“Romans 8:18-39”

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.’

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Eternal victory and glory await the Christian who remains faithful to Jesus until the day He returns to reclaim His own. When we obey the command to be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, we become the heirs of our heavenly Father and we receive “the first fruits of the Spirit” (verse 23; Acts 2:38), and all the spiritual blessings that go along with His presence in our lives. In this way, the Holy Spirit is the “earnest” (Ephesians 1:14) or the “guarantee” of the certainty of the future “redemption of our body” (verse 23). God’s gift of grace and the belief that He will be true to His promises fills our hearts and minds with hope of a glorious eternity (verses 20, 24, 25). But even so, until the day of our ultimate redemption, our life on earth in a body of flesh is fraught with temptations and “sufferings” (verse 18).

Because of the effects that sin has had on the world and in our lives personally, we frequently “groan within ourselves” as we eagerly await our body’s adoption and redemption (verse 23). Crime and violence and wickedness have run amok all around us, and pains and fears and frustrations and temptation plague us from within. Even the created universe is said to experience these same “groanings” of frustration (verse 22), since even it has been greatly affected by the first sin and the curse that accompanied mankind’s fall from God’s grace (Genesis 3:17-19). God’s creation is said to be suffering the intense “pains of childbirth together until now” (verse 22). This is reminiscent of the consequences of Eve’s sin upon all of womankind that we read about in Genesis 3:16. From the time of the first sin in the Garden, even “until now” all of God’s creation has been greatly touched and affected by sin and its consequences.

But we learn from today’s passages that God has not left us alone to flounder in our “wretched” condition. He has amply equipped us to cope with the troubles and trials of life as we eagerly wait to be immortally arrayed. Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit has been given to us to help us with our weaknesses, our inadequacies and our groanings. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed, we don’t even know how to pray or what to pray for. But the Holy Spirit can take our heart’s deepest feelings and yearnings and express them in ways to the Father that He can fully comprehend, even when our groanings are “too deep for words” (verse 26).

Arguably the most comforting and encouraging verses in all the Bible begin with this sentence from the Apostle Paul: “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (verse 28). Since God is for us, no one and no thing can possibly prevail against us (verse 31). God will give us the grace to withstand any and all of the tests and trials that this fallen world may throw at us, and if we remain true to Him to the very end, we are guaranteed to claim the ultimate victory.

In fact, we are “overwhelmingly” conquerors through Him who loved us (verse 37). The love that God has for His adopted children knows no bounds. If He loved us so much that He wouldn’t consider withholding the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son for our sins, surely He will not refuse us any good thing that He has at His disposal (verse 32). Nothing, but NOTHING can separate us from God’s love and His immeasurable gifts and uncountable blessings (verse 39). But please understand that God’s spiritual and eternal graces and gifts and love are expressed to those who are “in Christ Jesus our Lord” (verse 39).

If you haven’t been baptized into Christ Jesus, please don’t wait another moment. Far too much is at stake to fail to come to God in humble, obedient faith.

Please read Romans 9:1-13 for tomorrow.

Hope you all have a godly day!

- Louie Taylor

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