Unfathomable Guaranteed Glory
Romans 8 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsWhile there is suffering for the Son of God, we can be confident that God will redeem us from all suffering.
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Transcript
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. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those 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 among many brothers. 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.
Unfathomable Guaranteed Glory
Three words that we need to understand in order to get what is going on this passage.
Unfathomable Guaranteed Glory
Glory
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.
Rom 8.1
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.
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.
Help me out in describing what glory means…
First of all:
If I ask you to describe something glorious, what would you describe?
Second:
If I asked you what it would mean for a person to receive glory, what would that look like?
The glory that is to be revealed to us:
The prize for those who are faithful to the end
The gift God gives to his adopted children
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Furthermore… we have yet to receive it.
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.
Rom 8:20-
Creation is being described as being being remade and freed from the effect of sin.
We cannot fully understand the glorious riches that God has for us.
We cannot fully understand the glorious riches that God has for us.
Paul is describing a new creation… or better yet, a redeemed creation that has been freed from all suffering
We cannot fully understand the glorious riches that God has for us.
We cannot fully understand the glorious riches that God has for us.
The word is UNFATHOMABLE…
The Glory that we are to receive is unfathomable
Let me illustrate it with this:
We struggle to comprehend how much one billion is
Mark Zuckerberg
Founder of Facebook
34 years old
Net worth is $62.3 billion
Average income of a WA Resident is $70,000
At that income it would take 14 years to make 1 million dollars
that’s 1/100 of a billion
That means it would take 140 years for the average person to make one billion dollars
The richest person - founder of Amazon - worth 131 billion
It takes 32 years for one billion seconds to pass.
If you made one dollar every second - it would take 2,000 years to make what Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth.
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.
We can quantify suffering can’t we?
We can’t even begin to comprehend the glory that is to be revealed because nothing in all of creation is like it.
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.
:19-
Even the best that creation has to offer… is still under the curse of sin
The glory that is to be revealed cannot be compared to Disneyland
Even the best of Hawaii is still under the frustration and corruption sin.
THE GLORY THAT IS TO BE REVEALED IS UNFATHOMABLE, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO COMPARE IT TO IS STILL MARKED BY THE EFFECTS OF SIN AND DEATH
and yet that doesn’t stop Paul from trying to describe it.
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.
Rom 8.21
Rom 8:22
Description of Childbirth
21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
Have you ever had a pet suffer
But it’s not just creation that suffers and is groaning for the glory of the sons to be revealed
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.
Rom 8:23
Firstfruits - the first fruit that buds and ripens in a harvest
They are small in comparison of the full effect when the time of harvest comes
Firstfruits - describes the beginning of what the Spirit is doing in the life of the believer
They are being sanctified as evidence of their justification
Even the Christian groans in their suffering longing to receive the full effect of their adoption: that being physical bodies are fully redeemed from the effect of sin and death
Paul himself is longing to see the full effect of his salvation take place in his life. But it will only happen when he dies
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
We cannot fully understand the glorious riches that God has for us.
We cannot fully understand the glorious riches that God has for us.
Why? Because all of creation still marred by the effects of sin and death
Even those who are redeemed and have the firstfruits of the Spirit have yet to experience the full effect of salvation.
There is nothing that any person on this side of the grave has experienced or can experience that can even come close to comparing to the Glory that is to be revealed.
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
2 Cor
and so Paul concludes this section with this:
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.
Rom 8:
But that brings us to one problem.
We have yet to see the glory that God has for us…
How can we know that we will actually that which we have yet to see?
What happens if the suffering becomes too much for me to bear on my own and I go back to the old ways of life?
What happens if do cannot endure with patience?
What happens if that which we hope for ends up not happening?
This is where we need to have a better understanding of what Christian hope is…
Because Christian hope is not the same as hope that we have in other areas of our life
I hope that the Seahawks will have a good season… but that hope is not a guarantee is it?
Or we might say something like “Hope you feel better soon” but such hope isn’t a guarantee that one will get batter.
We hope that we will get what we want for Christmas. But how many of us have ever been disappointed with a gift we have recieved?
This is not the type of hope that Paul is describing… We need to understand the third word in our title
We have glory that is unfathomable
But now we see Paul tells us that the Glory that we will receive is guaranteed to be received.
We do not need to worry about losing the glorious riches that God has for us.
We do not need to worry about losing the glorious riches that God has for us.
Christian hope is not like the hopes and dreams that we have in this life.
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Our hope in the riches of glory that God will give us is nothing like hoping to make it big in Las Vagus
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. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those 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 among many brothers. 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.
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. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those 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 among many brothers. 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.
When the dice are rolled in any game, there is no guarantee of the outcome will be.
Flip of the coin
but
23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.
God knows everything
Listen to how Paul says it:
This creation isn’t the best that it can be
Rom 8:26-
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.
Disneyland
We have limited knowledge
God does not…
God is with us though his Spirit
And he is praying for us according to the will of God
Can anyone change the will of God?
27 For the Lord of hosts has purposed,
and who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
and who will turn it back?
English Standard Version Chapter 14
27 For the LORD of hosts has purposed,
and who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
and who will turn it back?
We may not always know what to pray…
in times of suffering
But the Spirit is always praying for us
and groaning with us in our suffering
We may not know what to pray… but we do know this
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
We may not know everything ....
unable to comprehend the glory that is to be revealed
Unable to know how to pray
But this we know… God knows all things and he is working all things together for our Good
Notice it doesn’t say that all things are good… but they are working together for our good
if we love him… if we are called… according to his purpose
Both are true
Do you remember how Genesis ends?
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Gen50.1
What good that all things are working together towards?
that we would be conformed into the image of his Jesus
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 among many brothers.
V28 doesn’t stand alone though… let’s read the last few verses
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 among many brothers. 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.
Our suffering is doing something in us… it is not meaningless
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
What is the point of Pauls thorn in the flesh? - that is to say his suffering
(Conceited means excessively proud)
It would keep him humble
It would keep him dependent on God and his grace
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
All things work together for our good - that means even so that we would be made more and more like of Jesus
John Newton:
“Everything is needful that he sends; nothing can be needful that he withholds.”
Thus, if we think we require some good thing that God has withheld from us, in reality we don’t absolutely need it. It also means that if we feel our life has been ruined by some bad thing, in reality it is playing some very important role in our lives. It is teaching us, molding us, enriching us, humbling us, it is making us like Jesus
and finally Paul says
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.
How can we know if we are called?
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
But more than this we see if we love him… we are predestined… if we love him… we are called… if we love him… we are justified… if we love him we are glorified....
Notice what just happened?
At the beginning of tonights passage… the glory to be recieved was something that we are looking forward to that has yet to happen
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.
But now we have already been glorified?
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.
Why is he using it like it’s past tense?
We use this word to describe God: Sovereign.
that is he is totally in charge…
totally in control…
When he speaks… storms are stilled
When he speaks… storms are stilled
When he speaks… the dead rise....
When he makes promises… he fulfills what he says
He is not like you or me…
we say we are going to do something
and then we need to go and do it
But we are not always dependable are we?
Sometimes we forget… or we don’t do it.
But when he speaks he acts.
Even though we only have the fristfruits of the Spirit in us… And though we are suffering now waiting eagerly for the glory to be revealed to us… our glorification with God is as good as being done.
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.
And so when Jesus was on the cross… and he he spoke his final words before his death. what did he say? It is finished…
And so when Jesus was on the cross… and he he spoke his final words before his death. what did he say? It is finished…
God will do in us that which he seeks to accomplish.