Brief Summary:

Believers, though they must suffer various afflictions while in this life, are sustained through them by the encouragement and help that comes from God, and especially as they look forward to a future in glory with God.

(Romans 8:18-30)

 

Detailed Summary:

•        Having characterized those in Christ as those who “share in His sufferings in order that [they] may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17), Paul reminds us that our present suffering does not even compare to the glory that awaits us in eternity.

–      Romans 8:18 - I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

–      Cf. 2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

•        Note how Paul offers comfort to us in our suffering:

–       In Romans 5:3-4 he comforts us in our suffering by reminding us that our suffering benefits us (builds character, perseverance, and hope).

–       Here Paul comforts us in our suffering by reminding us that our suffering is temporal and can’t even be compared with the glory that results from it.

 

•        In the meantime we, along with all of creation:

–       Suffer now from a sense of incompleteness and even frustration

–       Eagerly yearn for the coming glory

 

•        Paul begins by describing the “frustration” and “eager expectation” of the creation for the coming glory!

 

•        Paul personifies non-human creation (describing it in terms of human emotions and activities) in order to dramatize how creation is impacted:

–       First by the fall of humanity

–      Then later, when God’s children are glorified:

–      Romans 8:19-22 - The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed [in glory where their sonship will be fully evident]. For the creation was subjected to frustration [futility, NASB], not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay [slavery to corruption, NASB] and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

 

•        Paul, having described the “groaning” of creation for the future glory, now shows how we as believers share this same eager hope!

–      Romans 8:23-25 - Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

 

•        Note that our eagerness (characterized by Paul as “inward groaning”) is intensified by the fact that we have taste of the future glory already: the indwelling Holy Spirit!

 

•        Notice also that here we are said to “wait eagerly for our adoption as sons” and yet in verses 14-17 Paul says that we already are sons!

–       God already counts us as Sons

–       And yet, we will not experience the full benefit of sonship until “the redemption of our bodies” (i.e., the resurrection)

•        Paul reminds us that we were saved in “hope”. And hope, by nature requires that we wait patiently for that which we do not yet have.

•        In the same way as our hope sustains us, while we patiently wait for the coming glory, the Spirit also comes to our aid.

–      Romans 8:26-27 - In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

 

•        Because of our weakness in our present condition, we do not always know how we ought to pray.

 

•        In such cases we need not worry, because the Spirit intercedes for us, inaudibly as we pray - praying according to God’s will on our behalf.

 

•        Although the Spirit’s unspoken prayer cannot be heard by us, God who knows our heart, also knows the mind of the Spirit and therefore “hears” this prayer that the Spirit offers on our behalf!

 

•        While the Spirit helps us by interceding for us, God the Father, in His providence causes the circumstances and difficulties in our life to work together for our good!

–      Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

•        We can analyze this verse by emphasizing each phrase:

–       we know - we don’t have to guess, we can be sure that God is working for us

–       in all things - not just in those things that appear on the surface as good, but even those things which in and of themselves are evil: tragedy, suffering, even our personal sins.

–       God - things don’t just work for good by themselves, only God can make good come of out of evil.

–       for the good - we may not understand why God brings certain things into our life, but we must never doubt that God is working for our good because He wants what is best for us.

–       for those who love Him - God does not work for the good of everyone, but for those who are characterized as loving Him, in other words, believers.

–       those who have been called - that is, those whom God has chosen to save, we love Him because He first loved us (1John 4:19)

–       according to His purpose - God chose to save us because it was a part of His purpose to bring us to share with His Son in glory!

 

•        Having mentioned God’s purpose and calling of believers, Paul lays out what some have referred to as the unbreakable, golden chain of God’s salvation:

–      Romans 8:29-30 -

•        For those God foreknew He also predestined

–      to be conformed to the likeness of His Son,

–      that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And

•        those He predestined, He also called;

•        those He called, He also justified;

•        those He justified, He also glorified.