Friday, January 20, 2023

Romans 8:18-22


18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ~ Romans 8:18-22


Romans 8 chronicles the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers in Christ. The activities of the Holy Spirit in our lives has one main goal, that we grow in our personal relationship with the God of truth. In the first four verses of this chapter the Holy Spirit reminds us that we are not condemned, despite the fact that we still sin. In verses five through eight, the Holy Spirit teaches us to think God's thoughts. In verses nine through thirteen, the Holy Spirit enables us to live the life that the Lord Jesus died to give us. And, in verses fourteen through seventeen, the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

In today's passage, we learn that the Holy Spirit teaches us the value of our trials in this life as we await the return of the Lord Jesus. 
The greatest thing that you and I can ever experience is to know our Creator. What makes this process so difficult is that most often, it is required of us to suffer, in order for us to draw nearer to Him. We tend to think that we can handle life without Him, yet it is our trials that make us draw nearer to the Lord.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

This verse links together two things that we probably would not put together: sufferings and glory. These belong together, and we find them together in almost every passage of Scripture that deals with the suffering of the Christian. Suffering is not the same thing as pain which can be a good thing. What qualifies something as suffering is the heartache that goes with pain. In context, the Apostle Paul, uses the concept of groaning in order to describe this suffering. God uses the groanings of creation to illustrate for the believer the value of his suffering. This word speaks of a heavy awareness of how wrong this life is. There will be suffering for believers and we can't deny that, but we can see its positive end and trust the Lord to bring good out of it. But, the real ultimate goal of it all is for us to know Him more intimately.

Throughout the Scriptures there is a thread of hope which speaks of a day that is coming when all the hurt and heartache and injustice and weakness and suffering of our present experience will be explained and will result in a time of incredible blessing upon the earth. 

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God."

The word in the original language which is translated "earnest expectation" pictures a man standing and waiting for something to happen, craning his head forward. All of creation is standing on its tiptoes, as it were, eagerly awaiting the revelation of the sons of God. This revelation will take place when the Lord Jesus returns at His Second Coming, and He will return with us. The Apostle strained in this attempt to describe this fantastic thing that is about to happen, which he calls the revelation of the glory that is coming. We are going to be on the stage with the God of all glory. We are going to be involved in it. It will be a glory that will be "revealed into us," and we will be an obvious part of it.

In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, "20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."

Creation fell when man fell. Not only did all of mankind fall into the bondage of sin and death, but the entire physical universe fell as well. It was man's sin that put thorns on roses. It was man's sin that made the animals hate and fear each other and brought predators and carnivores into being. With the fall of man came the spreading fear, hostility, and hatred in the animal world, and the whole of nature testifies to this fact. It was subjected to futility or frustration.

This phrase "the bondage to corruption" is a description of the second law of thermodynamics. This is the law of infinite increase of entropy. Everything is decaying; everything, with no exception, is running down. Though for a while something may seem to grow, eventually it dies. Even human life dies, and so does all that is with it. All of this is because of the rejection of God's truth by man..

But the Apostle argues that, if this is true, and it is, it is also true that when man is delivered from this corruption, nature will be delivered as well. Therefore, when the hour strikes when the sons of God will be revealed as delivered from the bondage of sin and death, nature will be freed from its bondage. And, it will burst into a bloom that no one can possibly imagine.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now."

Creation groans in today's passage. And, we will see that the believer groans in v.23-25. And then, in v.26-27 the Holy Spirit groans. All of the groans are an indication of an unfulfilled reality. Our groanings are the expression of our suffering crying out to the only One who can do anything about it. All of creation yearns and churns in the hope that it will be delivered from the effects of man's sin, and it will be. Creation has been subjected to its inability to achieve its purpose. The evidence of this is seen in earthquakes and hurricanes and other natural catastrophes. 

Ironically, creation will be the saved when man's ultimate redemption is revealed. The order of creation will be reversed in the end. Whereas God originally created the universe and the land and the trees before He created man, when He recreates, it will all be done in reverse of the original. It is said that currently, all of the sounds of nature are in the minor key. All nature sings the song of bondage, yet it sings in hope. It sings it in the hope that one day it will step into that which we all long for, a world without pain and hatred and destruction.