8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (ὅσοι γὰρ πνεύματι θεοῦ ἄγονται, οὗτοι υἱοὶ θεοῦ εἰσιν). The presence of the Spirit of God within believers and within the believing community is evident in the change the Spirit effects in their desires. Their new desire to please God shows that they, like ancient Israel, are God’s beloved people.

The “for” (γάρ) introduces the reason why Paul can say that his readers “will live” if they put to death the deeds of the body by means of the Spirit. If they do this, they show themselves to be among those who “are led by the Spirit of God” and are “sons of God.” Paul has already said that no believer is without the indwelling Spirit of God, and now he makes clear that the Spirit is powerfully active within believers to reshape their desires and give them the ability to please God by submitting to his law (cf. 8:7–8).

The passive verb “led” (ἄγονται) is a forceful term that Paul could use elsewhere of people “led” to stray after idols (1 Cor 12:2) or to give in to sinful desires (2 Tim 3:6). It was sometimes used in antiquity to refer to the compulsion to act on a particular inner feeling such as desire or pleasure (Euripides, Med. 310; Plato, Prot. 355a). This does not mean that those “led by the Spirit of God” were forced by God’s Spirit to act in certain ways.⁵⁵ Paul could use the same term to speak of disobedient people being unaware that God was trying to lead them to repentance (2:4), and Plato, using the exact grammatical construction Paul uses here (the passive verb with a dative of means), could speak of desires that are “directed by calculation” (λογισμῷ ἄγονται). Paul’s meaning is that the Spirit helps those in whom he dwells to make decisions about their behavior that please God rather than decisions that give in to the sinful desires of the flesh (cf. Gal 5:17–18).

The phrase “sons of God” introduces a new theme intended to assure Paul’s readers that if the Spirit is leading them to live in ways that are pleasing to God, then they belong to the people of God. The notion that God’s people are his children comes from the Jewish Scriptures (e.g., Exod 4:22; Isa 1:2; Hos 11:1), and Paul asserts here that those in whom God’s Spirit dwells may rest assured that they belong to this people (cf. Gal 3:26; 4:5–6).

The title “sons of God” for believers also recalls the title Paul had given to Jesus at the letter’s beginning and introduces into the discussion a theme that Paul will develop further in the sentences that follow. Believers are united with Christ in his suffering, but especially in his resurrection, the resurrection by which he was appointed Son of God in power (1:3–4).^[1]

1如今那些在基督耶穌里的，就不定罪了。

2因為賜生命聖靈的律，在基督耶穌里釋放了我，使我脫離罪和死的律了。

3律法既因肉體軟弱，有所不能行的，神就差遣自己的兒子，成為罪身的形狀，作了贖罪祭，在肉體中定了罪案，
4使律法的義成就在我們這不隨從肉體，只隨從聖靈的人身上。

5因為隨從肉體的人體貼肉體的事，隨從聖靈的人體貼聖靈的事。

6體貼肉體的，就是死，體貼聖靈的，乃是生命，平安。

7原來體貼肉體的，就是與神為仇。因為不服神的律法，也是不能服。

8而且屬肉體的人，不能得神的喜歡。

9如果神的靈住在你們心裡，你們就不屬肉體，乃屬聖靈了。人若沒有基督的靈，就不是屬基督的。

10基督若在你們心裡，身體就因罪而死，心靈卻因義而活。

11然而叫耶穌從死里復活者的靈，若住在你們心裡，那叫基督耶穌從死里復活的，也必借着住在你們心裡的聖靈，使你們必死的身體又活過來。

12弟兄們，這樣看來，我們並不是欠肉體的債，去順從肉體活着。

13你們若順從肉體活着必要死。若靠着聖靈治死身體的惡行必要活着。

14因為凡被神的靈引導的，都是神的兒子。

15你們所受的不是奴僕的心，仍舊害怕。所受的乃是兒子的心，因此我們呼叫阿爸，父。16聖靈與我們的心同證我們是神的兒女。

^[1] Thielman, F. (2018). Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. (C. E. Arnold, Ed.) (pp. 389–390). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.