New King James Version (NKJV)

God’s Judgment Defended

1 What advantage then has the Jew, or whatisthe profit of circumcision?

2 Much in every way! Chiefly becauseto them were committed the oracles of God.

3 For what ifsome did not believe?Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?

4 Certainly not! Indeed, letGod be true butevery man a liar. As it is written:

# “That You may be justified in Your words,

And may overcome when You are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say?IsGod unjust who inflicts wrath?(I speak as a man.)

6 Certainly not! For thenhow will God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

8 Andwhynotsay,“Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

All Have Sinned

9 What then? Are we betterthanthey?Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks thatthey are all under sin.

10 As it is written:

# “There is none righteous, no, not one;

11 There is none who understands;

There is none who seeks after God.

12 They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;

There is none who does good, no, not one.”

13 “Theirthroatisan open tomb;

With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

# “The poison of aspsisunder their lips”;

14 “Whosemouthisfull of cursing and bitterness.”

15 “Theirfeetareswift to shed blood;

16 Destruction and miseryarein their ways;

17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “Thereis no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whateverthe law says, it says to those who are under the law, thatevery mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

20 Thereforeby the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the lawisthe knowledge of sin.

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

21 But nowthe righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed,being witnessed by the Lawand the Prophets,

22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. Forthere is no difference;

23 forall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 being justified freelyby His gracethrough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God set forthasa propitiationby His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed overthe sins that were previously committed,

26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27 Whereisboasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

28 Therefore we concludethat a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

29 OrisHethe God of the Jews only?IsHenot also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,

30 sincethereisone God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

1 What then shall we say thatAbraham ourfather has found according to the flesh?

2 For if Abraham wasjustified by works, he hassomethingto boast about, but not before God.

3 For what does the Scripture say?“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

4 Nowto him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

David Celebrates the Same Truth

5 But to him whodoes not work but believes on Him who justifiesthe ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

6 just as David alsodescribes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessedarethosewhose lawless deeds are forgiven,

And whose sins are covered;

8 Blessedistheman to whom theLordshall not impute sin.”

Abraham Justified Before Circumcision

9 Doesthis blessedness thencomeupon the circumcisedonly,or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.

11 Andhe received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith whichhehadwhilestilluncircumcised, thathe might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,

12 and the father of circumcision to those who not onlyareof the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our fatherAbrahamhadwhilestilluncircumcised.

The Promise Granted Through Faith

13 For the promise that he would be theheir of the worldwasnot to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 Forif those who are of the lawareheirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,

15 becausethe law brings about wrath; for where there is no lawthereisno transgression.

16 Thereforeitisof faith thatitmightbeaccording to grace,so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham,who is the father of us all

17 (as it is written,“I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God,who gives life to the dead and calls thosethings which do not exist as though they did;

18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken,“So shall your descendants be.”

19 And not being weak in faith,he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old),and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

21 and being fully convinced that what He had promisedHe was also able to perform.

22 And therefore“it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

23 Nowit was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him,

24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believein Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,

25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, andwas raised because of our justification.

Faith Triumphs in Trouble

1 Therefore,having been justified by faith, we havepeace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 through whom also we have access by faith into this gracein which we stand, andrejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not onlythat,butwe also glory in tribulations,knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5 Now hope does not disappoint,because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Christ in Our Place

6 For when we were still without strength, in due timeChrist died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

8 ButGod demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, having now been justifiedby His blood, we shall be savedfrom wrath through Him.

10 Forif when we were enemieswe were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be savedby His life.

11 And not onlythat,but we alsorejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Death in Adam, Life in Christ

12 Therefore, just asthrough one man sin entered the world, anddeath through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

13 (For until the law sin was in the world, butsin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam,who is a type of Him who was to come.

15 But the free giftisnot like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, aboundedto many.

16 And the giftisnot likethatwhichcamethrough the one who sinned. For the judgmentwhichcamefrom oneoffenseresultedin condemnation, but the free giftwhichcamefrom many offensesresultedin justification.

17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

18 Therefore, as through one man’s offensejudgmentcameto all men, resulting in condemnation, even so throughone Man’s righteous actthefreegiftcameto all men, resulting in justification of life.

19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also byone Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

20 Moreoverthe law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, graceabounded much more,

21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

1 What shall we say then?Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

2 Certainly not! How shall we whodied to sin live any longer in it?

3 Or do you not know thatas many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesuswere baptized into His death?

4 Therefore we wereburied with Him through baptism into death, thatjust as Christ was raised from the dead bythe glory of the Father,even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall beinthelikenessofHisresurrection,

6 knowing this, thatour old man was crucified withHim,thatthe body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

7 Forhe who has died has been freed from sin.

8 Nowif we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

9 knowing thatChrist, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

10 Forthedeaththat He died,He died to sin once for all; butthelifethat He lives,He lives to God.

11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to bedead indeed to sin, butalive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

13 And do not present yourmembersasinstruments of unrighteousness to sin, butpresent yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your membersasinstruments of righteousness to God.

14 Forsin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

15 What then? Shall we sinbecause we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

16 Do you not know thatto whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sinleadingto death, or of obedienceleadingto righteousness?

17 But God be thanked thatthoughyou were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heartthat form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

18 Andhaving been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

19 I speak in humantermsbecause of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your membersasslaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessnessleadingtomorelawlessness, so now present your membersasslavesofrighteousness for holiness.

20 For when you wereslaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? Forthe end of those thingsisdeath.

22 But nowhaving been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

23 Forthe wages of sinisdeath, butthe gift of Godiseternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Freed from the Law

1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?

2 Forthe woman who has a husband is bound by the law toherhusband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law ofherhusband.

3 So thenif, whileherhusband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.

4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have becomedead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we shouldbear fruit to God.

5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the lawwere at work in our membersto bear fruit to death.

6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should servein the newness of the Spirit and notinthe oldness of the letter.

Sin’s Advantage in the Law

7 What shall we say then?Isthe law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary,I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said,“You shall not covet.”

8 Butsin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me allmannerofevildesire. Forapart from the law sinwasdead.

9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.

10 And the commandment,whichwastobringlife, I found tobringdeath.

11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killedme.

12 Thereforethe lawisholy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Law Cannot Save from Sin

13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal,sold under sin.

15 For what I am doing, I do not understand.For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law thatitisgood.

17 But now,itisno longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

18 For I know thatin me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, buthowto perform what is good I do not find.

19 For the good that I willtodo,I do not do; but the evil I will nottodo,that I practice.

20 Now if I do what I will nottodo,it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.

22 For Idelight in the law of God according tothe inward man.

23 ButI see another law inmy members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver mefrom this body of death?

25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Free from Indwelling Sin

1 Thereistherefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

2 Forthe law ofthe Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free fromthe law of sin and death.

3 Forwhat the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh,Goddidby sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us whodo not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Forthose who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but thosewholiveaccording to the Spirit,the things of the Spirit.

6 Forto be carnally mindedisdeath, but to be spiritually mindedislife and peace.

7 Becausethe carnal mindisenmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God,nor indeed can be.

8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

10 And if Christisin you, the bodyisdead because of sin, but the Spiritislife because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit ofHim who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Sonship Through the Spirit

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

13 Forif you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit youput to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 Foras many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

15 Foryou did not receive the spirit of bondage againto fear, but you received theSpirit of adoption by whom we cry out,“Abba, Father.”

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, thenheirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,if indeed we suffer withHim,that we may also be glorified together.

From Suffering to Glory

18 For I consider thatthe sufferings of this present time are not worthytobecomparedwith the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19 Forthe earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

20 Forthe creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjecteditin hope;

21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the gloriousliberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creationgroans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

23 Not onlythat,but we also who havethe firstfruits of the Spirit,even we ourselves groanwithin ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, theredemption of our body.

24 For we were saved in this hope, buthope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait foritwith perseverance.

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. Forwe do not know what we should pray for as we ought, butthe Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 NowHe who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spiritis,because He makes intercession for the saintsaccording tothewillofGod.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to thosewho are the called according toHispurpose.

29 For whomHe foreknew,He also predestinedtobeconformed to the image of His Son,that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He alsocalled; whom He called, these He alsojustified; and whom He justified, these He alsoglorified.

God’s Everlasting Love

31 What then shall we say to these things?If Godisfor us, whocanbeagainst us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, butdelivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?ItisGod who justifies.

34 Whoishe who condemns?ItisChrist who died, and furthermore is also risen,who is even at the right hand of God,who also makes intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?Shalltribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written:

# “For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels norprincipalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Israel’s Rejection of Christ

1 Itell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,

2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.

3 ForI could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,

4 who are Israelites,to whompertainthe adoption,the glory,the covenants,the giving of the law,the serviceofGod,andthe promises;

5 of whomarethe fathers and fromwhom, according to the flesh, Christcame,who is over all,theeternally blessed God. Amen.

Israel’s Rejection and God’s Purpose

6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. Fortheyarenot all Israel whoareof Israel,

7 noraretheyall children because they are the seed of Abraham; but,“In Isaac your seed shall be called.”

8 That is, those whoarethe children of the flesh, thesearenot the children of God; butthe children of the promise are counted as the seed.

9 For thisisthe word of promise:“At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”

10 And not onlythis,but whenRebecca also had conceived by one man,evenby our father Isaac

11 (forthechildrennot yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but ofHim who calls),

12 it was said to her,“The older shall serve the younger.”

13 As it is written,“Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Israel’s Rejection and God’s Justice

14 What shall we say then?Isthereunrighteousness with God? Certainly not!

15 For He says to Moses,“I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”

16 So thenitisnot of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

17 Forthe Scripture says to the Pharaoh,“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”

18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills Hehardens.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? Forwho has resisted His will?”

20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?Will the thing formed say to him who formedit, “Why have you made me like this?”

21 Does not thepotter have power over the clay, from the same lump to makeone vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

22 Whatif God, wanting to showHiswrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsufferingthe vessels of wrathprepared for destruction,

23 and that He might make knownthe riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He hadprepared beforehand for glory,

24 even us whom Hecalled,not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25 As He says also in Hosea:

# “I will call them My people, who were not My people,

And her beloved, who was not beloved.”

26 “Andit shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,

‘Youarenot My people,’

There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel:

# “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea,

# The remnant will be saved.

28 For He will finish the work and cutitshort in righteousness,

# Because theLordwill make a short work upon the earth.”

29 And as Isaiah said before:

# “Unless theLordof Sabaoth had left us a seed,

# We would have become like Sodom,

And we would have been made like Gomorrah.”

Present Condition of Israel

30 What shall we say then?That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness,even the righteousness of faith;

31 but Israel,pursuing the law of righteousness,has not attained to the law of righteousness.

32 Why? Becausetheydidnotseekitby faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. Forthey stumbled at that stumbling stone.

33 As it is written:

# “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,

# Andwhoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Israel Needs the Gospel

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

2 For I bear them witnessthat they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

3 For they being ignorant ofGod’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their ownrighteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

4 ForChrististhe end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law,“The man who does those things shall live by them.”

6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way,“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ downfromabove)

7 or,“ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

8 But what does it say?“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

9 thatif you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the Scripture says,“Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

12 Forthere is no distinction between Jew and Greek, forthe same Lord over allis rich to all who call upon Him.

13 For“whoever callson the name of theLordshall be saved.”

Israel Rejects the Gospel

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hearwithout a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

# “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says,“Lord, who has believed our report?”

17 So then faithcomesby hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:

# “Their sound has gone out to all the earth,

And their words to the ends of the world.”

19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says:

# “I will provoke you to jealousy bythosewhoarenot a nation,

# I will move you to anger by afoolish nation.”

20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:

# “I was found by those who did not seek Me;

I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”

21 But to Israel he says:

# “All day long I have stretched out My hands

To a disobedient and contrary people.”

Israel’s Rejection Not Total

1 I say then,has God cast away His people?Certainly not! ForI also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham,ofthe tribe of Benjamin.

2 God has not cast away His people whomHe foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,

3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?

4 But what does the divine response say to him?“I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

6 Andif by grace, thenitisno longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But ifitisof works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

7 What then?Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest wereblinded.

8 Just as it is written:

# “God has given them a spirit of stupor,

# Eyes that they should not see

And ears that they should not hear,

To this very day.”

9 And David says:

# “Let their table become a snare and a trap,

A stumbling block and a recompense to them.

10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,

And bow down their back always.”

Israel’s Rejection Not Final

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! Butthrough their fall, to provoke them tojealousy, salvationhascometo the Gentiles.

12 Now if their fallisriches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch asI am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousythosewhoaremy flesh andsave some of them.

15 For if their being cast awayisthe reconciling of the world, whatwilltheir acceptancebebut life from the dead?

16 For ifthe firstfruitisholy, the lumpisalsoholy;and if the rootisholy, soarethe branches.

17 And ifsome of the branches were broken off,and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,

18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast,rememberthatyou do not support the root, but the rootsupportsyou.

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.”

20 Wellsaid.Because ofunbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.

21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness,if you continue inHisgoodness. Otherwiseyou also will be cut off.

23 And they also,if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, whoarenaturalbranches,be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should bewise in your own opinion, thatblindness in part has happened to Israeluntil the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

# “The Deliverer will come out of Zion,

And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

27 ForthisisMy covenant with them,

When I take away their sins.”

28 Concerning the gospeltheyareenemies for your sake, but concerning the electiontheyarebeloved for the sake of the fathers.

29 For the gifts and the calling of Godareirrevocable.

30 For as youwere once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,

31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.

32 For God has committed themall to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchableareHis judgments and His ways past finding out!

34 “For who has known themind of theLord?

# Orwho has become His counselor?”

35 “Orwho has first given to Him

And it shall be repaid to him?”

36 Forof Him and through Him and to Himareall things,to whombeglory forever. Amen.

Living Sacrifices to God

1 Ibeseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodiesa living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,whichisyour reasonable service.

2 Anddo not be conformed to this world, butbe transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you mayprove whatisthat good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Serve God with Spiritual Gifts

3 For I say,through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you,not to thinkofhimselfmore highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealtto each one a measure of faith.

4 Foras we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,

5 sowe,beingmany, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that isgiven to us,letususethem:if prophecy,letusprophesy in proportion to our faith;

7 or ministry,letususeitinourministering;he who teaches, in teaching;

8 he who exhorts, in exhortation;he who gives, with liberality;he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy,with cheerfulness.

Behave Like a Christian

9 Letlovebewithout hypocrisy.Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

10 Bekindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,in honor giving preference to one another;

11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

12 rejoicing in hope,patient in tribulation,continuing steadfastly in prayer;

13 distributing to the needs of the saints,given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

16 Be of the same mind toward one another.Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil.Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.

18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you,live peaceably with all men.

19 Beloved,do not avenge yourselves, butrathergive place to wrath; for it is written,“VengeanceisMine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

20 Therefore

# “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

If he is thirsty, give him a drink;

For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, butovercome evil with good.