THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MINISTRIES

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,k you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spiritl are God’s sons.m 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.n Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption,o by whom we cry out, “Abba,D Father!”p 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spiritq that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirsr—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with hims so that we may also be glorified with him.

FROM GROANS TO GLORY

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparingt with the gloryu that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipationv for God’s sonsw to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjectedx to futilityy—not willingly, but because of him who subjected itz—in the hope 21 that the creation itselfaa will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor painsab until now. 23 Not only that,ac but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruitsad—we also groan within ourselves,ae eagerly waiting for adoption,af the redemption of our bodies.ag 24 Now in this hopeah we were saved, but hopeai that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see,aj we eagerly wait for it with patience.