One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 296
7Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don't you know that the law applies only while a person is living?G2228G50G80G1063G2980G1097G3551G3754G3551G2961G444G1909G3745G5550G2198 2For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her.G1063G1135G5220G1210G3551G435G2198G1161G1437G435G599G2673G575G3551G435 3So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.G686G3767G1437G435G2198G1096G2087G435G5537G3428G1161G1437G435G599G2076G1658G575G3551G846G1511G3361G3428G1096G2087G435 4So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.G5620G3450G80G5210G2532G2289G3551G1223G4983G5547G1519G5209G1096G2087G1453G1537G3498G2443G2592G2316 5When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.G1063G3753G2258G1722G4561G3804G266G3588G1223G3551G1754G1722G2257G3196G1519G2592G2288 6But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.G1161G3570G2673G575G3551G599G599G1722G3739G2722G5620G2248G1398G1722G2538G4151G2532G3756G3821G1121 7Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, "You must not covet."G5101G2046G3767G3551G266G3361G1096G235G1097G3756G1097G266G1508G1223G3551G1063G5037G1492G3756G1492G1939G1508G3551G3004G1937G3756G1937 8But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power.G1161G266G2983G874G1223G1785G2716G1722G1698G3956G1939G1063G5565G3551G266G3498 9At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life,G1161G1473G2198G5565G3551G4218G1161G1785G2064G266G326G1161G1473G599 10and I died. So I discovered that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead.G2532G1785G3588G1519G2222G3427G2147G3778G1519G2288 11Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me.G1063G266G2983G874G1223G1785G1818G3165G2532G1223G846G615 12But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.G5620G3303G3551G40G2532G1785G40G2532G1342G2532G18 13But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commands for its own evil purposes.G3767G18G1096G2288G1698G3361G1096G235G266G2443G5316G266G2716G2288G3427G1223G18G2443G266G1223G1785G1096G2596G5236G268 14So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.G1063G1492G3754G3551G2076G4152G1161G1473G1510G4559G4097G5259G266 15I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.G1063G3739G2716G1097G3756G1063G3739G2309G5124G4238G3756G235G3739G3404G5124G4160 16But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.G1487G1161G4160G5124G3739G2309G3756G4852G3551G3754G2570 17So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.G3570G1161G3765G1473G2716G846G235G266G3611G1722G1698 18And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't.G1063G1492G3754G1722G1698G5123G1722G3450G4561G3611G3756G18G1063G2309G3873G3427G1161G2716G2570G2147G3756 19I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.G1063G3739G18G2309G4160G3756G235G2556G3739G2309G3756G5124G4238 20But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.G1161G1487G3739G4160G5124G1473G2309G3756G2089G3765G1473G2716G846G235G266G3611G1722G1698 21I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.G2147G686G3551G3754G1698G2309G4160G2570G2556G3873G1698 22I love God's law with all my heart.G1063G4913G3551G2316G2596G2080G444 23But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.G1161G991G2087G3551G1722G3450G3196G497G3551G3450G3563G2532G163G3165G163G3551G266G3588G5607G1722G3450G3196 24Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?G5005G444G1473G5101G4506G3165G1537G4983G5127G2288 25Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.G2168G2316G1223G2424G5547G2257G2962G686G3767G3563G1473G846G3303G1398G3551G2316G1161G4561G3551G266
8So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.G686G3568G3762G2631G1722G5547G2424G4043G3361G2596G4561G235G2596G4151 2And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.G1063G3551G4151G2222G1722G5547G2424G1659G3165G1659G575G3551G266G2532G2288 3The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.G1063G3551G102G1722G3739G770G1223G4561G2316G3992G1438G5207G1722G3667G266G4561G2532G4012G266G2632G266G1722G4561 4He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.G2443G1345G3551G4137G1722G2254G4043G3361G2596G4561G235G2596G4151 5Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.G1063G5607G2596G4561G5426G3588G4561G1161G2596G4151G3588G4151 6So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.G1063G5427G4561G5427G2288G1161G5427G4151G5427G2222G2532G1515 7For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will.G1360G4561G5427G2189G1519G2316G1063G5293G3756G5293G3551G2316G3761G1063G1410 8That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.G1161G5607G1722G4561G3756G1410G700G2316 9But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)G1161G5210G2075G3756G1722G4561G235G1722G4151G1512G4151G2316G3611G1722G5213G1161G1536G2192G3756G4151G5547G3778G2076G3756G846 10And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.G1161G1487G5547G1722G5213G4983G3303G3498G1223G266G1161G4151G2222G1223G1343 11The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.G1161G1487G4151G1453G2424G1537G3498G3611G1722G5213G1453G5547G1537G3498G2227G2532G2227G5216G2349G4983G1223G846G4151G1774G1774G1722G5213 12Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.G686G3767G80G2070G3781G3756G4561G2198G2596G4561 13For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.G1063G1487G2198G2596G4561G3195G599G1161G1487G2289G4151G2289G4234G4983G2198 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.G1063G3745G71G4151G2316G3778G1526G5207G2316 15So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father."G1063G2983G3756G2983G4151G1397G3825G1519G5401G235G2983G4151G5206G1722G3739G2896G5G3962 16For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.G4151G846G4828G2257G4151G3754G2070G5043G2316 17And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.G1161G1487G5043G2532G2818G2818G3303G2316G1161G4789G5547G1512G4841G2443G4888G2532G4888 18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.G1063G3049G3754G3804G3568G2540G3756G514G4314G1391G3195G601G1519G2248 19For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.G1063G603G2937G553G602G5207G2316 20Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope,G1063G2937G5293G3153G3756G1635G235G1223G5293G1909G1680 21the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.G3754G2937G846G2532G1659G575G1397G5356G1519G1391G1657G5043G2316 22For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.G1063G1492G3754G3956G2937G4959G2532G4944G891G3568 23And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.G1161G3756G3440G235G846G2532G2192G536G4151G2532G2249G846G4727G1722G1438G553G5206G629G2257G4983 24We were given this hope when we were saved. [If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it.G1063G4982G1680G1161G1680G991G2076G3756G1680G1063G3739G5100G991G5101G1679G2532G1679 25But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.]G1161G1487G1679G3739G991G3756G553G1223G5281G553 26And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.G1161G5615G4151G2532G4878G2257G769G1063G1492G3756G5101G4336G2526G1163G235G4151G846G5241G5228G2257G4726G215 27And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.G1161G2045G2588G1492G5101G5427G4151G3754G1793G5228G40G2596G2316 28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.G1161G1492G3956G4903G1519G18G3754G25G2316G5607G2822G2596G4286 29For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.G3754G3739G4267G4309G2532G4309G4832G1504G846G5207G1519G846G1511G4416G1722G4183G80 30And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.G1161G3739G4309G5128G2564G2532G2564G2532G3739G2564G5128G1344G2532G1344G1161G3739G1344G5128G1392G2532G1392 31What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?G5101G2046G3767G2046G4314G5023G1487G2316G5228G2257G5101G2596G2257 32Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?G3739G1065G5339G3756G2398G5207G235G3860G846G3860G5228G2257G3956G4459G5483G3780G4862G846G2532G5483G2254G3956 33Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.G5101G1458G2596G2316G1588G2316G1344 34Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.G5101G2632G5547G599G1161G3123G2532G1453G3739G2076G2532G1722G1188G2316G3739G2532G1793G5228G2257 35Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?G5101G5563G2248G575G26G5547G2347G2228G4730G2228G1375G2228G3042G2228G1132G2228G2794G2228G3162 36(As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.")G2531G1125G3754G4675G1752G2289G3650G2250G3049G5613G4263G4967 37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.G235G1722G3956G5125G5245G1223G25G2248 38And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.G1063G3982G3754G3777G2288G3777G2222G3777G32G3777G746G3777G1411G3777G1764G3777G3195 39No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.G3777G5313G3777G899G3777G5100G2087G2937G1410G5563G2248G575G26G2316G1722G5547G2424G2257G2962
136Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.H3034H3068H2896H2617H5769 2Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.H3034H430H430H2617H5769 3Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.H3034H113H113H2617H5769 4Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.H6213H1419H6381H2617H5769 5Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.H8394H6213H8064H2617H5769 6Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever.H7554H776H4325H2617H5769 7Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—His faithful love endures forever.H6213H1419H216H2617H5769 8the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.H8121H4475H3117H2617H5769 9and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.H3394H3556H4475H3915H2617H5769 10Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.H5221H4714H1060H2617H5769 11He brought Israel out of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.H3318H3478H8432H2617H5769 12He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm. His faithful love endures forever.H2389H3027H5186H2220H2617H5769 13Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.H1504H5488H3220H1506H2617H5769 14He led Israel safely through, His faithful love endures forever.H3478H5674H8432H2617H5769 15but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.H5287H6547H2428H5488H3220H2617H5769 16Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever.H3212H5971H4057H2617H5769 17Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever.H5221H1419H4428H2617H5769 18He killed powerful kings—His faithful love endures forever.H2026H117H4428H2617H5769 19Sihon king of the Amorites, His faithful love endures forever.H5511H4428H567H2617H5769 20and Og king of Bashan. His faithful love endures forever.H5747H4428H1316H2617H5769 21God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance—His faithful love endures forever.H5414H776H5159H2617H5769 22a special possession to his servant Israel. His faithful love endures forever.H5159H3478H5650H2617H5769 23He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever.H2142H8216H2617H5769 24He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever.H6561H6862H2617H5769 25He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever.H5414H3899H1320H2617H5769 26Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.H3034H410H8064H2617H5769
—you who are familiar with the law—don't you know that the law applies only while a person is living?G2228
