Sermon Tone Analysis

In the first part of Chapter 8, Paul speaks of true life that comes through the Holy Spirit; no condemnation can come to those who are in Christ Jesus.

Since Christians are then in the Spirit, we are also adopted into the family and heirs with Christ.

Now Paul focuses on the argument all believers will eventually be freed from struggling and suffering.

Paul has already made the following points: He looks forward to the day where he will be glorified like Christ, and is waiting for the day sin is overthrown and all is returned to the way God intended.

Paul looks FORWARD to God’s larger plan.

You see He understood and connected OUR need of final redemption.

Yet, he also points out that it will be a struggle until we are glorified!

The reality of suffering in this life is undeniable, but, for believers, it is also unavoidable.

Future Glory

Why is suffering for a believer unavoidable?

Suffering for a believer can come from either persecution, or from the struggle of the spirit to overcome the flesh and this world.

Christ said He came so that we could have life and life more abundantly.

The struggles in this world try to steal that abundant life we have been promised.

Looking back at Romans 8:17 we realize we suffer not alone, but suffer WITH CHRIST “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.”

but notice the promise in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

Suffering draws us closer to Christ, and makes us rely more on Him, and to grow in our trust.

In doing so, we may not understand why we suffer, the purpose behind our trials and tribulations, but focus more like Paul on what is to come.

The future glory will be immeasurable compared to the struggles we will endure while on earth.

So, the question may come up, Is the suffering really worth it?

In our study of Revelation - we saw a description of heaven and the worship taking place there, so I will answer in the way I have gotten responses from kids…duh.

The word creation refers to everything under man: animal, plant, and mineral.

All creation is pictured as living and waiting expectantly for the day when the sons of God shall be glorified.

The words earnest expectation (apokaradokia) mean to watch with the neck outstretched and the head erect.

It is a persistent, unswerving expectation, an expectation that does not give up but keeps looking until the event happens.

What three things does Paul point out about creation?

1) Creation is subject to corruption.

All creation suffers hurt, damage, loss, deterioration, erosion, death, and decay—all creation struggles for life.

It is full of vanity (mataios), that is, condemned to futility and frustration, unable to realize its purpose, subject to corruption.

Creation did not willingly choose to be condemned to corruption.

The world was made to be the home of man, the place where he lived.

Therefore, when man sinned, his world was doomed to suffer the consequences of sin with him.

Man’s world was cursed right along with him.

The news of Scripture is glorious: the situation of the world is neither hopeless nor final.

Creation has the same hope of redemption and of renovation as man.

The world was made for man, therefore all creation shall be ultimately delivered from corruption just as man shall be delivered from corruption.

2) Creation shall be delivered from corruption.

Whatever happens to man is bound to happen to his world.

Man is the summit of God’s creation; therefore, all that is under man is intertwined, interwoven, and interrelated to him.

When man fell, his world was bound to fall with him.

But this is the glorious news as well.

When man is liberated from corruption, his world shall be liberated as well.

God had to subject man’s world to man’s fate, but God also had to subject man’s world “in” hope.

Creation will experience the glorious hope of living forever with man, of being completely and perfectly renovated.

There will be a “new heavens and a new earth”.

3) Creation groans in labor for deliverance.

The whole universe is dependent upon its various parts for survival.

The earth could not survive without the heavens, and the heavens would have no purpose apart from God’s creation of man and his earth.

Being the center of creation before God is not a truth to make man proud, but to make him humble—a truth to cause him to bow in worship and praise, appreciation and thankfulness.

Being the summit of God’s creation is not a gift of privilege, not presently, but of enormous responsibility.

Notice the words “groan” and “pain”.

The picture is that of a woman giving birth.

Creation experiences birth pangs under its struggle to survive.

And note: it has been experiencing the birth pangs until now, that is, from the fall of man up until this present moment.

This train of thought puts forth the idea that creation awaits the Day of Redemption in the same way we daddies await a new child; anxiously, expectantly, longingly, and to finally be delivered.

When a believer is truly saved, they possesses the Holy Spirit and bears the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace).

It is when we are saved that we truly understand the meaning of living abundantly and eternally because we experience life IN the Holy Spirit.

As a result, we will also groan just like creation for deliverance.

It is hope that delivers and saves man.

Hope saves us, for it is hope that keeps us seeking after God and His redemption.

We hope for redemption; therefore, “with patience we wait for it”.

What is hope?

Assured expectation, confident knowledge, inward possession, spiritual surety.

The believer’s hope cannot be defined as the world defines hope.

The believer’s hope is entirely different from the world’s hope, desire, or wish.

The world desires and wishes for what it can see, and they may or may not be able to get what they long for.

The believer’s hope is entirely different in that it deals with spiritual things and the believer will unquestionably get what he hopes for.

The believer’s hope is based on the inward experience and witness of God’s Spirit.

It is prayer and the Holy Spirit that delivers and saves a man.

As the believer faces the sufferings of this life he has the greatest resource imaginable: prayer.

He has the right to approach God whenever needed, and to ask God for the strength to walk through and to conquer the suffering.

That is what prayer is all about.

Paul brings two points forward about prayer; believers do not know how to pray as they should, and the Holy Spirit helps our infirmities (here specifically pointing to prayer).

But note this; while we pray, it is God who delivers and saves us.

These last verse point out God searches the heart of us all.

There is no exception.

He knows exactly what is within our hearts.

He can read and understand what our groanings and needs are.

Not a need will be missed.

God knows the mind of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit prays for us according to the will of God; therefore, God knows exactly what the Spirit is requesting for us.

There is perfect agreement between the Holy Spirit and God the Father.

God will answer our prayer and meet our need.

He will deliver and save us, causing the very best thing to happen.

All the discussion in Chapter 8 up to this point has now moved to the summit.

Those who love God and are called by Him will definitely be freed from the bondage and corruptions of this life and ushered into glory.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, shall prevent God’s settled plan and purpose from coming about in the life of the believer.

God works all things out for those who love Him.

This is the first assurance of deliverance.

What a comforting declaration!

Scripture actually declares that “all things work together for good” for the believer.

Nothing could assure the believer any more than God’s working all things out for his good.

God has determined to fulfill His purpose for the believer.

This is the second assurance of deliverance.

This is not dealing so much with theology or philosophy, but more with the spiritual experience of the Christian believer.

If the pure logic of philosophy and theology are applied, then the passage says that God chooses some for heaven and others for a terrible hell.

But this is simply not the meaning God intends for the passage.

What God wants believers to do is to take heart, for He has assured their salvation.

What is predestination?

The word predestination (proorisen) means to destine or appoint before, to foreordain, to predetermine.

The idea is a glorious picture of what God is doing for the believer.