The Hope of Future Glory

18What we are suffering now is nothing compared with the glory that will be shown in us. 19Everything God created looks forward to the time when his children will appear in their full and final glory. 20The created world was bound to fail. But that was not the result of its own choice. It was planned that way by the One who made it. God planned 21to set the created world free. He didn’t want it to rot away completely. Instead, he wanted it to have the same glorious freedom that his children have.

22We know that all that God created has been groaning. It is in pain as if it were giving birth to a child. The created world continues to groan even now. 23And that’s not all. We have the Holy Spirit as the promise of future blessing. But we also groan inside ourselves as we look forward to the time when God will adopt us as full members of his family. Then he will give us everything he has for us. He will raise our bodies and give glory to them.

24That’s the hope we had when we were saved. But hope that can be seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25We hope for what we don’t have yet. So we are patient as we wait for it.