Text: Romans 8:18-25
This world is full of sin, suffering, violence, and loss. There are many Bible passages that discuss how to deal with the hardships of life. In this lesson, we will focus on one passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Suffering Will Always Be Present (v. 18)
- Paul talked about “the sufferings of this present time” – he wrote this almost two thousand years ago, but suffering still exists; “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
- Suffering will exist until this world passes away (Revelation 21:1, 4) – after the judgment and destruction of death and Hades (Revelation 20:11-15)
- This world cannot be fixed (Ecclesiastes 1:14-15) – there will always be suffering present
Cannot Compare with the Glory to Be Revealed (v. 18)
- Despite all of the suffering that exists, there is something better coming – “the glory to be revealed” will be when Christ returns (Colossians 3:4)
- Present sufferings cannot compare with what awaits (2 Corinthians 4:17-5:4) – so “do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:16)
The Anxious Longing of the Creation (v. 19)
- “The creation” – this is not referring to the physical world around us, but to humans in general (contrast with the ones mentioned in verse 23); there is an innate desire in man for something “better” (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Acts 17:26-27), even though they may not understand what that would be
- This comes at “the revealing of the sons of God” – at the return of Christ (Colossians 3:4)
The Creation Was Subjected to Futility (v. 20)
- When God made everything, it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31) – but sin changed all of this; it brought death (Genesis 2:17; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22); life on earth went from being “very good” (Genesis 1:31) to “vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)
- This was God’s doing – He did it in hope so that we would long for what awaits (2 Corinthians 5:1-2)
We Eagerly Wait for Our Adoption and Redemption (v. 23)
- Just as “the whole creation groans” (v. 22), we also “groan within ourselves” (v. 23) – Christians; like anyone else, we are longing for something better
- The difference between Christians and the world – we know what awaits us
- Adoption – we are children of God (1 John 3:1); waiting for our permanent home in heaven (John 14:2-3)
- Redemption – we have been redeemed (1 Peter 1:18-19); waiting for our new bodies (1 John 3:2)
We Are Saved by Hope (v. 24)
- Salvation is attributed to many things – grace (Ephesians 2:8), the gospel (Romans 1:16), baptism (1 Peter 3:21), etc.; this passage mentions hope as playing a part in our salvation
- How does hope save us? – it is tied to faith; it reaches forward to something we cannot yet see (Hebrews 11:1); it is the expectation that there is something better in our future (1 Peter 1:3, 13); it is more than a wish; it motivates us to keep going (Philippians 3:14)
With Perseverance We Eagerly Wait (v. 25)
- We need endurance in order to obtain what we hope for (Hebrews 6:11; 10:23) – we need to be encouraged to persevere (Hebrews 6:18; 10:24-25; 3:12-13)
- If we do not persevere, we will miss out on what we hoped to gain (1 Corinthians 9:27)
Conclusion
- This world is full of suffering – this should make us long for heaven
- No matter how bad life gets, it cannot compare with what we will receive in the end
