since we do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words,

The one who did not spare his own Son, but offered him as a sacrifice for all of us, surely will give us all things, along with his Son, won't he?

That is, it is not merely the children born through natural descent who were regarded as God's children, but it is the children born through the promise who were regarded as descendants.

Not only that, but Rebecca became pregnant by our ancestor Isaac.

So it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

Therefore, God's choice does not depend on a person's will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy.

including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the gentiles as well?

But Israel, who pursued righteousness based on the Law, did not achieve the Law.

Why not? Because they did not pursue it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on achievements. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble.

For I can testify on their behalf that they have a zeal for God, but it is not in keeping with full knowledge.

But the righteousness that comes from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, "Who will go up to heaven?' (that is, to bring the Messiah down),

But what does it say? "The message is near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart." This is the message about faith that we are proclaiming:

But not everyone has obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah asks, "Lord, who has believed our message?"

But I ask, "Didn't they hear?" Certainly they did! In fact, "Their voice has gone out into the whole world, and their words to the ends of the earth."

But about Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and rebellious people."

But what was the divine reply to him? "I have reserved for myself 7,000 people who have not knelt to worship Baal."

But if this is by grace, then it is no longer on the basis of actions. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

What, then, does this mean? It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened.

For if their rejection results in reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance bring but life from the dead?

do not boast about being better than the other branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

That's right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid!

Consider, then, the kindness and severity of God: his severity toward those who fell, but God's kindness toward you if you continue receiving his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off.

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake, but as far as election is concerned, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors.

For just as you disobeyed God in the past but now have received his mercy because of their disobedience,

Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is what is proper, pleasing, and perfect.

For we have many parts in one body, but these parts do not all have the same function.

Live in harmony with each other. Do not be arrogant, but associate with humble people. Do not think that you are wiser than you really are.

Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, but focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people.

Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord."

But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him. For if he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will pile burning coals on his head."

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience.

Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of arguing over differences of opinion.

I know and have been persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in and of itself, but it is unclean to a person who thinks it is unclean.

For God's kingdom does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit.

Do not destroy God's action for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make another person stumble because of what you eat.

But the person who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not act in faith; and anything that is not done in faith is sin.

But now, having no further opportunities in these regions, I want to come to you, as I've desired to do for many years.

because such people are not serving the Messiah our Lord, but their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

For your obedience has become known to everyone, and I am full of joy for you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

but now has been made known through the prophets to all the gentiles, in keeping with the decree of the eternal God to bring them to the obedience that springs from faith

For the Messiah did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, not with eloquent wisdom, so the cross of the Messiah won't be emptied of its power.

For the message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God's power to us who are being saved.

but we preach the Messiah crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to gentiles,

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the Messiah is God's power and God's wisdom.

But God chose what is nonsense in the world to make the wise feel ashamed. God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed.

My message and my preaching were not accompanied by clever, wise words, but by a display of the Spirit's power,

so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on God's power.

However, when we are among mature people, we do speak a message of wisdom, but not the wisdom of this world or of the rulers of this world, who are passing off the scene.

But as it is written, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him."

But God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God.

Now, we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we can understand the things that were freely given to us by God.

We don't speak about these things with words taught us by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things to spiritual people.

The spiritual person evaluates everything but is subject to no one else's evaluation.

Brothers, I couldn't talk to you as spiritual people but as worldly people, as mere infants in the Messiah.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept everything growing.

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is significant, but God, who keeps everything growing, is the one who matters.

As an expert builder using the grace that God gave me, I laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it.

If his work is burned up, he will suffer loss. However, he himself will be saved, but it will be like going through fire.

but you belong to the Messiah, and the Messiah belongs to God.

For my conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who examines me.

We are fools for the Messiah's sake, but you are wise in the Messiah. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.

I'm not writing this to make you feel ashamed, but to warn you as my dear children.

You may have 10,000 mentors who work for the Messiah, but not many fathers. For in the Messiah Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

But I will come to you soon if it's the Lord's will. Then I'll discover not only what these arrogant people are saying but also what power they have,

for the kingdom of God isn't just talk, but also power.

So let's keep celebrating the festival, neither with old yeast nor with yeast that is evil and wicked, but with yeast-free bread that is both sincere and true.

But now I am writing to you to stop associating with any so-called brother if he is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunk, or a robber. You must even stop eating with someone like that.

That is what some of you were! But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and by the Spirit of our God.

Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not allow anything to control me.

Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will make them both unnecessary. The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.