I give thanks to God who saves me. He saves me through Jesus Christ our Lord. So in my mind I am a slave to God’s law. But sin controls my desires. So I am a slave to the law of sin.
In days to come, the people of Israel will sing, “Lord, we will praise you. You were angry with us. But now your anger has turned away from us. And you have brought us comfort.
Shout for joy, you heavens! Be glad, you earth! Burst into song, you mountains! The Lord will comfort his people. He will show his tender love to those who are suffering.
I want you to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out.’ Tell those who are in their dark cells, ‘You are free!’ “On their way home they will eat beside the roads. They will find plenty to eat on every bare hill.
Because of what Christ Jesus has done, you are free. You are now controlled by the law of the Holy Spirit who gives you life. The law of the Spirit frees you from the law of sin that brings death.
But we have been truly circumcised. We serve God by the power of his Spirit. We boast about what Christ Jesus has done. We don’t put our trust in who we are or what we can do.
You also are like living stones. As you come to Christ, you are being built into a house for worship. There you will be holy priests. You will offer spiritual sacrifices. God will accept them because of what Jesus Christ has done.
But God chose you to be his people. You are royal priests. You are a holy nation. You are God’s special treasure. You are all these things so that you can give him praise. God brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light.