Rom 8:14-17 | TNotes | STEP | 8:14 children of God: In the Old Testament, this phrase referred to Israel, the people God called to be his own (see especially Exod 4:22 ; Jer 3:19 ; 31:9 ; Hos 11:1 ). Paul uses it to remind believers that they enjoy an intimate relationship with God and that they will inherit many of the promises and blessings given to Israel. Christians are no longer minors or slaves, but mature children with full rights (see Gal 4:1-7 ).

8:14 ^a children of God: In the Old Testament, this phrase referred to Israel, the people God called to be his own (see especially Exod 4:22 ^b; Jer 3:19 ^c; 31:9 ^d; Hos 11:1 ^e). Paul uses it to remind believers that they enjoy an intimate relationship with God and that they will inherit many of the promises and blessings given to Israel. Christians are no longer minors or slaves, but mature children with full rights (see Gal 4:1-7 ^f).
8:15 ^g you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children: According to Greco-Roman customs of adoption, a man had the right to adopt a son and to confer on that child all the legal rights and privileges that would be given to a natural child. This practice extended even to the imperial family. The Roman emperor Julius Caesar adopted Octavian as his heir; Octavian, using the name Augustus, later ruled the Roman Empire. Paul’s concept of adoption is also rooted in the Old Testament and Judaism (Exod 4:22 ^h; Deut 1:31 ⁱ; Hos 11:1 ^j; see also Rom 9:4 ^k; Gal 4:5 ^l; Eph 1:5 ^m).

• Abba: This word was used in an intimate family context (“Daddy”). Jesus used this word to address God (Mark 14:36 ⁿ); all those who become children of God through Jesus have the privilege of addressing God in the same way.
8:17 ^o Jesus is heir to all of God’s promises (Mark 12:1-12 ^p; Gal 3:18-19 ^q; Heb 1:2 ^r), and as those who belong to Jesus, we share with him in that glorious inheritance. However, just as it was for Jesus, our path to glory is also marked by suffering. We experience the difficulties that come from striving to live righteously in a world dominated by sin (2 Cor 1:5 ^s; Phil 1:29 ^t; 3:10 ^u).