We Will Have Glory in the Future

¹⁸We have sufferings now. But the sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be given to us. ¹⁹Everything that God made is waiting with excitement for the time when God will show the world who his children are. The whole world wants very much for that to happen. ²⁰Everything that God made was changed to be like it was worth nothing. It did not want to change, but God decided to change it. But there was this hope: ²¹That everything God made would be made free from ruin (decay). There was hope that everything God made would have the freedom and glory that belong to God's children. ²²We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain like a woman ready to give birth to a child. ²³Not 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. ²⁴We were saved, and we have this hope. If we can see what we are waiting for, then that is not really hope. People don't hope for something they already have. ²⁵But we are hoping for something that we don't have yet. We are waiting for it patiently. ²⁶Also, the Spirit* helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don't know how to pray like we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. The Spirit begs God for us. The Spirit speaks to God with deep feelings that words cannot explain. ²⁷God can see what is in people's hearts. And God knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way that God wants. ²⁸We know that in everything God works for the good of those people that love him. These are the people God called (chose), because that was his plan. ²⁹God knew those people before he made the world. And God decided that those people would be like his Son (Jesus). Then Jesus would be the firstborn* of many brothers [and sisters]. ³⁰God planned for those people to be like his Son. And he called (chose) those people. God called those people and made them right with him. And God gave his glory to those people that he made right.

God's Love in Christ Jesus

³¹So what should we say about this? If God is with us, then no person can defeat us. ³²[God will do anything for us]. God even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for us all. So with Jesus now, God will surely give us all things. ³³Who can accuse the people that God has chosen? No one! God is the One who makes his people right. ³⁴Who can say that God's people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died [for us], but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God's right side and is begging God for us. ³⁵Can anything separate us from Christ's love? No! Can trouble separate us from Christ's love? No! Can problems or persecution* separate us from Christ's love? No! If we have no food or clothes, will that separate us from Christ's love? No! Will danger or even death separate us from Christ's love? No! ³⁶Like it is written in the Scriptures*: "For you (Christ) we are in danger of death all the time. People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed." Psalm 44:22

³⁷But in all these things we have full victory through God who showed his love for us. ^38-39Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love--not death, not life, not angels or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us--nothing in the whole created world--will ever be able to separate us from God's love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Spirit, Holy Spirit Also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Comforter. Joined with God and Christ, He does God's work among people in the world. firstborn The first male child in a family. Here, it probably means that Christ was the first in God's family to share God's glory. persecution Being hurt or bothered by Christ's enemies. Scripture(s) Holy Writings--the Old Testament.