Romans 8:18-25
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
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I see three powerful things in this passage.
1.) The Holy Spirit prays for me. I’ve always thought that when the Holy Spirit prays it is because I can’t. That’s still part of it, but I see also that the Holy Spirit is my advocate. He is concerned that I live in harmony with God’s will.
2.) The Holy Spirit is there to help me when I am weak. So, for instance, when I am tempted to buy someone from a fountain pen catalog, he is there to help me be strong.
3.) God chose me, he called me, he gave me right standing–all so that “he could give me his glory.” And also, in that I am his adopted child, I am also a brother or sister to Jesus. Talk about privilege! But what does it mean to have God’s glory? That’s the question!