Meet My Brother
Sibling Relationship in Romans 8: 29
Text: Romans 8: 28, 29
Introduction: Before I became a Christian, I fought my brother awful lot. He was 3 years older than me and we just did not get along at all. I remember vividly one afternoon, when we fought, I took his beautifully crafted box that he made in his industrial art class and threw it down to the first floor. Took few hours to make it was shattered into pieces. But since I became a Christian we are good friends.
Brothers are born for enmity some one said. But brothers are for each other, especially when one is going through hardships. Brotherhood is inseparable for the life of Christian when sufferings are so common. In fact suffering and brotherhood has deep relationship that when we discover, it brings a great comfort and courage to press on this earthly pilgrimage. How are sufferings and brotherhood related?
It is related through Jesus Christ who is the first born in the family of God.
Romans, 8: 28, 29. Very famous verses and yet, they are quite often misunderstood and thus blessings missed.
Now first of all, let us see how these verses relate to the suffering.
For that I want to draw your attention to Matt. 5. A famous Sermon on the Mount. Here, Jesus begins with,
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (vs. 3).
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted (vs. 4).
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth (vs. 5).
This is a beautiful picture of a soul that is granted to live in the Kingdom of Heaven where the Spirit of God rules. A careful examination tells us this Kingdom of God is not without sufferings. Look at verses 10 to 12. Jesus said; “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness (vs. 10). Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you… (vs. 11).” Now please go to Romans 8. Let’s look at 7: 24, 25 which says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Isn’t this what it means by “Poor in spirit” in Matt?
That’s how our spiritual journey begins doesn’t it? Repentant heart = Poor in spirit. Then Paul describes the life that is led by the Holy Spirit. Please read 8: 1 – 14. This is the picture of the life that is led by the Holy Spirit. Verse 14, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Then just like Matt., Paul touches on the suffering of the Christians. Please read on to verse 18. Verse 17; “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him to that we may also be glorified with Him.” Is this coincidence? No. In any life of Christian, there are frictions between the kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness. But we are not without hope. Verse 18 says, “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.” The glory which will be revealed will outweigh the suffering we face here on this earth.
The next section verses 26 to 39 is a Victorious Life of Christian. Paul connects this section with 3 GROANINGS.
1: Groaning of the whole creation (vs. 22).
2: Groaning of “we ourselves” (vs. 23).
3: Groaning of the Holy Spirit (vs. 26).
And sandwiches with suffering. Look at verse 35. When do you groan? When things are going well or when things are not going well. So when we see these verses within a context of suffering, then only then, we can appreciate verses 28 and 29. So you agree with me that these famous verses are buried in the context of suffering?
So now once we established that Romans 8: 28, 29 have a lot to do with sufferings, let’s draw the blessings that are hidden in these verses. It is God who causes all things to work together for good. Not our tactics or plan that make it work but God and it is “all things” not a part of it. One early MS reads “all things work together for good” and omits “God causes” but that’s does not alter the over all meaning much because it qualifies by saying, “to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” So this promise is only for the Christians.
Now usually, we stop right there thinking we received God’s promise but fact is far from it. Verse 29 is more important than verse 28, in my opinion. This is why. Because it tells us the purpose of God. There are two-fold purpose why God called us.
1. that we are to become conformed to the image of His Son. And the reason why God predestined for this is
2. that Jesus would be the firstborn among many brethren.
In the beginning of this message I asked: How are sufferings and brotherhood related? Then I answered: It is related through Jesus Christ who is the firstborn in the family of God. This is it.
In the Jewish family, firstborn had many privileges: The Firstborn had a position of preeminence among family (Gen. 49: 3). He had precedence over other sons of the family (Gen 49:3). He received a special blessing from the father (Gen. 27: 4, 35). He received father’s title and power (2 Chr. 21:3). He received a double portion of inheritance (Deut. 21: 17). In other word, the reason God causes all things to work for good to those who love Him and those who are called according to His purpose is that: Jesus becomes preeminence among the Christians. This is the other side of the coin for us to be like Jesus. It is not only for us but more so for Jesus. Col. 1: 18 says, “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” また、御子はそのからだである教会のかしらです。御子は初めであり、死者の中から最初に生まれた方です。こうして、ご自身がすべてのことにおいて、第一のものとなられたのです。
God’s way of achieving this is through suffering for us. Yes, we can give Jesus our lip service but God designed that through suffering we become like Jesus. It is through suffering we learn to give Jesus the preeminence learning how it was for the Son of God to go through suffering. God wanted us to have same nature like His only Son and that is the best way to give Jesus His deserved preeminence. See suffering is essential for forming Christ’s character in us and Christ’s character in us is essential to acknowledge Christ’s preeminence.
Do you feel for Mr. George Bush? Are you able to give him some significance? May be it’s bit difficult but if you are his staff, work with him day and night and have first hand experience about Mr. Bush’s struggles and pain and share with his agonizing moment. Doesn’t it make easier to give him some credit? It is the same way when we suffer for Jesus; it’s easier to give Him preeminence when we go through similar suffering as He went through. This whole concept is already introduced in 5: 1 – 11.
“Life is not fair.” No, life is not fair in a sense but when a Christian says that he is saying “God is not Fair” and that is not right. Contrary to our fleshly thinking, God is fair and life is fair. Let’s go to Heb. 2: 10,
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
The creator of all things, source of Life and the sustainer of all things
went through sufferings just like us.
How did He do that? Through incarnation! Look at Heb. 2: 17
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Jesus went through loneliness. He understands what a loneliness is all about. Jesus suffered betrayal. Loss of loved ones. Depression: He prayed with sweat like drop of blood. Jesus suffered physical torment, mental agony. He experienced Rejection by His own Father. He suffered death and burial. “He had to be made like His brethren in all things.” Wait, what does it say? “Like His brethren.” Who are His brethren? We are! Heb. 2: 11, 12
11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 saying,
“I will proclaim Your name to My brethren,
In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
Jesus calls us My brother!
Let’s go back to Romans 8: 17. “and if Children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” He is our brother and if He is our brother, He suffers with us. It is true Jesus our brother suffers with us as we suffer for Him. He feels our pain, our sorrow, our struggles, our beings.
Through them all we are glorified with Jesus! I can not fathom the meaning of glorification. Isn’t this amazing?
So from these blessing how should we face difficulties?
I can suggest a few things. When we go through difficulties:
Let Us Ask:
1. Who is in control: me, devil or the Holy Spirit?
2. Is Jesus my brother?
3. Am I Jesus’ brother?
4. Do I have a desire to be like Jesus?
5. Is my desire for Jesus and His glory or just for me
6. Do I believe Jesus is suffering with me?
7. Do I have hope of glorification? Or burden too heavy?
O to be like Thee. #387