What does Romans 8:19 mean?

Paul has written that for Christians, our present sufferings on this earth, on this side of eternity, are not worth comparing to God's glory that will be revealed. Given that life is full of such enormous suffering, God's glory must be incomprehensibly wonderful. This in no way minimizes our pain and suffering—on the contrary, it acknowledges it, while keeping an eternal perspective.

Now Paul writes that saved Christians (Romans 3:26) are not the only ones who long for the moment when suffering will be replaced by glory. In fact, "the creation" eagerly longs for it, as well. More specifically, the creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

This statement is startling in two ways. First, Paul describes creation as experiencing an awareness that something better is coming. By "creation," Paul seems to refer to all God has made, from plants and animals, to other people to the air, water, and sky. And all of it, all of us, are waiting for a moment when everything will finally be made right.

The other startling idea is that the moment Paul has in mind is when the children of God are "revealed." Of course, Paul has made clear that those in Christ are already the children of God. We accept this about ourselves and each other by faith, although we continue to appear on the surface the same as everyone else.

A moment is coming, though, when those in Christ will be glorified and it will become impossible to deny that we are God's children. God's righteousness, and our faith in Him, will be vindicated to the world. Paul is describing a future time when God will make all things right. Paul writes that all of nature is eagerly looking forward to that day. The following verses will explain why that is.