Romans 8:18-27

Ok, so last week, we really dove into the understanding of adoption and what it meant to be an heir. We will continue that a bit tonight, while also looking at suffering and our hope in Christ for Salvation.

One thing that I didn’t really cover in any detail last week was the last section, verses 16-17, as it had to do with suffering. As that is a big theme to start this section, I’m going to start with verse 16 and read through verse 27. Let’s read the text and dive in.

Romans 8:16–27 ESV

16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing 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 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 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. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 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 what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Now, there is a lot to cover here, but I want to split this up into three basic categories:

(1) Suffering (vs 16-18, also 19-24)

(2) Expectation (vs 19-25)

(3) Preparation (vs 26-27)

SUFFERING

Last week, we looked at what it meant in first century Roman culture to be adopted, and what it meant to be an heir. Those concepts are pretty foreign to us in our 21st century understanding.

In verse 16, we see that the Holy Spirit testifies, or bears witness, that we are children of God. And verse 17 continues that thought: if we are children, we are heirs as well. That all seems well and good.

But I didn’t really touch on this last week: What Paul says next is a bit different. It seems as if he is placing conditions on our sonship.

Paul is not saying, however, that we don’t get status as children unless we complete tasks A, B, C, and D, and fill out the forms in triplicate, etc.

Paul is telling us that we show ourselves to be children and heirs if we are associating with Christ and with God, including partaking in the suffering. The heir shared in the gains AND the losses of the Father.

Paul reminds us that, just as Christ suffered, we also should expect to suffer. And we see verse 17 echoing again in verse 18:

(17) - heirs with Christ, provided we suffer

(18) - sufferings of the present time

(17) - we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him

(18) - sufferings…not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

And one other thing to notice with these sufferings: we don’t do it alone, or in a vacuum. Notice that we suffer with Him. That we are also glorified with Him. We don’t walk through this stuff alone.

As I said last week, I am working through J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings again, and I am in the last half of the last book, “The Return of the King.” It is one of my favorite stories, and it has been a pleasure to reengage with it after many years.

In the book, when Tolkien is telling the last bit of the story about Frodo and Sam as they head towards Mount Doom, this volcanic mountain where the Ruling Ring had been forged, and where it must be destroyed, Frodo struggles with the weight of the burden of the Ring. The Ring desires to control the bearer. Sam offers to carry it for Frodo, and Frodo lashes out at him, because the Ring holds sway.

All Sam wants to do is help his master. His friend. And Sam says one of the most heroic lines in literature, in my opinion:

“Come, Mr. Frodo!' he cried. 'I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you.”

In our walk with Christ, I’ll be honest. I have been in places where I have felt that Christ has had to carry me, because I haven’t had the strength to bear the burden of suffering. Except, unlike in Lord of the Rings, Jesus is indeed the stronger character. Jesus is the only one who can bear the sufferings.

If we really think about it, we can’t bear the sufferings without Him.

I like what R. C. Sproul says about it:

The Gospel of God: Romans (3) Suffering and Glorification

Suffering is a very common theme in the New Testament, particularly in the writings of the apostle Paul. As Christians we are baptised into the death of Christ, and we are called, in a certain sense, to participate in the sufferings of Christ, in the tribulations of the kingdom of God. The purpose of these sufferings is not to accrue any merit but rather to solidify our identification with Jesus and to work out the redemptive purposes of God. Tribulation is to be expected in the Christian life. Paul, however, says that if we share in Jesus’ sufferings we will also be glorified with him. Just as Jesus has been exalted and been given the promise of the fullness of the kingdom of God, so we will participate in the glory that the Father gives to the Son.

And when we look at verse 18, the amount of suffering we endure for Christ’s sake is inconsequential next to the joy of our future hope and the glory of God in heaven.

And I want to stop and say something here:

Not all suffering is suffering for Christ’s sake. I want to be clear in that. Sometimes we suffer because we make horrible choices. Sometimes we suffer because we don’t listen to God. Sometimes, suffering is punishment, right? Sometimes, suffering is the natural consequence of a fallen world. Sometimes, we suffer because of a choice someone else makes, not because of anything we do.

And I do not want to make light of any of those, because all of them can be debilitating. They can wreck your family, your health, even your faith, if it is not full grounded on Christ.

And I cannot honestly sit here and say, “All you have to do is this, this, or this, and it will all be OK.” I have suffering I struggle with because I won’t let it go. I don’t know how. Most of us understand that.

What I will say is that, whether the suffering is for Christ’s sake or not, the approach we take to dealing with that suffering is a large part of what Paul deals with here.

Yesterday, an international shipping vessel lost control of the ship, and it hit the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore. The bridge almost immediately collapsed. There were construction workers on the bridge doing road repair at the time. There were cars on the bridge. Those workers were doing their job, where they were supposed to be. Through no fault of their own, they were on a bridge that crashed into the water. At least 6 of them were still missing as of lunch time today. Now, is this suffering for the cause of Christ, or is this suffering part of the brokenness of a sin-sick world? It might be both.

In either case, how we endure those sufferings - with patient endurance, with faith, with prayer, or with animosity, with pride, with arrogance, with anger - is what Paul seems to be really getting at.

And in light of the majesty of the glory of God that we will receive when we are finally free from this flesh (the redemption of our bodies, vs. 23), these sufferings will seem nothing but a trifle. This is Paul, using a little heavenly foresight to let us know what we will understand in hindsight.

Jessica and I had a song in our wedding, something we still talk about, is the song “God Bless the Broken Road.” We talk often about how past hurts and mistakes are still painful sometimes, but we wouldn’t trade any of them because they made us who we are now.

That endurance is what Paul is getting at. Suffering should serve a purpose: perhaps to punish, but always to prepare.

EXPECTATION

Before we get to that preparation, let’s look at the expectation.

We see in the verses here the expectant language Paul is using

Romans 8:19–25 ESV

19 For the creation waits with eager longing 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 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 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. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Verse 19: creation waits with eager longing

Verses 20-21: creation subjected to futility (not willingly) in hope of freedom

Verse 22: creation groaning in pains of childbirth - suffering and expectancy

Verse 23: we groan inwardly and wait eagerly

Verses 24-25: hope (5 times) and patience

We, as believers, should be enduring our suffering with an expectant attitude toward what God is going to do in the future.

Paul uses the term “creation” several times. I think it is pretty clear what the context of that is, but R. C. Sproul says it very neatly, and so I will just quote him on it:

The Gospel of God: Romans (3) Suffering and Glorification

What Paul has in mind here, as we can deduce by careful analysis of the verses that follow, is the created realm, apart from men and angels. It is that part of creation, both animate and inanimate, personal and impersonal, which is under the dominion of man—the rocks, the trees, the hills, the valleys, the seas, the plants, the animal kingdom. These aspects of the created order participate in the anticipation of the future manifestation of glory. And it is not a mild expectation, but an earnest expectation. The phrase here is one that is intensive. The whole creation, the birds, the animals, the snakes, the grass, the hills and the valleys are waiting for our full measure of redemption.

And verses 20-21 are interesting, because creation is frustrated, subject to futility, but will be set free.

Creation is frustrated because of us. And I don’t mean this is a tree-hugger, environmentalist way. Mankind were set as stewards of the earth, and we’ve messed that up.

Sproul:

The Gospel of God: Romans (3) Suffering and Glorification

There is some debate as to whether or not the one who subjects the creatures to this vanity is man, because it is man’s sin. Or is it, ultimately, God? I believe that Paul is not speaking of man’s will. We did sin wilfully and willingly, and we as human beings have been made subject to vanity willingly. But that is not the case with the birds and the fish; they are not moral creatures, making the moral decisions of which men and women are capable. They did not fall into this adverse condition as a result of their sin, but they fell as a result of our sin. They were not willing participants in the transgression against the law of God.

So our sin spills over and adversely affects our subordinates. Man was given dominion over the earth, to dress the earth, to keep the earth, to till the earth and to name the animals. Man was established as the king of this environment, and when the king, or the ruler, falls, the effects of his sinfulness spill over and harm the subordinates of the king.

When we crash boats into bridges and containers of toxic waste drop into the waterways and pollute the streams and kill the fish, that is not how God designed it, but it is how we corrupt it.

But beautifully, in our redemption also comes the redemption of creation. When we are redeemed, and the new heaven and new earth are come, creation will be set right. It will be liberated.

And the idea of creation groaning as in pains of childbirth: Look, I’ve never birthed a child. I cannot give birth. But women who have given birth will often speak of the pain - which can be very very intense - in passing. Yes, it hurt. Yes there was pain. But that’s not the point.

The point is what comes after the pain. In childbirth, the pain is required to bring the baby. The new life.

In creation, this groaning is expectant, looking for the renewing of the earth that God has in store at the end of all things.

Verse 23: We groan inwardly as we wait for our adoption and redemption.

I’ve said this before, but I want to emphasize it again here. Our current American evangelical understanding of salvation is weak. Most of us see salvation as a one-time event. We don’t have a problem with eternal security (once saved, always saved) most of the time, but we see it like this:

Live my life. Realize I am a sinner. Ask God to forgive me and save me. He saves me. I am no longer bound for hell. Cool, I’m saved. Continue living my life.

Paul views salvation differently.

For Paul, salvation is an ongoing process in three parts: justification, sanctification, and glorification.

Justification is the moment of our rebirth. That is the salvific event. That is what starts the process. God saves us, He justifies us.

Once we are justified, we begin the process of sanctification. That is the process of holy and righteous living that leads us to be more like Christ. This is an ongoing and painful process of failing, seeking forgiveness, growing in faith, failing, seeking forgiveness, growing in faith, etc. Sanctification is the every day journey of the believer from the moment of justification until death.

Finally, there is glorification. This is what Paul was talking about in verse 11 and again in 23. Glorification is when we are made fully righteous before God. That only happens after our death and resurrection as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

Sproul:

The Gospel of God: Romans (3) Suffering and Glorification

What Paul teaches here is that redemption in biblical terms is not something that takes place all at once, but rather in stages. We have been reborn, we have experienced faith, we have been justified, and in our justification we are united with Jesus Christ. So there is a sense in which we are saved, but we have not yet experienced the full measure of our salvation. We still struggle with sins, as Paul indicates in chapter 7. We still suffer from disease, illness and death. Yet we are promised a future glorification when there will be no more sin, or sickness, or sorrow, or death. Death, it says, will be no more.

For Paul, our salvation is something that happens in a moment, but also has to be worked out along the way, not in works to earn merit, but in action rendered in loving service to our Lord who is worthy of more than we can give.

And we have the Spirit inside of us, which gives us the direction to seek righteousness. This is the firstfruits of the Spirit.

The Gospel of God: Romans (3) Suffering and Glorification

We do not simply have a promise of the future with no present participation in that future. Rather, we have a foretaste of the glory to come, by the newness of life that we have already experienced in Christ through the Holy Spirit. But it is a taste which is mixed with an ongoing struggle against sin, mixed with a coat of suffering that still causes us, in spite of the joy of our salvation, to weep, to suffer, to hurt.

And this expectation is not of dread but hope. And I don’t mean like, “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.”

This hope is our confidence in the promises of God.

Look at verses 24-25. Paul reminds us that our hope that leads to our salvation was that promise of God to be made right with Him at the end of it all. We have to surrender to Him now, knowing our reward will come later.

It isn’t hope if I can see it.

Finally, there’s preparation

PREPARATION

Verses 26-27:

Romans 8:26–27 ESV

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Remember when I said earlier that suffering leads to preparation. This is it. We prepare by praying. We prepare by relying on the Holy Spirit, which Paul already told us dwells inside of us.

Jesus calls the Spirit the “comforter.” We can see that here in verse 26.

The Spirit helps us in our weakness.

How many of you have been so overwhelmed in a situation that you didn’t even know how to pray? Like, I don’t know where to start God!

Sometimes, we don’t even have those words. Sometimes we are so grieved, we cannot even form solid thoughts.

Paul tells us here that the Spirit knows what to pray.

Sometimes, that means the Spirit is praying on our behalf (verse 27).

But sometimes that means that the Spirit is instructing us. Sproul is helpful here:

The Gospel of God: Romans (3) Suffering and Glorification

Is there a secret to answered prayer? If so, it is praying through the Spirit. Now what I mean by praying through the Spirit is not glossolalia (speaking in tongues), but that when we pray, we are in close touch with the Spirit of God working in us to assist us. The Spirit teaches us to pray as we ought to pray. The more we grow in grace, the more we cultivate the life of the Spirit, the more accurate and effective our prayer life becomes because we pray according to the Word of God and according to the mind of God which is given to us, inwardly, through the Holy Spirit.

The closer we grow toward God (sanctification), the more aligned our prayer life will be with the Spirit. Sproul continues:

The Gospel of God: Romans (3) Suffering and Glorification

It is one thing for me to pray, ‘Thy will O God’—but I don’t know what the will of God is except as it is set down for me in Scripture. However, the Spirit knows both the mind of God and my mind in a way that I don’t know the mind of God nor even my own mind. So the Holy Spirit works to facilitate the communication that takes place between God the Father and his children.

Jesus, the one Paul talks about as the one who searches the hearts in verse 27, is our intercessor. We pray to Jesus, who speaks to the Father on our behalf. But because we don’t know what to pray, the Spirit (our Advocate, according to Jesus), helps form our prayers and direct them toward Jesus.

Think about that: Both the Spirit and the Son help us when we pray, to make sure that our prayers are brought to the Father.

That is an encouraging thought! Let’s close tonight thanking God for both Jesus and the Holy Spirit!