We have seen the Role of the Holy Spirit,
the Result of the Holy Spirit, the Right of the Holy Spirit
and the Relationship the Holy Spirit brings. Now, today, we will
see the Reward the Holy Spirit guarantees.
The apostle Paul has told us in verses 15-17 that
the Holy Spirit that lives in us bears witness that we are the children of
God. Someone might say, "you don’t look like a child of God." And that’s a
true statement. But, daily we are being conformed into His image as we
learn to trust Him. Verse 29 of chapter 8 says,
"For whom He foreknew,
He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He
might be the first-born among many brethren."
And we know that one day, when we finally see
Christ as He is we shall be like Him. John tells us of that day in 1
John 3:2:
"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not
appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall
be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is."
We are conformed to His image through the tool of
suffering. The "suffering with Christ" that is found in verse 17 refers to
the fact that all believers suffer as Christ suffered. No one is left out.
In fact, the word "suffer with" is sumpascho, meaning "to experience pain
jointly." It is found only here and in 1 Corinthians 12:26:
"And
if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is
honored, all the members rejoice with it."
All believers "suffer with Christ." In the awful
context of when Nero had burned Rome and the people were being
slaughtered, Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:12-13,
"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; 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."
We suffer not only when sinners come against us
and persecute us, but in the ordinary sufferings that life on earth
brings. You see, suffering now is a "tool" that God uses to prepare us for
the "glory" that is to come.
Suffering, according to Paul, is the
indispensable prelude to glory. It prepares us to participate in the glory
to come. We have a totally different attitude and perspective towards
suffering on this earth. Well, let’s continue to watch how Paul teaches us
concerning suffering with Christ.
First of all, Paul tells us that all our pain
will dim when we see the glory that is to come. Romans 8:18:
"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."
Paul certainly knew the pain that is involved in
"suffering with Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:23:
"Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as if insane) I more so; in far
more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often
in danger of death."
He would bear the marks as a worn out warrior for
Christ.
Paul wrote Romans before he went to Jerusalem
where the most serious of his troubles began. But, he always had the
perspective of eternity. In verse 18, the word for "I consider" is
logizomai, meaning to take all the facts and reason to a conclusion. If
any man could look at suffering, Paul could.
The word for "suffering" is pathema, that which
one suffers, or has suffered. The actual suffering itself involves pain,
agony, and trauma. This word is used both of Christ’s sufferings and of
believer’s suffering for Christ’s sake. Peter admonishes believers in 1
Peter 5:9 to
"Resist
[Satan], firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of
suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world."
Paul assured the Corinthian believers in 2
Corinthians 1:6-7:
"But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we
are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient
enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you
is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so
also you are sharers of our comfort."
Christ is Himself the perfect example of
suffering for "righteousness" sake. Just as "suffering" was essential to
Christ’s obedience to the Father, so it is with our obedience to Christ.
Now, in verse 18 we find two great
encouragements. First, Paul tells us that suffering, for the believer who
obeys Christ, is only for a season. Paul says the "sufferings of this
present time." This gives the idea of that it is not forever, but for a
particular season.
You see Christians have great hope—their
sufferings will end. The word translated "season" is the word
kairos, a set or fixed time. It is different from chronos,
which means a space of time. Kairos refers to that which will end, like
spring, fall, and so on.
Remember Habakkuk when God finally spoke to him
telling him of the great suffering that was coming because of the people’s
sin? Habakkuk 1:11 says,
"Then
they will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held
guilty, they whose strength is their god."
Even chastisement, which is to be
willingly received by the believer, will pass.
The second encouragement Paul gives us in
verse 19 is that suffering will add to our eternal glory:
"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."
This is where the believer is different from the
unbeliever. Believer’s who suffer for Christ’s sake will be rewarded for
it one day. Those who do not know Christ have no hope when they suffer.
Whatever the reason for their affliction, it does not come upon them for
Christ’s sake, or righteousness sake, and therefore cannot yield any
spiritual blessing or glory. But all our suffering for the sake of Christ
does.
The verse says that these sufferings "are not
worthy"—they do not in any way compare, or measure up to—"the glory that
is to be revealed to us".
Paul speaks of a time when we shall have "glory"
revealed to us. A time when this suffering is over. The word "glory"
refers to the glorious condition of blessedness, our glorification, into
which it is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after
their Savior’s return from heaven. This glory will be revealed to us. The
word "revealed" is apokalupto, to uncover something that has been hidden.
Paul is simply saying that all the pain,
suffering, tribulation we go through here on earth as believers for the
sake of Christ, is nothing compared to the state of blessedness we shall
one day have revealed to us. There is a future reward that the refining
experience of suffering is preparing us for, a future glory that only
believer’s have to look forward to.
The second thing Paul wants us to know is that
all creation will rejoice when we are glorified. Look at verse 19: "For
the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the
sons of God."
Now, when Paul mentions "creation", we must make
the exception for the devil and his demons, because they are sentenced to
eternal torment; also of God’s holy angels who are not subject to
corruption; and believers, because we have already been covered in the
previous verses. So, what does the "rest" of creation refer to?
Let’s look again at verse 19
and take it one phrase at a time.
"For the anxious longing of the creation."
The word here is apokaradokia. It
bears the sense something that is greatly desired. Something that is
awaited with intense anticipation, or as the King James puts it "earnest
expectation."
"Of the creation" is ktisis—that
which has been created; all of the non-rational creation of God. You get
the picture that all of God’s creatures of nature are standing on tiptoes.
All of nature longs for an event to occur. Their destiny is inseparably
linked to man’s. This future time is going to be beneficial to all of
creation. It is the time when we get our glorified bodies and all of
creation sees us for who we really are, and a time when they will be
restored to their created purpose.
"Waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of
God." Apekdechomai means to patiently, but expectantly await. James 5:7
says,
"Be
patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the
farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it,
until it gets the early and late rains."
So the sense is that creation is
waiting like a farmer waits for his crops to come up—earnestly expecting
them to come up, but not knowing when that will be exactly.
And what is creation waiting for? "The
revealing of the sons of God." Apokalupsis, the
manifestation, uncovering, of the huios, the fully mature sons of God. Oh,
what a day! Colossians 3:4 says,
"When Christ, who is our life, is
revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."
All believers will be revealed with Him in glory,
and all "creation" will rejoice, because now they can be restored. What a
future we have to look forward to! It’s amazing how all of creation awaits
the "revelation of the Sons of God". Our pain will dim when we see the
glory that is to come. All creation will rejoice when we are glorified.
Well, the third thing Paul wants us to
see in this passage is that God has a plan for death and decay. Look at
verses 20 and 21:
"For the creation was subjected to futility, not
of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope, 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."
You may ask, what did the plants,
the animals, the birds do to deserve "being subjected to corruption,"
which means death and decay? We must understand this. It was all because
of man’s sin. No part of nature exists like God intended it to.
Look again at Romans 8:20:
"For
the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because
of Him who subjected it, in hope."
Now, again, he doesn’t tell us when
it was subjected to futility, but we already know when. Romans 5:12:
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and
death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned."
Notice that it says, "creation was
subjected." It did not subject itself. God Himself subjected it. It’s
interesting to me that so many environmental agencies are making noble
attempts to turn the tide of corruption that has devastated both man and
his environment since the fall. But, it will never cease until the
Creator, who subjected it, removes the curse and creates a new heaven and
new earth.
"Futility" is the word mataiotes, emptiness, that which is vain. The idea of the word
mataiotes is the idea of being without success, of being unable to achieve
a goal or purpose. You see, because of man’s sin, no part of nature now
exists as God intended it to be, and as it originally was.
This is a cursed world we live in,
yet in spite of that, God’s glory and beauty are still seen in it. Look
back to
Romans 1:20:
"For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen,
being understood through what has been made, so that they are without
excuse."
So "the creation was subjected to
futility, not of it’s own will." The word here is hekon, not
voluntarily, not willingly. The word for not is ou, which means "not in
any way" willingly.
"But," the verse goes on, "because
of Him who subjected it." Again, God subjected it. Why? Because of
man’s sin. "Who subjected it" comes from the word hupotasso, to
subordinate. God Himself subjected it to the impossibility of ever getting
better on it’s own.
All this happened because of man’s
sin. Why? Read
verse 21, picking up the last two words of verse 20,
in
hope, 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."
"In hope" is the word elpis, which carries the meaning of confidence, expectation. So
you could translate it "certain hope"—hope that is never uncertain.
Just as man’s sin brought corruption to the universe, man’s restoration to
righteousness will be accompanied by the restoration of the earth and it’s
universe to their divinely intended perfection and glory. We can be
certain of that.
"That the creation itself also
will be set free." "Will be set free" is the word eleutheroo.
We have seen this word before in Romans. It carries the idea that, not
only will it be set free, but it will be shown to be free. Everyone will
know it.
God will set it free. There will
come a time when the creation will be fully restored to its desired
perfection and glory. Free from what? From its "slavery to corruption."
The word here for "slavery"
is douleia, which indicates any kind of bondage. "Corruption"
is phthora, that which is perishable, that which decays.
Again, all of nature is in a current that is heading into corruption and
seems to be on tiptoes waiting for the event when the sons of God are
revealed.
Martin Lloyd-Jones made this
wonderful insight:
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I wonder
whether the phenomenon of the Spring supplies us with a part answer.
Nature every year, as it were, makes an effort to renew itself, to
produce something permanent; it has come out of the death and the
darkness of all that is so true of the Winter. In the Spring it
seems to be trying to produce a perfect creation, to be going
through some kind of birth-pangs year by year. But unfortunately it
does not succeed, for Spring leads only to Summer, whereas Summer
leads to Autumn, and Autumn to Winter. Poor old nature tries
every year to defeat the "vanity" of the principle of death and
decay and disintegration that is in it. But it cannot do so. It
fails every time. It still goes on trying, as if it feels things
should be different and better; but it never succeeds. So it goes on
"groaning and travailing in pain together until now." It has been
doing so for a very long time.... but nature still repeats the
effort annually. But, it will be set free one day from this
corruption "into the freedom of the glory of the children of God."
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