with my understanding, I--my true self--am in servitude
to the Law of God, but with my lower nature I am in servitude
to the Law of sin.
008:001 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are
in Christ Jesus;
008:002 for the Spirit's Law--telling of Life in Christ Jesus--
has set me free from the Law that deals only with sin and death.
008:003 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;
008:004 in order that in our case the requirements of the Law might be
fully met. For our lives are regulated not by our earthly,
but by our spiritual natures.
008:005 For if men are controlled by their earthly natures, they give
their minds to earthly things. If they are controlled by their
spiritual natures, they give their minds to spiritual things.
008:006 Because for the mind to be given up to earthly things means death;
but for it to be given up to spiritual things means
Life and peace.
008:007 Abandonment to earthly things is a state of enmity to God.
Such a mind does not submit to God's Law, and indeed
cannot do so.
008:008 And those whose hearts are absorbed in earthly things
cannot please God.
008:009 You, however, are not devoted to earthly, but to spiritual things,
if the Spirit of God is really dwelling in you; whereas if
any man has not the Spirit of Christ, such a one does not
belong to Him.