Previously, we took a ‘quick’ look back at Romans 1-7. I say ‘quick’ because that last article I wrote on it? Well, it was longer than two thousand words, and I wasn’t even trying to make it longer than I usually do (sorry I do that by the way).
Here, though, because I’m really wanting to finally write on the second part of Romans 8, I WILL go through each chapter as short as I could. Here goes.
Romans 1: The Root Of Unrighteousness, The Wrath Of God
Romans 2: The Righteous Judgment Of God
Romans 3: Our Hopelessness in Sin, Righteousness Apart From Law And By Faith In Christ
Romans 4: Abraham’s Faith Unto Righteousness, God’s Promises Fulfilled
Romans 5: Adam’s Disobedience vs Christ’s Obedience; Justification, Peace, Grace And Hope
Romans 6: We Have Died To Sin, Sin Has No Power Over Us
Romans 7: We Have Been Set Free From The Law And The Flesh, Through Christ
And in our most recent dive into Romans 8, we have established the following: Because of all we’ve discussed from Romans 1-7, there is therefore now no condemnation, for we are in Christ Jesus.
We’ve been set free from following the Law of sin and death, to following the Law of the Spirit and Life. We’ve already established that we’re free from the flesh, and now we’ve also established that the Spirit is alive in us, and we therefore live by the Spirit.
This same Spirit, whom we’ve established before was the Spirit of Truth that leads us into all Truth, is also the Spirit of adoption. So not only does He consistently convict us of our righteousness, it only follows that He convicts us that Christ has made us SO righteous that we are able to call God our ‘Abba, Father’.
So we can write as follows:
Romans 8, pt 1: We Have Been Set Free To The Spirit And Life, Through Christ.
Let’s keep going.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
I usually let entire blocks of verses by before I keep on writing, but I had to stop here. There’s so much beauty to unpack in this one verse, Romans 8:18.
First of all, we ought to be as Paul is, acknowledging things as they are, even our sufferings. Christians, or those of us who have been brought into the body of Christ – we recognize our sufferings and call them as they are… that is, with the confidence that they are (1) of this present time, meaning, surely as they have beginnings, so they have ends, and (2) more importantly, they are ‘not worth comparing‘ – we have something better.
And see, it seems as if it was Paul’s intention to pit our present sufferings, not against all we have that is better, here and now and in the present, but what we will have in our future: the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Not only do we endure, but rejoice in the present, for our future is secured – glorious!
So with all this in mind, we keep going, with a little more detail regarding this future glory:
19 For the creation waits with eager longing 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 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
This glory that is to be revealed to us is our adoption as sons, and the redemption of our bodies. It’s this glory that all of creation, ever since ‘The Fall’ (or, Creation’s subjecting to futility through Adam’s disobedience), has been longing for.
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
And even if we ‘groan inwardly’, we are helped by way of hope, and we are able to wait for complete adoption and redemption, by way of the Holy Spirit.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
It is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of righteousness, and helps us by way of hope and patience (which, by the way, is one of the fruits He produces in us)… and He also helps us ‘in our weakness’ by way of praying – rather, interceding for us. He intercedes for us (1) with groanings too deep for words, and (2) according to the will of God.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Here’s another blockbuster verse that I am personally fond of quoting… but how does it make any sense, considering all we’ve been talking about, here and now, specifically? We live by the Spirit, free from sin and death, hoping and waiting patiently for the glory that is to be revealed to us, trusting in the Spirit to intercede for us deeper than words and according to the will of God.
I mean, that’s the context of the chapter so far, as I understand it. So how do we go from all that, to suddenly saying all things work together for those who love God and for those who are called according to His purpose?
I apologize for taking the meaning of this verse just from the verse itself, because here I see we need to keep on reading.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Earlier we’ve talked about how we, hope and wait patiently, with the help of the Holy Spirit, for the ‘glory that is to be revealed in us’… in the future. However, these verses continue by mentioning a distinct perspective of this ‘glory’: That is, not only are we groaning inwardly for our adoption as sons, and the redemption of our bodies, but also, our being ‘conformed to the image of His Son (Jesus Christ)’.
We also see something else here: That while we ARE waiting and anticipating this future glory, it is well for us to hope – as in to have faith, to have a sure hope – because God PREDESTINED this for us. That is, we wait for adoption, redemption, and our being conformed… because we KNOW God will do it. This is what we are not merely waiting for, but hoping for, as mentioned verses 24-25.
Now with all this in mind, it ought to give us an even deeper understanding of what Romans 8:28 means – The God who predestined us works all things for the good, because He also called us, justified us, and glorified us.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Gosh, I don’t know if I’m making any sense here! God, forgive me, guide me!
Father, forgive me, guide me! For we indeed wait in anticipation for future glory, knowing that was what you wanted for us since the beginning of all creation – or, that is how I understand it! All I can do now is to thank You, because in all that’s going on in my life, you’re causing it all to work for good, and you’re pointing out here, that even in all I don’t understand, I’m never separated from your love…
…and, perhaps, this is enough!
I’m sorry about all of this. I’m pretty tired, and I have a lot on my plate, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for me to… I don’t know, bomb on what I have written here for us in this article. In all of this, I say, just as I have written as a collective response after reading and writing on Romans 1-7: I am humbled, and all I care to do now, is to pray.
I’m not sure there’s anything of value from this that I could translate into a message this coming Sunday, but I’ll probably go through it again, this time AFTER I go through all I’ve written from Romans 8, at least a couple of months ago.
It just feels good to know that even in all this, Christ guaranteed that (1) I have the Spirit with me and in me, working all things for good and (2) I am ALWAYS in the love of the Lord, just as His love is always alive in me, most possibly by way of the same Spirit alive in me.
Again, I’m humbled.
Thanks for reading to this point.. I feel I owe you for the minutes you spent reading all of it.
Whatever the case, I pray that you are blessed beyond measure. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us, comfort us, and to give us hope and patience.
Until the next post, God bless you.
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