Romans 8:15- 25

v15: Did not receive a spirit of bondage again to fear: As believers we can have an assurance of our salvation. We do not near to fear that we are going to be eternally separated from G-d. When we are saved, we have can assurance that G-d will keep His promises – viz that He will never leave us or forsake us etc. We do not need to fear. 

• Abba: This is not a Hebrew word but an Aramaic one that means ‘father’. It is not a word that means “daddy”, or a word that implies a more intimate relationship. Paul tells us that this word means Father. He said the Spirit causes us to cry “Abba” and then Paul interprets this Aramaic word for us by saying: “The Father”. The name “Father” is a word that shows respect. Acknowledging G-d as our Father honours and respects Him. 

v16: The Spirit Himself: The Holy Spirit. The same Spirit of G-d who has adopted us into His eternal family. 

• Spirit…bears witness: Testifies. G-d does not lie. When He testifies or proclaims something we can have assurance that what He has said is true and does not change. 
• We are children of G-d: If we are believers, the Spirit of G-d will assure us, and inwardly we will know that it is true, that we are children of G-d – eternally adopted. 

v17: We suffer with Him… that we may also be glorified together: A child of G-d is united in faith with the Son of G-d – Yeshua. In obedience to His Father’s plan, He was willing to suffer because He knew what suffering was going to bring about eternally. Likewise, when we serve the living G-d, when we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we at times are going to suffer. But we do not suffer alone – we suffer together with Him! If we suffer together with Him we are going to experience a change….we will also be glorified together with Messiah.

v18: The glory which shall be revealed in us: This is another promise that we have. Any suffering we go through on this earth cannot even be compared to the glory that is coming for us. 

v19: Earnest expectation of the creation: Not only does G-d’s redemption (through His Son Messiah Yeshua) effect the remnant of humanity, but it also brings about a transformation in G-d’s creation. This world is going to be changed, transformed. 

• The revealing of the sons of G-d: This is what creation is waiting for. It has an expectation, a hope, and it is waiting for this hope to become a reality. There is a relationship between this transformation (this inheritance of the sons of G-d) and the establishment of the Kingdom of G-d. Creation knows this, creation is waiting for this, and, when it happens, creation is going to rejoice (rocks cry out, trees of the field clap their hands – Luke 19:40, Isaiah 55:12). 

v20: Subjected: Creation itself was impacted by sin and it was forced into the situation it found itself in. 

• Not willingly: The sin of Adam and Eve not only affected humanity, but it also affected creation. Creation didn’t want this sin in the world. But because sin is here creation is also, in an unwilling way, subjected to it. This is why creation waits with eager expectation for this transformation, the Kingdom of G-d, to come. 
• Hope: Hope is very important for us to have, but also very important for creation to have. Hope is powerful. Hope gives endurance and perseverance through suffering, because we know that a great reward is on the way. Creation knows this too. 

v21: Delivered: Set free. Creation will be liberated. 

• Corruption: Decay. This is a word related to the effects of sin and death. When sin is present it brings about decay. When Adam and Eve ate of that fruit in the garden of Eden they began the process of death, they began to age, they began to wear out. 
• Glorious liberty: This glorious freedom takes place among the children of G-d (Those who believe in Messiah Yeshua). 
• Children of G-d: Those who are in G-d’s family. 

v22: Groans and labours: This is creation’s present condition. It is groaning because of the effects of sin in this world. 

• Until now: Even to this day, creation is groaning and labouring – it is waiting for the wonderful, Kingdom change to happen. 

v23: Have the first fruits of the Spirit: This means that there is evidence of the Spirit of G-d working in our lives. The first fruits are like a downpayment, a guarantee of more to come. Another outpouring of the Holy Spirit can be expected in the lives of believers. 

• Waiting for the adoption…the redemption of our body: When we believe, we are called adopted (Roms 8:15). The full outcome of the adoption, though, is the redemption of our bodies (When a child is adopted into a family there is a verbal acknowledgement that that child is a part of the family. The paperwork comes later and affirms and legalises what has already taken place. The redemption of our bodies is like the paperwork – it affirms and legalises what has already happened). 
• The redemption of our bodies: This is going to happen at an event called “Our Blessed Hope” – the rapture. In the twinkling of an eye believers are going to be transformed (1 Cor 15:50-55, Titus 2:13). The spirits of believers who die, before the rapture takes place, will go into the presence of G-d (absent from the body, present with the L-rd – 2 Cor 5:8)). Their bodies, however, are in the ground – decaying. It is at the time of the rapture that these bodies in the ground will be raised up and redeemed – become incorruptible. All believers, those dead or those alive, will experience this redemption of bodies at the same time. Not only are we going to receive our new bodies, but all of creation is going to enter into a new reality at that time – the Kingdom of G-d.

v24: Hope: Hope is an eager and sure expectation that G-d will fulfil His promises. It does not originate in our minds. Hope originates in the Word of G-d – in the promises of G-d. We insult G-d if we doubt His promises. We need to believe His promises in their entirety. 

• We were saved in this hope: G-d saved us so that we would have hope. When we have hope, we have an expectation that G-d will fulfil His promises. Having this type of hope is going to impact how we live. Hope will change how we think. It will change our view of things. Hope will give us the ability to endure, to persevere, to press on because we know that all we have to endure here is trivial in comparison to the wonderful things that G-d has for us in His Kingdom. 
• Hope that is seen is not hope: If we already see these things and know and experience them in their fullness we wouldn’t have need for hope. Although we have not seen these things, we have heard about them. This is so important, because faith comes through hearing – not through seeing! When we hear the promises of G-d, and we believe in them through faith, then we are able to endure through the difficulties in this world. 

v25: We do not see: This is our present condition. We haven’t yet seen these things. We  have heard about them, read about them and believed them, but we don’t as yet possess them. 

• We eagerly wait for it with perseverance: Hope is powerful. When we live in hopeful expectation, believing what G-d has said – without doubting – we are going to be able to persevere. 
• Perseverance: Patience. Endurance.