Romans 7:21

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

So, I find this principle [at work]: [Although] I want to do what is good, evil is [always] present [and often wins out].

Cross References

Luke 4:1

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River [i.e., where He had been immersed. See 3:21] and was led by the Holy Spirit [See Matt. 4:1] into the desert.

John 8:34

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

Romans 6:12

So, do not allow [the practice of] sin to rule your mortal bodies, so that you obey its desires.

Romans 6:14

For sin must not be your master [i.e., it must not have power over you], for you are not governed by law, but by God’s unearned favor.

Romans 7:23

but I see a different law [at work] in my body, waging [spiritual] warfare against the law in my mind. It brings me into captivity to the law of sin in my body.

Romans 7:25

Thank God [that I can be rescued] through [the power of] Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I personally [try to] serve God’s law with my mind, but [all too often] I serve the law of sin with my flesh [i.e., submitting in weakness to my human desires].

Romans 8:2

For the Holy Spirit’s law which provides [never ending] life for those in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus has freed me from the law that requires [spiritual] death for sinning.

Hebrews 2:17

So, for this reason, He had to become like His brothers in every way [i.e., except that He never sinned], so that He could become a merciful and faithful Head Priest in things related to God’s [service], [and] that He could provide a means of purifying [Lev. 16:30] for people’s sins [i.e., a “covering over” or forgiveness of them].

Hebrews 4:15

For we do not have a head priest who is incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but One [i.e., Jesus] who has been tempted in every way that we have, and yet without sinning.

2 Peter 2:19

[Although] these people promise “liberty,” they themselves are slaves to corrupting influences, for people are slaves to whatever controls them.