Mulling It Over - Romans 8:18-25 - Part 2: The Groaning and the Hope

It has been months since I did a Mulling it Over post on this Faith page. When last we came together here, I was studying the 8th chapter of Romans. We learned from the very first verse that in Christ Jesus we are not condemned. He came, not to condemn, but to save that which was lost. We were lost in our sin, but when we gave our hearts to Him we became something different.

We learned that the law of the Old Testament was weak and only a shadow of what God truly wanted. Because of this weakness, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to do what the Law could not. Having just celebrated another Easter reminds us of the wonderful, awful, necessity for this sacrifice of Christ’s own body on the the cross. The perfect lamb of God opened the gateway to the throne room of His Father.

Now, as we live on this earth, entombed in our flesh, we struggle day after day to walk in the spirit, not the flesh, but it is only by setting our minds on the Spirit, and feeding the Spirit that we are able to put aside that flesh and regularly abide in Christ. We are not under obligation to the flesh, and if we have that same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead we can put to death the deeds of the flesh.

When we put our faith in Christ we have been adopted as the sons and daughters of God. This gives us the right to cry out to God and call Him, Abba! Father! This sonship enables us to be heirs to the Kingdom of God and all the rights and privileges therein. (To see all the previous posts click on the links: Romans 8:1-2, Romans 8:3-4, Romans 8:5-8, Romans 8:9-11, Romans 8:12-13, Romans 8:14-17, Romans 8:18-25 - Part 1 )

Today we are looking back at a few things we already covered in Part 1, but with this chunk there is a lot to cover, so we are going to look at it in pieces, rather than phrase by phrase.

“18 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.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly 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 also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

— Quote Source

I would like to look at these verses as a comparison of place, not only physical locale, but spiritual position.

Physical:

Image by munki from Pixabay

When sin came into our world with the first choice of disobedience, corruption came with it. Life which was meant to be eternal, gradually shortened. Living things grew old. Not only that, but disease began to ravage humanity and all other created things. Plants contracted blights, animals became infested with parasites, and humans knew pain in both childbirth and aging.

Spiritual:

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Sin distanced us from the Creator. Not only were we driven from the Garden, but we lost the personal relationship with our God. We became the naughty sheep that needed to be tended across the wilderness, and God our keeper. He created boundaries with the Law, a shadow of that which He originally intended, but a necessity to tie a Holy, Pure God, to a stiff necked and sinful people.

When we compare these two areas we can divide the above verses into a compare and contrast of sorts.

Physical/Suffering - Spiritual/Glory -

• Anxious longing (vs. 19) - Glory revealed (vs. 18)

• Waiting (vs. 19 & 23 & 25) - Sons of God revealed (vs. 19)

• Subjected to futility (vs. 20) - Creation set free (vs. 21)

• Not self-determined (vs. 20) - Children of God set free and glorified (vs. 21)

• Enslaved to corruption (vs. 21) - Adoption as sons (& daughters) (vs. 23

• Groaning (vs. 22 & 23) - Redemption of our bodies (vs. 23)

• Pain in childbirth (vs. 22) - Fulfillment of hope (vs. 24 & 25)

• First fruits of the Spirit (vs. 23)

• Persevering (vs. 25)

This entire section of Romans 8 is about what is and what will be. What is plays out in this physical realm, and includes suffering. We suffer all throughout life on this fallen planet. Some suffer far more than others, but we all suffer. For the Christ follower this doesn’t just include the same trials and struggles as others, but has the added component of a waiting and longing for what will be: our life in glory with our Lord.

Paul includes the suffering of creation, which I find interesting, but it makes sense. God’s plan was for a beautiful place full of life and energy. It was a place of freedom. Man lived in concert with his Creator and his creation. The world, and all that was in it was for man’s pleasure and care.

Image by 12019 from Pixabay

Creation groans and longs for its former glory. Storms, hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, forest fires; these are all signs of a creation yearning to be what it was originally intended to be. It wasn’t given the choice of suffering, as the Creator subjected it to futility, so that we would have hope.

Let’s just pause there a minute. God allowed this amazing thing He had created to become less than so that you and I would have hope. I don’t know about you, but being able to go outside, touch a fuzzy kitten, see the trees changing in the fall, hear the ocean waves crashing, or a stream gurgling, and smelling the seasons as they change always gives me hope and reminds me that my God is near even when the world is in chaos.

Image by Fabien from Pixabay

Not only does Creation feel this yearning and goes through the pains of childbirth, waiting for its return to glory, we do too. I know as I age I identify more closely with this groaning and suffering. I know that one day I will be in a glorified body with nor more coughing, sinus issues, achy knees and wrists, and no more desire for things that are not good for me. I will know fully, just as I am fully known! (I Corinthians 13:12) Our hope will be full, and we will stand before our Abba, Father. What glory that will be.

Finally, the last verse in this section is pertinent to where we are right now. We must wait for hope to be fulfilled, and wait for it eagerly with perseverance. Remember, my word for the year is Wait? God in His rich and lavish love is reminding us that we are in a waiting time, but glory is coming. Creation knows this to be true, and we can do.

Dear friends, with perseverance wait eagerly for hope.

A Year of Waiting - Abide

Back in January I published a post on my word for the year 2024. The word was wait. At that time I decided I was going to spend once a month looking at different words and definitions related to the word wait. This month we are going to dive into the word abide.

Image by 32520394 from Pixabay

When I hear the word abide I think of an image like the one above. This is a fictional place where I would like to abide, or live. I want to dwell there, not just visit. To me abiding feels more cozy and desirable than the word wait, but what if you don’t like your abode? What if you would like to move to a different place to abide, but you can’t. At that point you might feel more like a prisoner than a resident.

We learn a lot about a word by looking at its definition. Webster’s Online Dictionary defines abide in this way:

- to continue in a place: sojourn (intransitive verb)

- to remain stable or fixed in a state (intransitive verb)

- to bear patiently: tolerate (transitive verb)

- to endure without yielding: withstand (transitive verb)

- to wait for; await (transitive verb)

- to accept without objection (transitive verb)

Grammar tends to drive most of us crazy, but I found the differentiation between transitive and intransitive curious. Since it has been a long while since I took an English class, I had to look at what those words meant and how that affects these meanings.

“A transitive verb is one that makes sense only if it exerts its action on an object. An intransitive verb will make sense without an object. Some verbs can be used both ways.”

— Grammarly (online)

Image by Christoph Partsch from Pixabay

I can say, “I abide in a house in California.” I can also say, “I cannot abide a house in California.” If I just said, “I cannot abide…” then you would have no idea what it is that I am not abiding. In the first sentence it is obvious, albeit an odd way of saying it, that I live in a house in California. You could have shortened the sentence and just said, “I abide in California.” Okay, that is enough grammar for one day. Ha, ha.

So when I use the word abide as it pertains to the idea of waiting what definition is most appropriate? Would it be odd to say, I believe all the definitions pertain. Let’s dig deeper.

One of the most familiar passages in scripture where Jesus talks about abiding is found in John 15.

“1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

— John 15:1-11

When Jesus says, “Abide in Me…” He is talking about continuing or sojourning in Him. Basically, when we make Christ our Lord and Savior He wants us to come live with Him. He is also saying to remain stable or fixed in Him.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

The image of a grape arbor comes to mind when Jesus is talking. The base part of a grape plant, the vine, becomes like a mini tree trunk. The branches are the long arms that extend from the vine and the part that produces the beautiful clusters of grapes. The grape clusters don’t just happen. They have to be part of the bigger vine, the part that digs down into the soil and brings nutrients to the rest of the plant. Just as the branches have to be part of the vine to grow and produce, we have to be part of Christ to bear the fruit of the His Spirit.

This is where I want to make a connection between abiding and waiting. There are seasons in life where you might feel useless, or like you are not bearing any fruit. We start to question our relationship with Christ, and maybe even doubt our salvation, but lets look back at those transitive uses of the word abide. There are times where we have to bear patiently, endure without yielding, wait for, and accept without objection.

Image by Petra from Pixabay

Perhaps the whole point behind Jesus’ talk on abiding in Him was not only about bearing fruit, but about the changes that He knew we would all face living life in a fallen world. Just like the grape arbor we face all manner of storms, from wind and hail, to lightening, to torrential rains, to snow and ice. During those times we have to wait, stand firm, and sink our roots ever deeper into the good soil of our Heavenly Father. Most importantly we need to learn to accept without objecting. Our Father is a good Father, and He knows exactly what the arbor needs to produce the best fruit. During these times of waiting out the storms we can remember what Jesus said. “As the Father has love me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love.”

Finally, Jesus ends with the statement, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Christ has made clear, by abiding in Him, not only will we bear fruit, but we will know the Father’s love and our Savior’s full joy.

If you are in a waiting time, don’t be discouraged. Look at it as the opportunity it is to abide and know your Savior even better.

Have a great weekend!

Mulling it Over - Romans 8:18-25 Part 1: Of Suffering and Longing

Another month has gone by and we have come back around to Mulling Over Romans chapter 8. This chapter is full of information that is pertinent to our walk with Christ and to our future with Him. I know it can be hard to think about the future when our days are so full of the present, but one day we will know fully our inheritance in Christ Jesus. As it is, our lives at this point are merely reflections of Christ, and many of us have dirty mirrors. God is often trying to clean those mirrors with a glorified bottle of Windex and a rough cloth, and that can make us uncomfortable, but remember our goal is to be like Christ, so clean on Father, clean on!

Image by Simon Kadula from Pixabay

“18 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.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly 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 also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

— Romans 8:18-25 (NASB 1995)

This is a longer section so we’ll take it a chunk at a time.

For I consider…

I wanted to take these three words by themselves because they are so important. One of the things I often hear Christians accused of is that they don’t think. They take the scriptures, and the historicity of their belief system on blind faith. While it is true that we are walking by faith, it is also true that we, with the Holy Spirit’s help, are able to think just as intellectually about our faith as someone who has studied for years and has multiple degrees.

Webster’s Online Dictionary defines the word consider in the following ways: to think about carefully; to think of especially with regard to taking some action; to take into account; to regard or treat in an attentive or kindly way; to gaze on steadily or reflectively; to judge or classify; regard; suppose; reflect or deliberate.

When we look at the book of God, the Bible, we need to consider what we are reading. We also need to look at life and consider what it means, and how what we are doing, or going through pertains to our faith, or how our faith pertains to it. We aren’t meant to just bull doze our way through life giving no regard to how our actions or words are affecting the people around us.

Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay

In this particular passage the word consider relates directly to the words that follow.

…that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

I have been emphasizing this idea of suffering over the last few months, not because I am trying to be a downer, but because suffering is inevitable. We all, at some point in time, will suffer. We will know illness, loss, grief, sadness, anger, fear and the overwhelming reality of a busy life in a chaotic and fallen world. It is not bad or wrong to consider our suffering.

“12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. ”

— I Peter 4:12-13 (NASB 1995)

Paul, however, did not want us to be solely focused on our suffering. In fact, He says that whatever we are currently suffering through is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. Let’s just sit there for a minute.

Think about all the bad stuff you have been through. Some of you have lived through the typical minor inconveniences life offers like, car break downs, the fridge stops working, or the toilet backs up. Others have walked a bumpier path. You have lost a job, a home or been through a divorce. Still others have seen suffering in the form of addictions, jail time, death of a loved one, or a chronic, incurable disease. No matter what the suffering, it is not worthy of being compared to the glory that awaits us! Isn’t that amazing? What hope is ours that the suffering we are going through on this planet will pale in comparison to the joy and glory we will know when we see Jesus face to face.

Image by 🆓 Use at your Ease 👌🏼 from Pixabay

For the anxious longing of creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the world: the trees, birds, fish, animals, rocks and so on have longings? Is it possible for creation to be anxious as it waits for the revealing of the sons of God? Stay with me here. I am not talking about something weird or spooky. Let’s back up a minute.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1). If God created them, don’t they have His signature on them in a similar way that we have His signature on us. Granted we are human beings and we are made in the image of God, while creation was not, but that does not mean that creation is unable to recognize its creator and recognize the position of humanity as its caretaker.

Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay

There is a reason creation waits eagerly which we see in the next verse.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope…

The creation did not want to be cursed. It enjoyed its relation to its Creator and to its caretaker. It rejoiced in the growing and the greening, the fullness and the fellowship. When sin came into the world, God didn’t just send Adam and Eve out of the the beautiful garden of Eden, but the creation changed. It became rife with weeds and thorns. Where once all animals lived in harmony, now certain animals became predators and all others became prey. In addition, creation no longer bore the fruit of the relation between it and its Creator, but was subject to futility, disease, rot and death.

Image by Ilo from Pixabay

But God…

In hope…

…that the creation itself will also be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

This was God’s hope from the foundation of the world. He knew it all before it began. He knew when He set into motion the creation of a planet and the filling of that sphere of rock and stone with all that is living, and breathing, moving and reaching…He knew that His beautiful creation would suffer and die. So He also created the plan, the One, the Savior, the Son. It was only by this, the gift of pure, unselfish love, that the whole of creation would be able to be set free. But, it will not happen until we are face to face, fully knowing as we have been fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12); when we become His perfect reflection.

Next time we will continue our look at this section of Romans 8 by looking at the Groaning and the Hope.

Have a great weekend!