5 People who live according to what their self-directed nature desires think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature desires. But people who live according to what God’s Spirit desires think about and are concerned about what God’s Spirit desires. 6 Those people who [PRS] think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature desires will not live eternally (OR, will be separated from God). But those people who think about and are concerned about what God’s Spirit desires will live eternally and have inner peace. 7 Let me explain this. To the extent that people [PRS] think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature desires, they are acting contrary to God. They do not obey the laws of God. In fact, they are not even able to obey his laws. 8 The people who let their self-directed nature control them cannot do what pleases God.

9 But we do not have to let our self-directed nature control us. Instead, we can let God’s Spirit control us, because he lives within us. If people do not have living in them the Spirit who comes from Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

1 Because God has erased the record of our sins because we trust in what Christ has done for us, now God will not condemn and punish those/us who have a relationship with (OR, are united to) Christ Jesus. 2 God’s Spirit causes us to live in a new way [PRS] as a result of what Christ Jesus did for us. And he has set up a way by which he frees each of us from continually being forced to sin (OR, to obey our self-directed natures) and from being separated from God. 3 What we could not do by trying to obey the laws of God [PRS], because our self-directed nature was too weak to obey them, God did. He sent his own Son into the world in order that his Son might atone for our sin. His Son came having a body (OR, human nature) that was like the body (OR, the human nature) of us people who sin. By sending his Son in this way, he condemned and punished his Son, who never sinned, instead of punishing us, who sinned [MTY]. He did that by making his Son’s body a sacrifice (OR, by causing his Son’s body to suffer/die) for all our sin. 4 So we can now fulfill all that God required in his laws. We do this, not by our acting the way our sinful human nature desires, but instead by living as God’s Spirit desires us to live.

13 If you live the way your self-directed nature directs, you will surely not live eternally (OR, will surely be eternally separated from God). But if by the power of God’s Spirit you quit doing the sinful things that your bodies desire [MET], you will live eternally.

14 We who are guided by the Spirit of God {allow the Spirit of God to guide us} are God’s children.

21 I find, then, that what always happens is that when I want to do what is good, there is an evil desire present within me that [PRS] prevents me from doing good. 22 With my new inner nature I like the laws of God very much. 23 Nevertheless, I sense that there is a different force that is in ◄my body/me► [PRS, SYN]. It is opposed to what with my mind I desire to do [MET], and it puts me inescapably under the control of [MET] the sinful desires that I have [SYN].

5 When our self-directed nature controlled us, desires that led us to sin were acting in our bodies. Those desires were increased because of our knowing God’s laws [PRS]. As a result we did evil things [IDM] that caused us to be separated from God.

6 Humans give birth to humans. But those who are born again as a result of what God’s Spirit does receive a new spiritual nature from God.

63 God’s Spirit is the one who gives people eternal life. Human efforts are no help at all for giving people eternal life. The message I have spoken to you gives spiritual life (OR, comes from God’s Spirit and gives eternal life.)

16 So I tell you this: Constantly let God’s Spirit direct you. If you do that, you will certainly not do the things that your self-directed nature wants you to do.

19 You already know how people think and act [PRS] because of their self-directed nature. These are some of the things that they do: People are sexually immoral. People commit unnatural sexual acts. People act indecently. 20 People worship false gods and things that represent those gods. People perform ◄rituals in order that evil spirits might act for them/sorcery►. People are hostile to others. People quarrel with each other. People are ◄jealous/resent other people’s status►. People behave angrily. People try ◄to get others to think highly of them/to exalt themselves► and ◄do not consider what others want/act selfishly►. People do not associate with others. People associate only with those who agree with them. 21 People want what others have. People get drunk. People ◄revel/participate in wild parties►. And people do other things like these. I warn you now, just like I warned you previously, that the ones who constantly act and think like that will not receive what God has for his own people when he begins to rule over us.

24 Furthermore, we who belong to Christ Jesus have stopped obeying our self-directed nature and stopped doing all the evil things that we desire to do [MET]. It is as though [MET] we nailed them to the cross!

13 My fellow believers, God chose you in order that you might live without having to obey rules and rituals. But do not assume that because you are free from having to obey rules and rituals, God permits you to do whatever your self-directed nature desires. Instead, constantly, as you love each other, serve each other.

8 God will punish eternally those who do what their self-directed natures urge them to do. But those who please God’s Spirit will live forever with God because of what God’s Spirit does for them.

16 Keep in mind that all the evil human desires in the world are actions/things such as these: People desire to do what their self-directed nature strongly desires. People desire to possess whatever ◄appeals to their senses/they see or hear about►. People boast about the material things that they possess. Such evil ways of living do not originate/come from the Father! Instead they originate/come from the ◄godless people in the world/people in the world who conduct their lives in a manner that displeases God► [MTY]!

11 Specifically, because of your close relationship with Christ, it is as though [MET] you were circumcised {Christ circumcised you} spiritually. This does not mean that someone circumcised you physically [MTY], but it means that Christ completely removed your self-directed nature.

41 You must keep alert and pray so that you can resist when you are tempted {something tempts you}. You want to do what I tell you, but you [SYN] are not strong enough to actually do it."

50 My fellow believers, I want you to know that we (inc) [SYN] cannot go to heaven, where God rules over everything, with our physical bodies, because our bodies cannot last forever. They will die and decay.