罗八14 因为凡被神的灵引导的，都是神的儿子。

　　　　16~17 那灵自己同我们的灵见证我们是神的儿女。既是儿女，便是后嗣，就是神的后嗣，和基督同作后嗣，只要我们与祂一同受苦，好叫我们也与祂一同得荣耀。

　　新约说到信徒是神的儿女、神的儿子和神的后嗣。作神的儿女，是我们与神初步或基本的关系。我们可能只是儿女，没有长大成为儿子；或者我们只是儿子，没有后嗣的资格。因此，我们需要长大，好成为神的儿子。然后我们还需要进一步长大达到成熟，好成为神的后嗣。作为后嗣，我们就可承受神圣的产业（新约总论第五册，二四页）。

　　Rom. 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

　　16-17 The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, heirs also; on the one hand, heirs of God; on the other, joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him.

　　The New Testament speaks of the believers as children of God, sons of God, and heirs of God. Being children of God is our initial, or primary, relationship with God. We may be children without the growth of a son, or we may be sons without the qualification of an heir. Therefore, we need to grow in order to become sons of God. Then we need further growth, growth to maturity, in order to be heirs of God. As heirs, we shall inherit the divine inheritance. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1081)

　　〔罗马八章十四至十七节〕用了三个重要的辞—儿女、儿子、后嗣。……神的生命在三个阶段里作工，使我们成为神的儿子。神的生命在我们灵里重生我们，在我们魂里变化我们，并且将我们的身体改变形状。因此，我们有重生、变化和改变形状。这些加在一起，就给我们完满的儿子名分。这三个阶段的结果，就使众子完全得成熟。

　　罗马书这一段告诉我们，那灵同我们的灵见证我们是神的儿女（16）。十六节不是说儿子或后嗣，因为在儿子名分的第一阶段，我们只是借着神的生命得重生的小孩子。此后我们会长大。然后十四节说，“凡被神的灵引导的，都是神的儿子。”……我们能被那灵引导，意思是我们达到了某种生命的成长。我们已从儿女长到能接受那灵引导的儿子。这就是说，我们在第二阶段，变化的阶段。最终，我们要成为后嗣。……所以，罗马书这段有重生的儿女、变化的儿子，以及改变形状或得荣的后嗣。我们生为神的儿女，现在正长成神的儿子，且在等候我们完全成熟并依法被宣布为神法定后嗣的时候。……我们的身体改变形状，会使我们有资格作神圣产业的后嗣。这改变形状要借着得荣而完成。

　　这三个阶段的结果，乃是使我们得着完满的儿子名分。〔儿子名分〕这三个阶段符合神救恩的三个阶段：第一阶段，称义，产生儿女；第二阶段，圣别，使儿女能长成儿子；第三阶段，得荣，结果使身体改变形状，使我们成为神圣产业的法定后嗣。

　　作神的后嗣，和基督同作后嗣，条件是“我们与祂一同受苦，好叫我们也与祂一同得荣耀”〔17〕。……要记得苦难是恩典的化身。……我们若与祂一同受苦，我们就要与祂一同得荣耀。……我们经过的苦难越多，我们的荣耀就越加强，因为苦难增加我们荣耀的强度。……在林前十五章四十一节保罗说，“这星和那星在荣耀上也有分别，”指明有些星比别的星照耀得更明亮。我们都会照耀，我们也都会得荣耀，但我们荣耀的强度会在于我们愿意接受多少苦难。到那日使徒保罗确实会比我们众人照耀得更明亮。……我们都会得荣耀，但我们荣耀的强度会照着我们的苦难而有所不同。所以保罗在罗马八章十八节说，“因为我算定今时的苦楚，不配与将来要显于我们的荣耀相比。”今时的苦楚比起将来的荣耀，就算不得什么（罗马书生命读经，二七八至二七九、二六八至二六九页）。

　　参读：罗马书生命读经，第十九篇。

　　[In Romans 8:14-17] three significant terms are used—children, sons, and heirs…The life of God works in three stages to make us sons of God. The life of God regenerates us in our spirit, transforms us in our soul, and transfigures our body. Hence, we have regeneration, transformation, and transfiguration. These together give us full sonship. As the result of these three steps, the sons are fully matured.

　　In this portion of Romans we are told that the Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God (v. 16). Verse 16 does not say “sons” or “heirs,” for in the first stage of sonship, we are simply little children who have been regenerated by the life of God. After this we will grow. Then verse 14 says that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”…When we are capable of being led by the Spirit, it means that we have attained a certain growth in life. We have grown from children into sons who are able to take the leading of the Spirit. This means that we are in the second stage, the stage of transformation. Ultimately, we will become heirs…Therefore, in this portion of Romans we have children by regeneration, sons by transformation, and heirs by transfiguration, or glorification. We were born the children of God, we are growing up as the sons of God, and we are waiting for the time when we will be fully matured and legally declared to be the rightful heirs of God… The transfiguration of our body will qualify us to be the heirs of the divine inheritance. This transfiguration will be accomplished by glorification.

　　As a result of these three stages, we will obtain full sonship. These three stages [of sonship] correspond to the three stages of God’s salvation: the first stage, justification, produces children; the second stage, sanctification, enables the children to grow into sons; and the third stage, glorification, results in the transfiguration of the body so that we may become the legal heirs of the divine inheritance.

　　The condition for being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ is that “we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him” (v. 17)… Remember that suffering is the incarnation of grace…If we suffer with Him, we will be glorified with Him…The more suffering we pass through, the more our glory will be intensified, for suffering increases the intensity of our glory…In 1 Corinthians 15:41 Paul says that “star differs from star in glory,” indicating that some stars shine more brightly than others. We all will shine, and we all will be glorified, but the intensity of our glory will depend on the amount of suffering we are willing to take. It is certain that the apostle Paul in that day will shine more brightly than all of us…We will all be glorified, but the intensity of our glory will differ according to our suffering. Therefore, Paul says in Romans 8:18, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed upon us.” The present suffering means nothing compared with the coming glory. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 226-228, 219-220)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Romans, msg. 19