Romans 8:18-25
by:
Dan Hill, PhD
Pastor, Southwood Bible Church
7655 South Sheridan Avenue
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74113
E-Mail: hill918@aol.com
Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
This is a great statement of faith because we have no personal experiential
knowledge of what is to be revealed to us.
Notice what Paul does:
1. He considers. He does not go into some emotional response
or emotional delusion. He thinks, he considers with his mind.
The word "consider" is LOGIZOMAI and is present tense and middle
voice. A continual action for one's benefit.
Our word LOGIC comes from this word, by way of Old French and then Middle
English.
The Greek word comes from LOGOS, words, which are collected, reasoned, and
concluded upon.
So the Word of God is taken and trusted in by faith.
2. He does not deny the extent of the suffering: Faith is what God is
doing and Who God is does not exist in denial but in reality.
To often we think faith overlooks reality but it does not, faith squarely
stares in the face of life.
3. He compares the present with the future: His faith resulted in the
Holy Spirit giving Him understanding, wisdom, and confidence.
He looked at the now and then he look to the future.
4. His conclusion is that what awaits us is far greater than what we currently
face by way of problems.
How intense were Paul's problems?
READ 2 Corinthians 11:23-30 and 2 Corinthians 4:17
And how did Paul endure? By faith . . .
Romans 8:19-22
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing
of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because
of Him who subjected it, in hope
that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption
into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth
together until now.
Verses 19-22 are an illustration: Nature suffers as do we and yet will
be set free as the believer is free and will be free.
Genesis 3:17 - The ground, earth, is cursed as a result of the fall of man.
This will occur at the second advent and extend through the millennial age
and on to the creation of the new heavens and new earth.
This statement is made to show the certainty of things to come. Women suffer
the pains of childbirth and one thing you are certain of, while the pain
is extreme, it does not last forever and it not for naught . . . you end
up with a child!
When the water breaks and the labor pains begin, you know that something
is going to happen, something is going to change.
Romans 8:23
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for
our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
The doctrine is now applied to the believer.
While a number of applications can be made from this comparison of nature
with the believer, let's look at one:
1. Nature is good, it is orderly, but it is not perfect
2. Earthquakes, tornadoes, tidal waves, drought, floods, extreme heat and
extreme cold all demonstrate that nature is not perfect
3. In the same way we can have lives that are orderly but we will never
have lives that are perfect
4. The human body is a pretty neat thing, and functions within a physical
order, but it is not perfect. It gets sick, it suffers disease, it can
be born with defects, it can be injured and heal yet not completely, it
is not perfect.
5. The lives we live may be orderly but even as believers in Christ in
the CA, having the greatest measure of the Spirit yet given, we suffer and
groan
6. And just as with nature the suffering, the groans that are compared
to labor pains anticipate what we will be at the redemption of the body.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52, "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will
be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed."
7. And as we anticipate that time of complete redemption we wait upon God's
perfect plan with faith
Romans 8:24
For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for
why does one also hope for what he sees?
Paul goes back to the character of our salvation, we have been saved in
hope.
"Hope" is ELPIS and is a fem noun which view this as a result
of God's grace and our faith. We have hope but hope in the Greek language
looked at a confident expectation. Something you knew with confidence would
occur . . . like the birth of a child once the labor pains kick in.
Hope or confidence that comes from faith meeting grace is a confidence in
that which is not seen.
Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen."
Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly
for it.
Hope or confidence follow faith and is a work of the Holy Spirit in you.
Galatians 5:5, "For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for
the hope of righteousness."
1 Peter 1:21, "Who (us) through Him (Christ) are believers in God,
who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and
hope are in God."
And what comes out of hope? ...Perseverance. And it is given by God not
achieved by our works:
Romans 15:5, "Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement
grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 1:3, "Constantly bearing in mind your work of faith
and labor of love and steadfastness (perseverance as in Romans 8:25) of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father."
And perseverance is one of those cycle right back to more faith and more
hope:
Romans 5:3-5, "And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations,
knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven
character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because
the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit
who was given to us".
James stated the same concept in his epistle:
James 1:2-3, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter
various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."
There is no charge for Grace Notes Materials. You can help further
this work by your prayer and by sending a contribution to:
Grace Notes
1705 Aggie Lane
Austin, Texas 78757
Warren Doud, Director
wdoud@bga.com
Grace Notes Web site: http://www.realtime.net/~wdoud/
Anonymous FTP site: ftp://ftp.bga.com/vendors/wdoud/
Grace Notes is a ministry of Village
Missions International.
|