Present suffering and future Glory – Romans 8:18 – 39
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
God’s Love in Christ Jesus
31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What does the Passage Say?
V. 18-25 When Paul describes the ‘present sufferings’ not only is he talking about the persecution but also, he indicates the struggle he mentioned in chapter 7. “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me” (Romans 7: 22-23 NIV).
However, he says that the creation is longing for a transformation to happen. Through this transformation, God’s glory will be revealed. In the midst of this struggle, there is a ‘joyful anticipation’ that grows.
V. 26-30 During the time of separation and struggle, Paul shows that God’s hand continues to work in our lives. Through the Holy Spirit, God continues to reach out in our void and helps fulfill our inward and outward cry of redemption.
V. 31-39 In response to the current struggle and confusion, Paul says we are ‘more than conquerors.’ Because Christ is with us, even though we struggle with the law of God and the sin of the world, we are still conquerors. Even though we are not there yet, since we know that the Spirit is in work with our lives, we are conquerors. Not because what we did, just because he loved us first.
What does this mean to us?
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (v. 26 NIV).
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (v. 28 NIV).
These are two of my favorite verses of the Bible. Both represents how God is working in our lives, even before I understood God’s love. It was as if the Spirit being my ‘guardian angel.’ He hand of God was always with me, and I am assured that it is still at work in my life.
Not because what I do, but because Christ loved me first. The more I understand Christ’s love, the more I am in gratitude. The more I strive to recover God’s image in my life, the more I see God’s glory being revealed in this world. Until we see God face to face, and God’s glory radiating in God’s Kingdom, I live this day with Him, asking for God’s victory to be revealed through my life.
Lord, thank you for your hand being present in my life. May your name be lifted up, through my life, offered as a living sacrifice.
In Christ Name, Amen.
What are your thoughts?
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