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Romans 8: Living In & Experiencing the Power of the Holy Spirit... (4 of 6)
Future Glory: Our Certain Hope
Romans 8:18-25
Romans 8:18-25 (ESV) –
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Romans 8:22 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”
Sin and the devastating effects of sin are everywhere and touching everything and as a result we (along with all of creation) groan. But that’s not the end of the story – as Christians we face the challenges and pain of living in our broken world differently. We don’t despair, we look forward in hope to the glory that’s coming, our perspective is transformed by seeing our present challenges in the context of our promised heavenly inheritance.
Romans 8:18 (ESV) –
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Our present difficulties are only temporary. As believers we wait in hope along with all of creation for ultimate redemption.
Everyone experiences groaning and there is a redemptive purpose to the brokenness around us. It reminds us that we need to be rescued.
1. Our present difficulties are only temporary. As believers in Jesus Christ, we wait in hope along with all creation for ultimate redemption.
Psalm 13:1-2 (ESV) –
“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?”
Romans 8:16-17 (ESV) –
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Those who suffer because of Christ (persecution) will ultimately experience and enjoy the future glory that our Savior and King, Jesus Christ already possesses.
John 16:33 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Galatians 6:17 (ESV) –
“From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”
2 Corinthians 11:23-27 (ESV) –
“Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”
Romans 8:18 (ESV) –
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Suffering persecution as a direct result of being a follower of Jesus Christ is real and to be expected. Paul had firsthand experience and many around the world personally know far more about persecution than most of us do.
Maybe you’re feeling the weight of difficulty and suffering today. It’s healthy to groan. This isn’t all there is – We’re not home yet. We need to remember that our sufferings are temporary and we need to take our gaze off our present difficulties and fix our gaze on the eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV) –
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
We’re God’s children now, we’ve been adopted. We have the Holy Spirit but we’re still waiting for our resurrection bodies that we will receive when Christ returns.
Romans 8:23 (ESV) –
“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
Romans 8:19 (ESV) –
“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”
Genesis 1:31 (ESV) –
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
Moral evil is disobeying God’s commands and His design. When we look around the world, we see – corruption, war, violence, oppression and rebellion against God’s design in too many ways count. But we don’t have to look around the world, evil is in our own hearts.
We live in a world of moral evil and natural evil. What is natural evil? Examples include the results of – droughts, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, hurricanes, tornados and more.
Creation itself has been subjected to frustration and all of creation longs for redemption.
Genesis 3:16-19 (ESV) –
“To the woman he said,
‘I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.’
And to Adam he said,
‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.’”
We look forward to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption for His children and the entire created order. The presence of suffering has a redemptive purpose, it reminds us – We need to be rescued.
All of us who know Jesus as Savior have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is the down payment on our heavenly inheritance.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV) –
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
Romans 8:23 (ESV) –
“...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit...”
We long to receive resurrection bodies. We long for the fulfillment of God’s redemptive promises in the new heaven and the new earth.
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) –
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Jesus is coming back. This broken world isn’t all there is and we wait in certain hope for the completion of God’s glorious work of redemption!
2. Taking our eyes off our present sufferings and fixing them in hope on the promise of future glory transforms our perspective.
Romans 8:18 (ESV) –
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Don’t deny that suffering and difficulties exist. Don’t pretend they’re no big deal, don’t try to put a positive spin on suffering. Suffering is real and it hurts and denying this is dishonest.
The way forward is seeing difficulty with an eternal perspective and fixing our eyes on the glorious future. Present difficulties are temporary, as believers we wait in hope for redemption.
And understand, this promise is only yours if you know Jesus, if you don’t – You need to!
Isaiah 65:17 (ESV) –
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”
Romans 8:18 (ESV) –
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV) –
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (ESV) –
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
Revelation 21:4 (ESV) –
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Christians face the difficulties of our broken world differently. We don’t despair and we don’t focus on our sufferings. We look forward in hope and our perspective is transformed by seeing our present challenges in the context of our promised heavenly inheritance.
Romans 8:25 (ESV) –
“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”