^8:14 For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. [n. 634]
^8:15 For you have not received the spirit of slavery again in fear: but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, in whom we cry: Abba, Father. [n. 637]
^8:16 For the Spirit himself gives testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God. [n. 645]
^8:17 And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God and joint heirs with Christ: [n. 646] yet so, if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him. [n. 650]

634. After stating that the life of glory, which will exclude all mortality from our bodies, will be given to us through the Holy Spirit, the Apostle now proves this.

First, he shows that this glorious life is given by the Holy Spirit;

second, why it is deferred, at yet so, if we suffer with him.

In regard to the first he presents this argument: all who are sons of God obtain the inheritance of a glorious life; but those who are ruled by the Holy Spirit are sons of God. Therefore, all who are ruled by the Holy Spirit obtain the inheritance of a glorious life.

First, therefore, he posits the minor premise of this proof;

second, the major, at and if sons, heirs also.

In regard to the first he does two things.

First, he states his proposition;

second, he proves it, at for you have not received.

635. In regard to the first there are two things to consider.

First, how some are led by the Spirit of God. This can be understood in the following way: for whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, i.e., ruled as by a leader and director, which the Spirit does in us, inasmuch as he enlightens us inwardly about what we ought to do: let your good spirit lead me (Ps 143:10).

But because one who is led does not act on his own, whereas the spiritual man is not only instructed by the Holy Spirit regarding what he ought to do, but his heart is also moved by the Holy Spirit, it is necessary to get a better understanding of what is meant by whosoever are led by the Spirit of God.

For those are led who are moved by a higher instinct. Hence we say that animals do not act but are led, because they are moved to perform their actions by nature and not from their own impulse. Similarly, the spiritual man is inclined to do something not as though by a movement of his own will chiefly, but by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, as it says in Isaiah: he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the Lord drives (Isa 59:19); and in Luke: Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Luke 4:1).

However, this does not mean that spiritual men do not act through will and free choice, because the Holy Spirit causes the very movement of the will and of free choice in them, as it says in Philippians: God is at work in you both to will and to work (Phil 2:13).

636. Second, we must consider how those who are led by the Spirit of God . . . are the sons of God.

This is clarified by a likeness to natural children, who are produced by the natural seed coming from the father. But the spiritual seed proceeding from the Father is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, through this seed some men are born as sons of God: no one born of God commits sin, because the seed of God abides in him (1 John 3:9).

637. Then he proves that men who receive the Holy Spirit are sons of God, when he says for you have not received; and this in three ways.

First, by distinguishing the gifts of the Holy Spirit;

second, by our own testimony, at whereby we cry;

third, by the testimony of the Spirit, at for the Spirit himself.

638. In regard to the first it should be noted that the Holy Spirit produces two effects in us: one is fear: his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord (Isa 11:3); the other is love: God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Rom 5:5). But fear makes slaves; love does not.

To realize this it is necessary to consider that fear bears on two things, namely, the evil from which someone flees through fear, and whatever seems to be the source of that evil. For a person is said to fear being killed and the king who has the power to kill. But sometimes it happens that the evil from which someone recoils is contrary to a bodily or temporal good which a person sometimes loves inordinately and recoils from having it injured or destroyed by a mere man. This is human or worldly fear and is not from the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the Lord forbids such fear: do not fear those who kill the body (Matt 10:28).

639. There is a second type of fear which recoils from an evil contrary to created nature, namely, the evil of being punished, and shrinks from having this evil inflicted by a spiritual cause, namely, by God. Such fear is praiseworthy in at least one respect, namely, that it fears God: oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments (Deut 5:29). In this respect it is from the Holy Spirit.

But insofar as such fear does not recoil from an evil opposed to one’s spiritual good, namely, sin, but only punishment, it is not praiseworthy. It has this shortcoming not from the Holy Spirit but from man’s guilt; just as deformed faith, inasmuch as it is faith, is from the Holy Spirit, but not its deformity. Hence, even if a person does something good under the influence of such fear, he does not act well, because he does not act spontaneously but compelled by fear of punishment—and this is characteristic of slaves. Therefore, this fear is properly called servile, because it makes a man act as a slave does.

640. There is a third type of fear which recoils from evil opposed to a spiritual good, namely, from sin or separation from God, which a person fears to incur from the just vengeance of God. Thus it bears on spiritual goods, but with an eye on punishment.

This is called initial fear, because it is usually found in men at the beginning of their conversion. For it fears punishment due to past sins and it fears separation from God through sin because of grace infused with charity. This is the fear mentioned in the Psalm: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10).

641. The fourth type of fear has its eye entirely on spiritual things, because it fears nothing except separation from God. This is holy fear: the fear of the Lord is holy, enduring forever and ever (Ps 19:10). But just as initial fear is caused by imperfect love, so this fear is caused by perfect love: perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Therefore, initial fear and chaste fear are not distinguished against charity’s love, which is the cause of both, but the fear of punishment is; because just as this fear produces slavery, so charity’s love produces the freedom of sons. For it makes a man act voluntarily for the honor of God—which is characteristic of sons.

642. Now the old law was given in fear, which was signified by the thunder and things of that sort which occurred when it was given, as it says in Exodus 19:16 et seq. And therefore it says in Hebrews: so terrifying was the sight that Moses said: I tremble with fear (Heb 12:21). So the old law, which induced men to obey God’s commandments by inflicting punishments, was given in a spirit of slavery; hence it says in Galatians: one is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery (Gal 4:24).

643. Therefore, he says here: it was correct to say that whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of slavery again, in the new law as was in the old law, in fear, namely, of punishments, which fear the Holy Spirit was causing; but you have received the spirit, namely, of charity, which is of adoption of sons, by which we are adopted as children of God: that we might receive adoption as sons (Gal 4:5).

This does not mean that there is one spirit and another spirit, but that it is the same Spirit, who in some produces servile fear, as imperfect, and in others, produces love, as a certain perfection.

644. Then he manifests the same thing by our confession, when he says in whom we cry.

For we confess that we have God as our Father, when we follow the Lord’s instruction to pray: our Father, who art in heaven (Matt 6:9). And since it is suitable not only for the Jews but also for gentiles to say this, he uses two words to signify Father, namely, Abba, which is Hebrew, and Pater, which can be Latin or Greek. Even the Lord himself says: Father, all things are possible to you (Mark 14:36); you will call me, my Father (Jer 3:19).

We say this not so much with the sound of our voice as with the intention of our heart, an intention so strong that it is called a cry, as with Moses to whom it was said: why do you cry to me? (Exod 14:15), namely, with the intention of your heart. But the great strength of this intention comes from the feeling of filial fear which he produces in us. Therefore, he says in whom, namely, in the Holy Spirit, we cry: Abba, Father. Hence it says in Isaiah that the seraphim, burning with the fire of the Holy Spirit, cried one to another: holy, holy, holy (Isa 6:3).

645. Then he manifests the same thing through the testimony of the Holy Spirit, to show that we are not deceived in our confession; hence he says: the reason I say that we cry, Abba, Father in the Holy Spirit is that the Spirit himself gives testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God. He bears this testimony not with external words that reach men’s ears, as the Father gave testimony to his own Son in Matthew (Matt 3:17), but through the effect of filial love he produces in us. Therefore, he says that he gives testimony not to our ears but to our spirit: and we are witnesses of these things: and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32).

646. Then he posits the major premise, at and if sons.

First, he shows that to children is owed the inheritance, saying: If some are children, namely, through the Spirit, it follows that they are heirs, because the inheritance is owed not only to the natural child but also to the adopted: we have been born anew to an inheritance which is imperishable (1 Pet 1:4); yea, I have a goodly heritage (Ps 16:6).

647. Second, he shows what that inheritance is.

First, he describes it in relation to God the Father, saying, heirs indeed of God. Now one’s heir is a person who receives or gets his chief goods and not some small gifts, as we read in Genesis that Abraham gave all his possessions to Isaac, but to the sons of his concubines he bestowed gifts (Gen 25:5–6). Now the chief good by which God is rich is himself. For he is rich of himself and not in virtue of something else, because he does not need the goods others have: you do not need my goods (Ps 15:2). Hence the children of God obtain God himself as their inheritance: the Lord is my chosen portion (Ps 16:5); the Lord is my portion, says my soul (Lam 3:24).

648. But since the child does not obtain the inheritance unless the father dies, it seems that man cannot be an heir of God, who never dies.

The answer is that this applies to temporal goods which cannot be possessed by many at the same time; hence one must die, if another is to inherit. But spiritual goods can be held by many at the same time; therefore, it is not necessary that the Father die in order that the children become heirs.

Yet it can be said that God dies for us inasmuch as he is in us by faith: but he will be our inheritance, insofar as we will see him through form.

649. Second, he describes this inheritance on the part of Christ, saying, joint heirs with Christ, because just as he is the chief Son with whom we share sonship, so he is the chief heir, to whom we are united in the inheritance: this is the heir (Matt 21:38); yet will I bring an heir to you (Micah 1:15).

650. Then he shows why this glorious life is delayed, when he says, yet so, if we suffer with him.

First, he gives the reason concerned with suffering;

second, the preeminence of glory over suffering, at for I consider (Rom 8:18).

651. In regard to the first it must be recalled that Christ, the principal heir, attained to the inheritance of glory through suffering: was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and so enter his glory? (Luke 24:26). But we must not expect to obtain the inheritance by an easier way. Therefore, it is necessary that we attain to that inheritance through suffering: through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:21). For we do not receive an immortal and unsuffering body at once, in order that we might suffer along with Christ.

Hence he says, yet so, if we suffer with him, i.e., along with Christ endure the tribulations of this world patiently, in order that we may be also glorified with Christ: if we have died with him, we shall also reign with him (2 Tim 2:11).