008:023 And more than that, we ourselves, though we possess the Spirit as a foretaste and pledge of the glorious future, yet we ourselves inwardly sigh, as we wait and long for open recognition as sons through the deliverance of our bodies. 008:024 It is *in hope* that we have been saved. But an object of hope is such no longer when it is present to view; for when a man has a thing before his eyes, how can he be said to hope for it? 008:025 But if we hope for something which we do not see, then we eagerly and patiently wait for it. 008:026 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what prayers to offer nor in what way to offer them. But the Spirit Himself pleads for us in yearnings that can find no words, 008:027 and the Searcher of hearts knows what the Spirit's meaning is, because His intercessions for God's people are in harmony with God's will. 008:028 Now we know that for those who love God all things are working together for good--for those, I mean, whom with deliberate purpose He has called. 008:029 For those whom He has known beforehand He has also pre-destined to bear the likeness of His Son, that He might be the Eldest in a vast family of brothers; 008:030 and those whom He has pre-destined He also has called; and those whom He has called He has also declared free from guilt; and those whom He has declared free from guilt He has also crowned with glory. 008:031 What then shall we say to this? If God is on our side, who is there to appear against us? 008:032 He who did not withhold even His own Son, but gave Him up for all of us, will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 008:033 Who shall impeach those whom God has chosen? God declares them free from guilt. 008:034 Who is there to condemn them? Christ Jesus died, or rather has risen to life again. He is also at the right hand of God, and is interceding for us. 008:035 Who shall separate us from Christ's love? Shall affliction or distress, persecution or hunger, nakedness or danger or the sword? 008:036 As it stands written in the Scripture, "For Thy sake they are, all day long, trying to kill us. We have been looked upon as sheep destined for slaughter." 008:037 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who has loved us. 008:038 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither the lower ranks of evil angels nor the higher, neither things present nor things future, nor the forces of nature, 008:039 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which rests upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord.