¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit^(A) that we are God’s children.^(B)

¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs^(A)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings^(B) in order that we may also share in his glory.^(C)

²¹ that^[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay^(A) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.^(B)

⁸ In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,^(A) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.^(B)

¹⁵ so that you may become blameless^(A) and pure, “children of God^(B) without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[a](C) Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky

3 See what great love^(A) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!^(B) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.^{(C) 2} Dear friends,^(D) now we are children of God,^(E) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a](F) we shall be like him,^(G) for we shall see him as he is.^(H)

¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God^(A) are and who the children of the devil^(B) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love^(C) their brother and sister.^(D)

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes^(A) that Jesus is the Christ^(B) is born of God,^(C) and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.^{(D) 2} This is how we know^(E) that we love the children of God:^(F) by loving God and carrying out his commands.