15. The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
16. And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God’s children.
17. If we are God’s children, we will get the blessings God has for his people. He will give us all that he has given Christ. But we must suffer like Christ suffered. Then we will be able to share his glory.
18. We have sufferings now, but these are nothing compared to the great glory that will be given to us.
19. Everything that God made is waiting with excitement for the time when he will show the world who his children are. The whole world wants very much for that to happen.
20. Everything God made was allowed to become like something that cannot fulfill its purpose. That was not its choice, but God made it happen with this hope in view:
21. That the creation would be made free from ruin—that everything God made would have the same freedom and glory that belong to God’s children.
22. We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain like a woman ready to give birth to a child.
23. Not only the world, but we also have been waiting with pain inside us. We have the Spirit as the first part of God’s promise. So we are waiting for God to finish making us his own children. I mean we are waiting for our bodies to be made free.
24. We were saved to have this hope. If we can see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People don’t hope for something they already have.