Three Things. Romans 8.18-28

Mama always told me that things come in threes.   Yesterday, today, tomorrow … tic-tac-toe … Father, Son, Holy Spirit … in baseball—three strikes, three bases, three outfielders … as we look a little more closely at the middle of Romans chapter eight, we see Paul’s observation that in life, there are three things that groan.  Take a look at Paul’s thoughts:

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, 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 and brought into the freedom and glory 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.” 

(1) Creation groans.  Creation groans because, though it did not ask for it, when the first humans chose to rebel—chose to sin—and the sin condition entered the world, it did not just mean that men would physically die, but that all of creation would be corrupted as well. “Cursed is the ground because of you,” God said to Adam; while Adam sinned voluntarily, nature was involuntarily impacted.  Hmmm . . . But in creation’s groaning, there is a sense of hope.  Creation, as it were, is leaning forward, leaning inward, waiting for the day it will be perfected; and as in the pains of childbirth, it waits for precious delivery!

Paul continues,

“And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

(2) We believers groan.  Followers of Jesus look forward expectantly to the day when ‘faith will be made sight’—when we shall see God face to face, and all of life’s woes will be behind us.  Then, we shall no longer have to hope, because we will realize our full relationship as sons of the King. 

“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 through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

 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.”

(3) The Holy Spirit groans for us as he individually prays for us—going to the Father on our behalf!  Picture that for a moment, won’t you?                                                                   **The Holy Spirit is your public defender before a righteous God . . .

    **The Holy Spirit is your advocate when you would have a tough time on your own.

‘Reminds me of the Duke of Earl, my Long Beach bodyguard—I was officially named his ‘advocate’ in the VA system, meaning I could legally go before him to get things done; I could navigate a frustrating, red tape-laden bureaucracy, to accomplish what he was unable to manage for various reasons; and I was his advocate to explain his behavior when on occasion he did not act too nice.  And that brings to my mind something else--John wrote: “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.”*

In this life, three entities groan . . Creation, believers, and the Holy Spirit.  But one day, for Creation, for the believer, and together with the Holy Spirit, the groaning will be quieted in the presence of our Lord.  Amen!

Christine

podcast:

*1 John 2.1