By Faith - Romans 8:18-30
Notes
Transcript
By Faith - Romans 8:18-30
Romans 8:18–30 (CSB)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed.
For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope
that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.
Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?
Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
Groaning in Pain
Groaning in Pain
There are some interesting words in this section of Scripture.
Suffering
Waiting
Futility
Bondage
Decay
Labor Pains
Weakness
These words are painting a picture for us. They are painting a picture of what life looks like in a post-fallen world.
Suffering
Suffering
Suffering is both the afflictions that come upon us externally. Things like famine, homelessness, abuse, misfortune, and so on. But biblically speaking suffering or pathēma is also the internal condition of our sinful nature.
For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions aroused through the law were working in us to bear fruit for death.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
We see the word pathema here in these verses.
Futility
Futility
The word futility is also translated vanity. It is this idea of something that can look nice but it is empty, it is vain, it is lacking.
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
Futility or vanity is the feeling that it is all empty. Even creation feels this because of sin.
It is empty calories
Bondage
Bondage
Bondage is slavery. It is the fact that left on our own we are helpless and owned by the fallen nature of the world and ourselves. We have no other option apart from Christ. We are in bondage.
It is the story of the scorpion and the frog.
The scorpion sits on one side of the river and asks the frog to help him get across. The frog says no you will sting me. The scorpion assures him he will not so the frog concedes.
They start to cross and get about half-way across and the scorpion stings the frog. The frog says why did you do that now we will both drown. The scorpion responds, “I am a scorpion I cannot help it”, he says. This is bondage.
We are in bondage. We can do right at times but our nature apart from Christ belongs to brokenness. The world itself belongs to brokenness and decay.
Decay
Decay
Decay is both physcial but also moral decay. As things progress entropy takes over and things devolve into chaos and disorder. We move from order to disorder when things are left on their own.
Labor Pains
Labor Pains
Labor pains is in wide sense pain of labor. This is both the pain a woman feels when bringing life into the world and the pain you feel when you have work that takes everything you have to produce a result. This goes back to Genesis 3
He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children with painful effort. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you.
And he said to the man, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.
It was not supposed to be this way, it was not supposed to cost so much to produce results.
Weakness
Weakness
Weakness is the inability to preform the desired task or objective.
Even once we come to Christ we have a desire to do as we ought but we are so often weak.
Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. Romans 7:17-20 msg
This is the picture of falleness. We groan in our pain. We groan in our suffering and weakness. We groan in weakness.
Creation Groans
Creation Groans
Even creation is groaning and looking forward to a day of redemption. We have to remember that when humanity fell creation fell.
God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth.
Everything went corrupt it appears even the wildlife but God keeps things in check even when it looks bad.
The fear and terror of you will be in every living creature on the earth, every bird of the sky, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are placed under your authority.
Adam’s sin affected everyone and everything.
Groaning in Hope
Groaning in Hope
We groan but when we have Christ and the Spirit alive in us we now groan in hope. We do not groan in agony or despair anymore we grown in hope.
Have you ever had a long car ride. Like 7+ hours. So long that at first you are like yeah road trip, but a few hours in you are groaning because it feels like this will never end. You feel like you have been driving for an eternity but at some point you hit this marker where you are only two hours or one hour away from it being over. Your groans in agony become groans in expectation.
That is where we are at now we are groaning in expectation of the redemption of everything.
The groans of hope are different than the groans of pain. When we have pain the pain is the focus, the future is dreaded the pain is at the forefront, the pain is all consuming.
When we have hope the groan is different. Hope is the focus, the future is desired, the hope is at the forefront, and the hope becomes all consuming.
Groaning with the Spirit
Groaning with the Spirit
Once we have the Spirit He prays for us, on our behalf, and in us.
He leading us to back to the Father. Like we talked about last week the Spirit is always trying to help us get our attention off the situation and on the One above the situation.
The Holy Spirit has a vast ministry in the life of the believer. A few things:
He gives life and makes us new. Romans 8:10-11
He teaches us. John 14:26
He produces fruit in us. Galatians 5:22-23
He gives spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 & 11
These are great and everything the Holy Spirit does is great but one of the most amazing things to me is that the Holy Spirit is in us praying and interceding on our behalf. Add to this we have Christ interceding for us in heaven. We are not alone. We are not expected to do this on our own.
God knew that we could not do what we needed to do. We could not live the Christian life. We could not walk out what God calls us to do so He puts His Spirit in us to lead us into what God has for us.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit changes everything.
What is the Holy Spirit praying? It could be a few different things but just from Romans 8 we know at least two things.
He is praying Abba Father. He is calling out to the Father on our behalf and He is leading us to call out to the Father. We spoke about this last week.
He is praying for the will of the Father to be real in us.
One thing that is the will of God is that we would be conformed to the image of the Son.
Growing into Jesus
Growing into Jesus
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
God will use everything that happens to make us more like Jesus.
All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. What is His purpose?
That we would be conformed to the image of His Son.
We have a way of defining good but I am afraid so often our definition and God’s are different. We look at the external circumstances and judge whether or not God is going a good job of turning things to good. God is working on the inside.
If He is going to use all things for God are we giving Him all things and asking;
God how are you going to use this to make me more like Jesus?
Are we bringing Him the reality of our situation and letting Him use it?
Do we bring the joys, the triumphs, the wins and ask Him to use them to make us more like Jesus.
Do we bring our real pain, our real struggles, our real disappointment, our real life and ask Him to use it?
God can do whatever He pleases and He can override us to help us, but part of the maturity process is us bringing the truth of ourselves to Him and asking Him to use it?
Father I bring it all to you and ask you to make me more like Jesus. Conform me to His image. Make me look like you.
What does it look like to be Jesus? It is to do the will of the Father. This can mean joy and pleasant things and this can mean suffering.
Jesus is the conquering King but He also suffered.
Are will truly willing to be made into His image even if it means pain or heartache? Are we willing to look like Jesus for people around us? Are we willing to take the backseat if that is what He requires? Are we willing to trust even when it does not make sense?
This is where transformation really takes place. This is where chains are broken. Dead things come to life. Things change when we do this. When we reach a place where we say no more pretence, no more falsehood, no more game, Jesus here is my mess, here is me in all my wins and faults. Make me like you.
And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
This is how we are glorified. When we decided to lay it all down and say yes to the will of the Father. That I am tired of doing it my way and I submit. This is how we are glorified.
Jesus’ goal was to glorify the Father. Our goal is to glorify Him.
We look for glory and honor in all sorts of things, but to be like Jesus is where it is at. Jesus said He only does what the Father does and our call is do what He does.