17. If we are his children, we are also God’s heirs. If we share in Christ’s suffering in order to share his glory, we are heirs together with him.
18. I consider our present sufferings insignificant compared to the glory that will soon be revealed to us.
19. All creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal who his children are.
20. Creation was subjected to frustration but not by its own choice. The one who subjected it to frustration did so in the hope
21. that it would also be set free from slavery to decay in order to share the glorious freedom that the children of God will have.
22. We know that all creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth up to the present time.
23. However, not only creation groans. We, who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts, also groan inwardly. We groan as we eagerly wait for our adoption, the freeing of our bodies ⌊from sin⌋.
24. We were saved with this hope in mind. If we hope for something we already see, it’s not really hope. Who hopes for what can be seen?
25. But if we hope for what we don’t see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26. At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words.
27. The one who searches our hearts knows what the Spirit has in mind. The Spirit intercedes for God’s people the way God wants him to.
28. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan.
29. This is true because he already knew his people and had already appointed them to have the same form as the image of his Son. Therefore, his Son is the firstborn among many children.
30. He also called those whom he had already appointed. He approved of those whom he had called, and he gave glory to those whom he had approved of.
31. What can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32. God didn’t spare his own Son but handed him over ⌊to death⌋ for all of us. So he will also give us everything along with him.
33. Who will accuse those whom God has chosen? God has approved of them.
34. Who will condemn them? Christ has died, and more importantly, he was brought back to life. Christ has the highest position in heaven. Christ also intercedes for us.