Lesson 4 - Romans 8, Groaning with Anticipation

Book of Romans – written between 54 and 57AD, 25-30 years after Christ, by Apostle Paul while he lived in Corinth.

It is said to be one of the fullest, most glorious statements of the Gospel and it is filled, among other things, with meaty truth on grace, sovereignty, sanctification, election, overcoming sin, salvation and the life of a believer in the Spirit.

Great people of the faith down through the ages have come to know and love this book, even pointing to it as the way God brought them to salvation through Christ at the appointed time.

Romans 8 is right in the middle of the whole book, and today we are going to spend time in the middle of Romans 8, covering verses 18 – 30.

If we get nothing else from our look at the 8^th chapter over these 3 Lessons, I want us to get this – we have done wrong things, sinful things, and will continue to do so to some degree until the Lord takes us home or He returns.  Nonetheless, Jesus Christ paid the full price for our redemption and salvation and that is a truth worth living for every day!

Key Verses

From last Lesson, if you recall, the first Key verse I used for beginning Chapter 8 was FROM ROMANS 7!!!!

Romans 7:24-25

24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Next time, our Key verse will be Romans 8:32

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

But in this Lesson, among the other great verses we will cover, I want us to keep in mind these two

GROANING WITH CREATION – Romans 8:22-23

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

So, without further delay, let’s take a look at what Paul writes and what we can learn from it -

If you recall from last time, Paul was writing in verse 13 about putting to death the deeds of the body BY THE SPIRIT and as many as are led by the Spirit, these are called sons of God, then, if sons, heirs, heirs with Christ, if we share in His sufferings, and will share in His Glory.

But then Paul continues

Romans 8:18-30

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

What sufferings of this present time is he talking about?

It seems to have two applications for us as Believers - 1) He means all of the "sufferings" that we bear IN Christ and FOR Christ and BECAUSE of our faith in Him. These are sufferings like apathy as we evangelize, mocking or ridicule as we pursue holiness in obedience, confrontation as we proclaim, even real persecution, danger or death. And 2) He means things we surely encounter in this world because of the ravages of our sin. These are sufferings like aging bodies, sinful desires that plague us day after day, sicknesses in people we care about and untimely deaths of loved ones, things like divorce, problems raising children, job loss and financial struggle - all of the things that may happen against us in this world.

And Paul is writing to us, not without firsthand knowledge, but from real experience -

"Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure". (2 Corinthians 11:24–28)

Even creation overall is subjected to sufferings, it groans as we do and eagerly waits for the revealing of all who will believe so that all will be made right by Him who subjects it, and us, to these sufferings. This is all part of His grand plan for mankind, and as we understand this it gives us a blessed HOPE -

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits 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 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Creation itself, God’s creation, will be delivered from this corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God and then the groaning, the waiting, the suffering and agony and ache and hurt will finally END, and the fulfillment of the adoption, the redemption of our bodies will fully take place.

And we were saved in this CERTAIN hope! -

 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

This is the certain hope, hope unseen, hope that there is more, much more, and much better, which is to come. And so we wait for it, not impatiently as if we had NO hope, but, instead, amazingly and against all intuition we hope for what we do not see with perseverance. A hope that is yet unseen but yet absolutely certain because of Him who gives us such hope. Who can figure out this incredible God of ours?

But, as Paul tells us, we have not received it yet – for we are not yet home. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 continues this Biblical principle that Paul wants us to really understand as we live our lives out in this world through sufferings, and as God's power is displayed, not ours -

"7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."

Romans 8 now continues with two very revealing passages. In this first one, Paul begins with the word "likewise". Why does he choose this word?

It seems to me to point way back to verse 18. Paul tells us that the sufferings which are nothing compared to what will be HELP US IN OUR WEAKNESSES. And here, likewise, or in the same way, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Have you ever tried to pray but just could not? You knew you should, and maybe even wanted to, but somehow you could not form any words. Well, Believer, take heart for God knew even that would happen to all of us. Precisely when we are weak, perhaps through distraction or maybe our sinfulness, when we are unable to voice the words that we ache to say, the Spirit intercedes for us. And these intercessions are perfect, just what is needed, just what should be asked, because His Spirit is in perfect harmony with the will of God. It is a blessings, a privilege, a gift from Him who knows us better than we know ourselves.

And then finally in this Lesson we look at verses 28-30 -

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Much has surely been written and preached about these marvelous words. Verse 28 is often quoted by Believers everywhere, especially when things are tough or just don't seem to make any sense.

These verses touch on a difficult topic in the Bible - one of election, or predestination, or calling. I won't take much space here to expound on this Biblical truth, but suffice it to say for now that God is Sovereign over all things. Scripture is clear that even before the creation of anything, God had a plan, and His plan is working in our lives and the lives of those before and after us JUST AS HE INTENDS. Further, that those intentions are exactly what is needed and the very best for all of those to whom He has given the right to be called children of God.

Next time we will cover the last part of Romans 8, verses 31 through 39 with the key verse again being Verse 32.

But for now, let’s again finish with a reminder of the verse we started with here, that sums up for us our eager anticipation and expectation of things to come

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.