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FEATURE
ROMANS 8:18–25
Key themes: suffering and glory;
groaning creation; salvation for
creation and humans; hope and
patience.
At the start of this passage there is an
acknowledgement that our world is
one of suffering. Things are not right
and this is true of the human world
and the rest of creation. Paul points
us toward a future glory that will be
revealed. As with Genesis there is a
special role for humans in revealing
this glory – this time the ‘sons of God’
that were introduced in John 1. If
suffering is a reality, then creation
responds by ‘groaning’. This is a tragic
image of God’s beautiful world in a
rather sad and