17. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18. For I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Adoption Into God’s Family: An Eternal Blessing
With a profound ability to illustrate the Christian identity, Paul paints a masterpiece with Romans 8:17-18. In just two verses, we learn five truths that apply to every believer: we are adopted into God’s family; we are brothers and sisters with Christ; and our faith is in the life to come. We also learn that there is glory to be gained in our sufferings, and that our afflictions affirm who we are in Christ—provided we remain faithful to Him.
As believers, we know that adoption into God’s family and the inheritance of salvation are real. We know this not only because the Holy Spirit testifies to this truth within our spirit—in a way that is only understood once we are born again spiritually—and by the fact that adoption forms a foundational pillar of Christianity. It is also echoed by almost all of the New Testament writers. Matthew, Luke, John, James, the writer of Hebrews, and Peter were all inspired at different times, in different places, and without the knowledge of each other’s writings. Yet each of them wrote about being adopted by God and becoming heirs with Christ.
The Brotherhood We Share With Jesus Christ
Hebrews 2:11-12 is a beautiful declaration: “Both Jesus who sanctifies and those who are sanctified [that is, spiritually transformed, made holy, and set apart for God’s purpose are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I WILL DECLARE YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.”
Being adopted into God’s family means you are never alone in this temporal world. This is one reason Scripture emphasizes fellowship. John 1:7 teaches us that, “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.” This shows that when we follow the path of Christ, we will recognize and be recognized by our brothers and sisters in the world. Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together” because when believers gather together we encourage one another to walk in love instead of anger, and to always choose good over evil. Fellowship with our brothers and sisters makes it easier to travel the path less taken—the one that leads to the strait gate (Matthew 7:14).
Not only do we have the strength of Christ when we are adopted into God’s family, but we also gain the service of His holy angels. We learn who the angels are in Hebrews 1:14, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” This does not mean that God’s angels are in subjection to His children, but that as His children we receive their assistance as we walk toward our salvation. Even Jesus was made a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7), yet the angels ministered to Him after His temptation. Matthew 4:11 tells us, “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” The angels would have been a comforting presence to Jesus, providing mental and physical rejuvenation that would renew His hope and strength to begin His earthly ministry.
Although our physical eyes are blind to the spiritual realm where the angels dwell, adoption opens our spiritual heart to sense their presence and their work on our behalf. The ministry of angels enables God to work through His children, allowing His glorious light to flow from them into the darkness of the world.
Suffering With Christ, Glorified With Christ
Following Christ inevitably brings afflictions and times of trouble—just as He suffered for us, we suffer with Him as His brothers and sisters. But as children of God adopted into His family, we are assured of God’s comfort. Just as Paul says of God in 2 Corinthians 1:4, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.“
Unbelievers suffer as well, but without the inheritance of God their suffering continues in eternity. For believers, our sufferings are temporary mental and physical challenges that will not follow us into eternity. In eternity we will live free of stress, pain, and even conviction of sins — because sin will not exist in Heaven. The glory within us will be revealed in our resurrected bodies — perfect bodies free from sickness and disease just as Adam and Eve were before the fall.
Notice when Jesus appeared to His disciples He said, “Handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:39). He did not say “flesh and blood” as we describe our earthly bodies, because in a resurrected state life is no longer sustained by blood. Life is eternal, flowing directly from the glory of the Father.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we may lose people, attitudes, and possessions that were contrary to God’s way—but we gain so much more. Adoption gives us a family with whom we can share a life aligned with God, making what we left behind feel like addition by subtraction. We no longer suffer through trials and hardships alone, and understanding how Christ suffered makes our own struggles easier to bear. We understand that our difficulties are symptoms of a fallen world, not signs of an angry God. We thrive, knowing that our continued faith and our walk in His Spirit leads to incomparable glory, and to life after this life.
Scriptures About God Adopting His Children
Ephesians 1:5
“God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.”
Romans 8:15
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.’”
1 John 3:1
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”
Mark 3:34-35
“And looking about at those who sat around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, He is My brother and sister and mother.”
1 John 4:16
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
A Prayer With Thanksgiving For Heavenly Adoption
Father God in Heaven,I thank you for the gift of Your heavenly family—not only in Your Kingdom for eternity, but here on earth for the short time I am here. The sacrifice of Your Son cleansed me of my sins, gave me a Brother, and granted me an inheritance I now share with Jesus. Although I am not deserving of Your gifts or Your promises, Your love would not keep them from me once I sought You with my whole heart, just as You promised. In the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Trinitarian Benediction
May you always know that God is your Father and you are His child.
May your heart always feel the love of Christ Jesus as one of His own.
And may the Holy Spirit share His love with your spirit always and forever.