Charles Spurgeon Commentary Romans 8:17

"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 with [him]." — Romans 8:17 (ASV)

That we may be also glorified together.

Oh! what a rise is this from groaning under, O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? up to this point, That we may be also glorified together.

And joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We are to take the rough and the smooth, the bitter and the sweet, with Christ; and who will object to that? If we are to be heirs with Christ, we do not wish to split the inheritance in pieces. No! We will take the cross as well as the crown – the reproach as well as the honor.

And joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Do you ever have in your heart a longing to behold the glory of God? Do you feel pressed down when you see abounding sin? Are your eyes ready to be flooded with tears at the thought of the destruction of the ungodly? Then, you are having sympathy with Christ in his sufferings, and you shall as certainly be an heir with him, eventually, in his glory.

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.

This would not necessarily be true of any man's family, for he might have children who were not his heirs; but, in God's family, all who are born into it are born "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." We must take our part of Christ's portion—his portion here, and his portion hereafter; the rule for us who are in him shall be, "share and share alike." He himself has said, Where I am, there shall also my servant be; and all that he has he will divide with us.

Are you willing, dear brother, to take shares with Christ? If not, then I question whether you can be rightly reckoned among his saints.

Heirs of God,

Not only heirs of what God chooses to give, but heirs of himself.

Nothing else needs to be said, if this is true: The Lord is my portion, saith my soul. Heirs of God,

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him,

Up again:—

If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Oh! this blessed co-partnership – this fellowship: joint-heirs with Christ: taking part in the whole heritage – as well the heritage of suffering as the heritage of glory. It shall bruise thy heel, but thou shalt bruise his head. There is to be the heel-bruising for the Christ, as well as for us; but there is to be the head-crushing of sin and Satan for him and for us, too.

And if children, then heirs: heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;

Oh that if – "if children." There are some that get over all that.

They believe in a universal fatherhood, which is not worth the words in which they describe it. This is a different fatherhood altogether.

And if children, then heirs;

That does not follow in other cases, but it does in the case of the family of God. In a man's family, only one son can be an heir; but in God's family, it is declared of all, if children, then heirs.

And if children, then heirs;

It is not, of course, so in human families. All children are not heirs; but it is so in the family of God.

And joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The whole chapter is rather too long for our reading, so we will pass on to the 28th verse.

Heirs of God,

What a heritage! God himself becomes our heritage. We are heirs to all that God has, and all that God is.

And if children, then heirs;

For all God's children are heirs, and all equally heirs. The elder-born members of God's family, such as Abraham and the rest of the patriarchs, are no more heirs of God than are we of these latter days who have but lately come to Christ. "If children, then heirs." Heirs of what?

Heirs of God,

Not only heirs to God, but heirs of God. God himself is the heritage of his people; he belongs to them now, as an eternal endowment. Heirs of God.

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.

It is to be all with him. With him in the suffering; with him in the glory; with him in the reproach of men; with him in the honour at the right hand of the Father. But if we shun the path of humiliation with him, we may expect that he will deny us in the day of his glory.