Sermon 23

Groaning For Glory!

Romans 8:17-27

There is suffering now but there will be glory later! That's what Romans 8 reminds us of. Verse 17 speaks of both sufferings and the glory of Jesus Christ. He suffered for us, but now He is in all His blazing glory. And it will be the same for us. Because we are God's own adopted children, we are joint heirs with Jesus. That means that we may suffer now. But there will be future glory. Read vs. 17-18.

Verse 18 speaks of the "sufferings of this present time." There is some suffering that is common to all. There is some suffering because we are human. I'm thinking of physical suffering - bruises, aches, pains, diseases, ailments, accidents, injuries and catastrophes - the physical sufferings of this present time. Had any of those lately? Of course you have!

The sufferings of this present time common to all also fall under the category of mental sufferings. We can no doubt all relate to the words of Jacob in Genesis 42:38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. We have fears and anxieties, worries and frets - mental anguish.

There is also some suffering in this present time that is exclusively Christian. We suffer physically and mentally because we are human. But spiritual suffering is reserved for God's people. I Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ ... 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian... 3:14 if ye suffer for righteousness' sake ... Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:

Yes, Romans 8 says there is suffering in this present time. But it also says that there will be glory later. We, who have been justified, who are being sanctified, are going to be glorified. Colossians 3:4 "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Paul tells us that there is no comparison in degrees of the suffering now to the glory of the then.

This section deals with the problem of suffering and pain. The best way that I can see to understand this section is in terms of the groanings that it speaks of. There are 3 of them. Creation groans (v. 22). Believers groan (v. 23). The Spirit groans (v. 26). The word for "groan" means "to moan, to lament, to mourn." These groans are laments over living in a world of sin and pain. They are groans for glory, longings for the Lord to return and give us glory.

The Groaning Of Creation, 8:19-22.

There is a new world coming! Isaiah 65:17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind." Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were past away ..." In our text, Paul describes how that creation is waiting, longing, groaning for that day. Here, Paul personifies creation in poetic language. He is speaking about the whole of creation (22) the plants, the animals, the mountains, hills, stars, seas, rivers, lakes, the sky, the flowers, the earth. All creation will joy when it enters the glory of its future state. But now, it groans, it moans, it mourns, it longs for glory.

Verse 19 says that the creature waits in "earnest expectation." This is a very vivid description in Greek. It means someone who is standing on their tip toes, sticking their neck out trying to see something in the distance. Nature is on its tip toes, ready for the dawning of a new world.

Verse 20 describes the present condition or state of creation. It is "made subject to vanity, not willingly." Nature cannot be what it was designed to be. When God created it, it was all "very good" (Genesis 1:31). But that was before the entrance of sin. Sin has affected all of creation. Now there are weeds and thorns and thistles, and pain and death. All creation was victimized by sin. Sin brought disaster, decay, degeneration and death. Man and creation are inseparably linked. Man's sin led to the decay of creation. Sinful man poisons and pollutes and destroys creation. But man's salvation will ultimately lead to the restoration of creation.

Verse 21 describes the restoration of creation and the liberation of Christians. When the children of God are liberated from sin and experience glory, creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. There will be no more decay.

Verse 22 says that all of creation is groaning and travailing in pain together until now. The present pain of creation is like the pain of childbirth - "travaileth in pain". The pain of childbirth is temporary. It is pain that produces joy. When the joy comes the pain is quickly forgotten. When the precious baby is born the pain of childbirth is put aside. When creation is restored the pain it feels now will be forgotten.

The Groaning Of Christians, 8:23-25.

We who are saved join creation in lamenting the curse of sin. David expressed that in Psalm 38:4 - For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 9 - Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. So did Paul. Romans 7:24 - O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? II Corinthians 5:4 - For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened...

In verse 23, Paul says that we all groan. We are longing for the redemption of the body. The reason why we groan is because we have been given the first fruits of the Spirit, a taste of glory is that indwelling Spirit. Just as the nation of Israel tasted the first fruits of Canaan when the spies returned, so we Christians have tasted of the blessings of heaven through the ministry of the Spirit. When I see the Spirit give me victory over sin, I get a taste of what it will be like to have complete victory over sin in eternity. When the Holy Spirit enables me to serve God, I get a taste of what it will be like to serve Him in eternity without the limitations of a corruptible body. A taste of the first fruits makes me to groan for glory.

Verses 24-25 speak of the believer's hope in Christ. We wait for glory and we hope. Not hope in the sense of hope so, the sense of uncertainty. This hope is the anticipation of Christ's return. It is "the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and the Saviour Jesus Christ." This hope is an essential aspect of salvation. We are saved by hope. Although it is not something we can see, it is still a reality. That hope gives us patience to wait. The best is yet to come! We need not be fatigued and frustrated by the problems, perplexities and pains of the present. They are all temporary and one day will give way to eternal glory.

The Groaning Of The Comforter, 8:26-27.

God is concerned about the trials of his people. Today, the Holy Spirit groans with us and feels the burdens of our weaknesses and suffering. He, along with creation and Christians, joins in sighing over the fallen state of mankind and the universe.

Verse 26 tells us that the Spirit intercedes for God's people. We don't always know God's will. We do not always know how to pray. We don't always know what to ask for. I have stood many times at the bedside of a terminally ill patient and not known how to pray. Do I ask for healing? Do I ask for prolonging of life? Nor can we always even express the internal feelings of our pain to God. But the Holy Spirit can. Those things which cannot be uttered (expressed) in words can to expressed to God on our behalf through the interceding of the Holy Spirit.. Some people try to say that this is speaking of tongues. It is not. Nothing in the context relates either to supernatural gifts of the Spirit in general or to speaking in tongues specifically.

Verse 27 says that the Spirit interacts with God the Father. God searches our heart and listens to the groanings of the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit prays for God's will in our life.

Yes, there is suffering now. There is groaning now. Creation groans in anticipation of a new world. Christians groan as they get a taste of glory through the Holy Spirit for the redemption of the body. Even the Comforter groans, feeling our infirmities and expressing to God the Father what we cannot express ourselves in words. Today there is groaning. Someday there will be glory.