“From Groans to Glory!”

How many of you remember the Gospel song, “A New Name in Glory!”

We ended last week’s study in (vv.16-17), which acts as a BRIDGE—and in fact, form the FOUNDATION of a new ministry of the Holy Spirit, namely, our GLORIFICATION!

Romans 8:16–17 CSB

16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

The CONNECTION between being “…heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him,” and being “…glorified with him” cannot be OVERSTATED!

Suffering as an heir and being glorified are two sides of the same coin!

Indeed, it is precisely BECAUSE we are God’s children that we “…suffer with him!”

Christ’s afflictions/suffering overflow to us!

Matthew 10:25 CSB

25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!

John 15:18–21 CSB

18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.

2 Corinthians 1:5 CSB

5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

2 Timothy 3:12 CSB

12 In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

1 Peter 4:13 CSB

13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.

The more you are like Jesus (through a godly life), the more you will be persecuted!

FURTHER, it is because we are God’s children, that we have the promise of being glorified with him!

(READ TEXT - PRAY)

Romans 8:18–25 CSB

18 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. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 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. 24 Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

Introduction - (8:16-17)

As you may know, I am a huge fan of Discourse Analysis—the study of the WAY something is written in order to understand intended meaning of the author.

The structure of our passage includes a GROUND in (vv.16-17), which is the statement to be believed, followed by a SERIES/LIST of the evidence why we should believe the ground.

In other words, (vv.18-25) is a series of REASONS WHY (vv.16-17) ARE TRUE!

I. There is NO COMPARISON Between PRESENT SUFFERING and FUTURE GLORY! - (8:18)

In truth, I’m not even stating it as strong enough! Not only is there no comparison, according to Paul, “…the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”

In other words, “It’s not even close!”

And this is NOT to minimize the suffering of believers in Paul’s time!

2 Corinthians 4:7–11 CSB

7 Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh.

2 Corinthians 11:23–27 CSB

23 Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death. 24 Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26 On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; 27 toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing.

Paul knew from experience what SUFFERING for Jesus meant!

But he also had a vision of the GLORY that awaits us:

2 Corinthians 12:1–4 CSB

1 Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. 3 I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows— 4 was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a human being is not allowed to speak.

While he was PROHIBITED from giving us the SPECIFICS of that vision, he states generally:

Romans 8:18 CSB

18 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.

II. The CREATION is WAITING for Our GLORY! - (8:19-22)

NOTE: Four times there is a definite article, “the” before “creation/whole creation”

Q: “How is the creation waiting?”

A. Creation is Waiting WITH ANTICIPATION! - (v.19)

Honestly, I’m not even sure how to process that statement!

It does give me some comfort knowing that the Creation can’t wait for the time when all things will be made new!

Revelation 21:1–5 CSB

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. 5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

B. CREATION is Waiting UNWILLINGLY! - (v.20a)

Romans 8:20 CSB

20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it…

Q: When did God subject the creation to futility?

A: At the FALL of Man!

One of my professors used to say, “When Adam fell, everything fell!”

Genesis 3:17 CSB

17 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.

C. CREATION is Waiting HOPEFULLY! - (vv.20b-21)

Romans 8:20–21 CSB

…—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.

WOW! You mean there is coming a time when there will not be a constant battle with creation? YES!

Revelation 22:1–3 CSB

1 Then he showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the city’s main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations, 3 and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him.

D. CREATION is Waiting PAINFULLY! - (v.22)

Romans 8:22 CSB

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.

How is it that nature itself (“…the whole creation”) is aware of the “futility” and “bondage to decay”?

Scripture does not answer this, and therefore any explanation I could provide would be a guess. We are simply not told!

Hendricksen - “If, according to Scripture, trees can rejoice (Ps. 96:12), floods can clap their hands (Ps. 98:8), the wilderness can be glad (Isa. 35:1), and mountains and hills can burst into song (Isa. 55:12), why should not birds and plants be able to look forward with longing?”

ALSO, the pain is not without PROMISE! - “…with labor pains”

Stott - “Its groans are not meaningless, however, or symptoms of despair. On the contrary, they are like the pains of childbirth, for they provide assurance of the coming emergence of a new order.”

III. The SAVED are WAITING for GLORY! - (8:23-25)

A. We are Given the Spirit as a Promise that More Is to Come! - (v.23a)

Romans 8:23 CSB

23 “Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits…”

The presence of “the Spirit” in believers is the assurance that God’s new creation has already begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

B. Along with Creation, We GROAN! - (v.23b)

Romans 8:23 CSB

23 “…we also groan within ourselves”

Stott - “This is our Christian dilemma. Caught in the tension between what God has inaugurated (by giving us his Spirit) and what he will consummate (in our final adoption and redemption), we groan with discomfort and longing. The indwelling Spirit gives us joy, and the coming glory gives us hope (e.g. 5:2), but the interim suspense gives us pain.”

C. Like Creation, We Must WAIT! - (v.23d)

Romans 8:23 CSB

23 “…eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Luke 20:35–36 CSB

35 But those who are counted worthy to take part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 For they can no longer die, because they are like angels and are children of God, since they are children of the resurrection.

Philippians 3:20–21 CSB

20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

1 John 3:2 CSB

2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.

It is because of these PROMISES that…

D. We Also Have HOPE! - (vv.24-25)

A couple of OBSERVATIONS of our HOPE:

1. (v.24a) - “Now in this hope we are saved…”

The NATURE of the Gospel message is the HOPE or PROMISE of ETERNAL LIFE!

When we present the Gospel, our message is one of REDEMPTION and ADOPTION!

John 3:14–16 CSB

14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

2. Hope, by Definition, is NOT SEEN! - (v.24b)

Romans 8:24 CSB

24 “…but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?”

Hebrews 11:1 NASB95

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2 Corinthians 4:18 CSB

18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:7 CSB

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

3. We EAGERLY WAIT for HOPE with PATIENCE! - (v.25)

“Does God not have a great sense of humor?”

And every dad in this room, who ever told his kids to “Hurry up and wait!” is at this very moment is realizing how TRULY GODLY they truly are!

Those words are STRAIGHT FROM THE BIBLE!

Romans 8:25 CSB

25 “…we eagerly wait for it with patience.”

In Greek, the order of the words is reversed: διʼ (with) ὑπομονῆς (patience, steadfast endurance) ἀπεκδεχόμεθα (intensely wait, eagerly expect)!

Psalm 27:14 CSB

14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.

Psalm 62:1 CSB

1 I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.

Psalm 62:5–6 CSB

5 Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken.

Lamentations 3:25–26 CSB

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the person who seeks him. 26 It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

CLOSING PRAYER:

Colossians 1:9–14 CSB

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.