| NASB | NLT | VOICE |
| 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. | 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. | 17 If we are God’s children, that means we are His heirs along with the Anointed, set to inherit everything that is His. If we share His sufferings, we know that we will ultimately share in His glory. |
In the context of the Romans, adoption was a legal practice. It granted the adopted child full rights as a legitimate heir. As heirs of God, believers are promised an inheritance that is imperishable and eternal. Being co-heirs with Jesus shows that we share the privileges and responsibilities of Christ’s coming. The suffering mentioned here is not just physical. It involves enduring ridicule and trials to share the Good News of Jesus. It demonstrates our identification with Jesus’ suffering. It guides us on our path to spiritual maturity. It also leads us to deep community with him. The future shows us the major hope, an assurance to endure the chaos in front of us.
Being co-heirs with Jesus calls us to live in a way that reflects His character and His mission. It’s not often that I think about how living out God’s will is a true representation of who He is. By that I mean this: we often believe pursuing God involves serving Him. It also includes taking care of others. I rarely think about how doing these things is a simple representation of who He is. We share in the same responsibility that Jesus had concerning the Kingdom of God. We all have different gifts and talents to contribute to the Kingdom. It takes a joint effort to make it happen effectively. We need to learn to step aside when someone is stronger than us in a particular area. They can do a better job. We must learn to encourage, cheer, and guide our community in Christ. We should teach and help them become the best version of themselves. This will allow us to be the best version of ourselves.
Remember this above everything: I am a joint heir with Christ.
Read Romans 8:17 again. Listen as God explains how you can both share his glory and suffering. Seek ways using your time, talents, and treasures to best represent God to the world.
Next part: Who Am I Again #4
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