Book of Romans
Lesson # 19
By Rev. James May
Romans Chapter 8:18 – 28
Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
This was the verse that we ended with last time, but it seems appropriate that we should begin here for this next portion of our study.
If there’s one thing that every Born Again Christian, indeed, every soul of man, should know, is that this world is not our final destination. At the end of the age all that is around us, everything of this world will be utterly destroyed in God’s holy fire to purge the power of sin and death once and for all. The only things that will exist in eternity are the souls of men, either in Heaven or Hell. We are choosing our destination now – so we must choose every move we make wisely.
No matter what kind of lifestyle you might have here, poor or rich, or in-between; and no matter what your plans and ambitions are; and no matter how much you may have to suffer in conditions of your health, or in persecutions for the cause of Christ, or anything else – it will all count for nothing compared to the things that God has prepared for those who love him.
People of this world who serve self, and serve Satan, will lose everything, and gain not one thing of any value in return. All will be lost.
People who serve the Lord will lose everything of this earth, including those things which may be useful for the work of the ministry – but what we will gain in return upon our arrival in Heaven will be so much greater that there is no comparison.
Just one moment in the presence of Jesus; just one look into those eyes of mercy, grace and pure love, and all of the things of past will fade forever into nothingness. Heaven will surely be worth it all. So no matter what you’re facing, never allow it to discourage you or draw you off focus of serving Jesus. Nothing of this world is worth missing Heaven!
One of the few things of this world that can follow you to Heaven are the souls of your children and family, but they too must make that choice to be Born Again. You can’t drag them with you; but you can certainly pray and believe God to bring them in.
The other things that will follow you are the works of Righteousness that you do under the direction of the Holy Ghost. Those will be used in determining your reward to some degree; but not your salvation. What rewards will be given will be at the discretion of God alone and will be based on faithfulness and obedience; not on the actual accomplishment that you might think, because all we are called to do is to plant and water the seeds of the gospel. It is God alone that brings the increase.
Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Some theologians teach that the word “creature” in this verse refers to the entire universe; all of God’s creation because the whole of creation has suffered because of the sin of man. It’s as though creation itself is waiting for the deliverance from the power of death. However, we must keep in mind that this creation will destroyed, so it is doubtful that this could be the true reference meant.
Others think that perhaps the “creature” refers to angels who are obliged to minister to mankind, even sinful men at times, and so they groan to be rid of that burden to have to minister in the midst of death, darkness and sin; and to be rid of their ongoing struggles with the powers of hell in doing their work for the Lord toward mankind. (Think of Gabriel’s struggle with the Prince of Persian in answering Daniel’s prayer. And think of the angels that accompanied Jesus as he went to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. And then of the angels that encamped around you every day and are witnesses to the dumb things we do sometimes.)
Yet angels are created beings with but one purpose, and that is to be ministering spirits for God. I find it hard to imagine that any angel would regret serving the Lord, no matter what his assigned task may be. Just as it is for you and I, there may some things that we do for the Lord that are more enjoyable than others, but anything we do for God brings joy, and we serve because we love God and because we count it a privilege to be a part of God’s work in the earth. So I doubt that this is the creature that Paul is referring to.
Others say that this is the Gentile Christians only, and does not include the Jews for the simple reason that the Jews often called Gentiles “creatures” in their religious and historical records. This is one theory that I would definitely discredit simply because it’s rooted in the writings of man and not the Word of God.
In reality, the “Creature” that is waiting in great anxious expectation can only be referring to one thing – the Born Again saints of God who are making themselves ready for the coming of the Lord and watching for that day to arrive with great anticipation of the wonderful things to come.
When the soul of man is Born Again and they become Christians for the first time, there is a manifestation of the presence of God within our hearts that we had never known before. It is exciting and wonderful. It gives us joy, peace and happiness; and witnesses to us of our relationship with Christ.
And even when we are filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, what a wonderful manifestation of the Spirit of God that is within the life of a Christian. Yet even that great experience is but a drop in the bucket of what God truly has in store for this people. We have those things as an “earnest”, or a “spiritual down payment” on the full promises of God that are yet to be manifested in our hearts and lives.
And so, we wait, God’s Born Again “creatures”, a part of God’s creation, and the only part of Creation that is truly anxiously awaiting the coming of the Lord and the full manifestation of what he has in store for us. We wait with great anticipation of what it will be like to become fully what God intends us to be, which is a son or daughter of God our Father. We are all counted as children, “sons of God” with a lower case “s”; not as a Son of God with equality with Jesus in power, might and glory; but as an equal heir with the Son of God as adopted sons of God to enjoy the wonders of God’s Kingdom forever.
Romans 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
This creature that I am, and that I was, and all of us are the same, was designed to live forever, but because of the sin of man, we were without God, had no knowledge of Jesus, and were under the influence of our own empty minds, vain conceits of our own false greatness without God and we were filled with vanity
Men thought much more highly of themselves than we should have, and those who are lost without God still do. Their earthly wisdom is foolishness in God’s eyes. Their idolatry is offensive and sinful to the Holy God of Heaven. Their own lusts and sins are what governs their every thought and action.
Most men don’t want to admit that this is their condition outside of Christ, but it is anyway. And sadly, many Christians still struggle with a lot of the same things while they are learning to be more like Jesus. It’s not something I wanted, or you wanted; but like it or not that’s the attitude we had and we had no power to deliver ourselves from those powerful chains of bondage in sin.
Though we all were willing as sinners to be a part of that scene, there’s not one of us who ever chose, or desired, to be under the control of the devil. But we were made slaves to him anyway. He led us captive and worked his will through us because we were no longer children of God, but slaves to sin. God had to allow all of this to happen because the only hope man would have would be found in Jesus, and man would never know his deep depravity and true spiritual condition if Satan were not allowed to bring man under bondage. God’s great hope in allowing this was that all men would turn back to him and accept his offer of salvation through the blood of Jesus.
Sin, revealed through the Law, showed us the need; and the way back to God through Jesus!
Romans 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
So here we see the true meaning of who the “creature” is. The creature, the Born Again saints of God, shall be delivered, and have been delivered from the bondage of sin. We have already been transformed and given liberty in Christ. But how much more shall be experience that liberty when we fully come into our place as the children of God!
Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
It is true that all of creation groans and travails in pain, waiting for the coming of the Lord. The earth groans with great storms and natural calamities, with earthquakes and other things that show us that the time is drawing near. They grow more intense and frequent all the time.
The signs in the heavens and in the earth are everywhere. And the hearts of men are proving out the prophetic Word of God. All of creation is in pain, waiting for that great day to come when it will all be over for good. Mankind riots in the streets, fight and devour one another – ever killing in hatred, envy and jealousy, while we wait for the coming of the Lord! Sinful men know that there is something coming, but they don’t know what it is and are unwilling to hear the truth.
Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Not just the sinner, and the fallen creation, but even the Christian, who is the firstfruits, or the cream of the crop among men, are waiting and groaning for his coming as well. We groan in pain for the sin that is around us. We groan in prayer as we intercede on behalf of a suffering and dying world. We groan and pray for that day to come when we will finally be able to lay every burden down and no longer will have to be in midst of sin and shame on every side.
Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
We who have received the firstfruits, who were lost and dying in sin are saved by Christ with a spiritual and everlasting salvation. It is our hope of salvation that makes us wait for the Lord’s coming. We receive it by faith and that gives us a living hope that it will soon come to pass.
We don’t see all that God, or all that God has for his people. It’s impossible to see into the spiritual realms that much. We can only catch a glimpse once in a while.
If we already had all that God has in store for us, what reason would we have to hope for, or expect more? Hope ceases being hope which the actual truth and facts are presented. Hope always signifies that there could be, should be, perhaps will be more than we could ever imagine, but for certain, there is more than what we have already. Why hope for what you already have?
Hope is always based on something bigger, better, greater, stronger, …etc.
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
This is how God build’s character, faithfulness, commitment and dedication into the hearts of his people. We do not know all of what God has in store for us, but we do know a little. And that little which we do know is what keeps us going, waiting patiently for the remainder of the promises of God to come.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
This is one of the greatest verses in the Bible, in my opinion, to explain what the work of the Holy Ghost within you is meant to do for you. The Spirit of God in you helps you in your weakness – weaknesses which can be in any area of your life.
Perhaps you have a hard time understanding some things about God and his word. The Holy Spirit in you will help you to learn and understand.
Perhaps you don’t know how to pray, or what to pray. The Holy Ghost within you will take up your slack and pray on your behalf. That’s what praying in tongues is all about. When you pray in tongues, you are allowing the Holy Ghost to pray for you in ways that you can’t express. He is your intercessor, as you intercede for others. Often this praying in tongues comes as nothing more than a low extending groan, for we desire to send a prayer to God, but don’t know how, so the Spirit prays for us and God hears and answers. The Holy Spirit, bringing me to a place where I am groaning in prayer before God, will speak to the Father in Heaven in a manner that could never do. His groaning that we can’t understand, is the language that moves the heart of God.
Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Who is this “he that searcheth the hearts”? He is the Holy Ghost and he dwells in you before baptism in the Holy Ghost, and in an ever great fashion after you are filled with the Spirit. He knows your mind! He knows your heart’s desires! He knows everything about you, better than we do ourselves. And the best thing about it is that the Holy Ghost praying in you, on your behalf, will always be praying according to the perfect will of God. He is ever praying in interceding prayer on your behalf and mine. He is always seeking for God’s
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Whose purpose will be fulfilled in us, if it is to all be for our good? It’s the purposes of God our Father, as has been prayed for by the Holy Ghost within us, to fulfill both the will of God in us, and then bring forth the joy of the Lord through us as well.
There is a temporal, or terrestrial good, and a spiritual good, and an eternal good.
Temporal, or terrestrial good is what the men of the world are seeking after, and generally have the greatest share of, and the saints the least. But the saints of God will always have what is truly needed to sustain life and meet the needs of the body. Whatever the Child of God has, they have with a blessing from God.
Even afflictions, troubles, trials and tests will work for the temporal good of God's children. Things that are spiritually good are the product of the exercising of the grace of God within us, and our being conformed into the image of Christ. This is what the world wants no part of, but it’s what we, the saints of God, want more than anything this world can offer.
Since God has ordained that all things in the life of a saint of God will work out to his good in the end, we can even rejoice when the things around us surely don’t seem like they are to our good very much. We put our trust in God and in his Word, knowing that the Word cannot fail. Somehow it will all be for our good when the course is run!
We have many witnesses that this is the fact, and that God never fails. Think of the troubles of Job; the trials and conversion of Jacob; the imprisonment, slavery and final elevation of Joseph and many others who faced terrible trials like Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego; and a night in the lion’s den like Daniel! How many more could we name? Just read the list of the faithful in the Book of Hebrews and see that thought they faced some very trying circumstances, and in some cases even torture and death, they still won the victory and went to be with Jesus. All things did work out for their good, for the good of the kingdom of God, and will do the same for us if we are walking in obedience and faithfulness to Christ.
This scripture doesn’t promise a life of ease; a life of prosperity or a life without trouble. It doesn’t say that if you have problems, then you aren’t a saint of God. It doesn’t say that if you suffer for the cause of Christ. Anything, and everything that comes into your life, will serve a purpose in the plan of God. Sometimes it’s a blessing that comes through obedience and sometimes it may be a trial that comes as a test of faith, or a spiritual discipline. Either way it will be for your good in the end as long as you continue to love the Lord in spite of whether it feels, or seems good or bad in the moment; and as long as you remain faithful to do the will of God in your life to the best of your ability, and continue to trust in the Lord for the good to be there in the end.
It often takes a lot of faith and patience to wait for the “good” to come out of your circumstances, but hang on, the good will be seen in time. God cannot fail. In the end – YOU WIN!
