Title: Happy Forever!
Text: Romans 8:18-31
Subject: How do we face the (Chaotic) future with hope?
Complement: by focussing on God’s promises – and our standing in Christ.
Big idea: We are more than conquerors through Christ.
Introduction/attention…
This first week of 2025 lost its joy and optimism very quickly when someone drove a truck into a crowd in New Orleans killing 15 people and injuring many more.
… 2025 is off to a not so great start… so much for "happy new year" instead its more of the same - more grief - more loss - more tragedy - more groans
Read text here… Romans 8:18ff
transition - introduce chapter 8 by referring to verses 1ff - "there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ..."
I. The foundation of our faith and our future - We are “in Christ Jesus…” – and therefore free of guilt/shame: Romans 8:1ff
• “set you free from sin & death…
• The law could not
• But God did in Jesus (3-4)
• “the mind controlled by the Spirit if life and peace.”
• Children of God..
• Led by the indwelling Spirit!
II. We Live In A World Of Suffering & Groaning: Romans 8:18-27
“present sufferings result from a “bondage to decay”
Suffering is a reminder that the world is not right – and not as God intended it. (this includes people…systems of govt and economics…the environment…philosophy and even misguided theology)… which produce war…corruption…greed…poverty…disease… broken families.
“religion” offers a solution – but falls into legalism, guilt and fear.
Science offers many solutions to our problems – health care (anesthetics!) … but has come to overstep its place in the world and has come too often to dismiss faith and creator. – read – atheistic evolution …
Triple groanings – creation groans(22)…we ourselves groan (23)…Holy Spirit groans.(26,27)
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for **the children of God to be revealed.** 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 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. 27 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.
What is creation waiting for? (What is God waiting for?)
“the sons of God to be revealed” = God’s family to be formed and gathered in.
this means, The delay of his coming is an expression of his mercy toward the lost.
Meanwhile - We already have the firstfruits – that is, the Holy Spirit abiding within!
Which means - we have a downpayment now of what we will have in fulness at his coming.
Think of the fruit of the Spirit…
• Love
• Joy
• Peace
the Holy Spirit is growing this fruit in us.
Start with that… do you realize that’s what everyone wants – and yet find so elusive!
As a believer – the Spirit abides – and grows these character traits in us!
**Somebody shout halleujah!!!
III. God Works Through It All - And In Spite Of It All: Rom 8:28-30.
28 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.29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
God works!! – for our good!
We are called!
** we will be conformed to Christ-likeness
We join God’s family (of many)
We are also justified!
We are also “glorified”! (note the present tense)
Conformed = The Greek word here is morpha, from which we get the word metamorphosis.
Paul is saying that God promises to "metamorphosize" us.
He promises to change our very inner essence into the very inner essence of Jesus Christ.
Think of a butterfly – from caterpillar to beautiful butterfly!
…although bad things happen to us, God works them for our good. God redeems the tragedies.
This verse does not promise that those who love God will have better circumstances.
Nor does this verse say that bad things are actually good things.
Rather, it means God will work them to good effect in your life.
(How you ask?)
**Adversity has been proven to shape our character more effectively than blessings/prosperity
There's a little word between verses 28 and 29 that indicates the verses go together. The little word is “for”.
"All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose, for those he foreknew he predestined to be conformed into the likeness of his Son."
God does not promise you better life circumstances - He promises you a better life.
• Grad school and marriage are circumstances.
**We're talking about a joy that goes beyond circumstances.
Romans 8:30 is this: "And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." "Glorified" is in the past tense!!!
In Romans 8:30, Paul calls Christ the firstborn among many brothers. …That means we are all sons or daughters of God. We are all adopted into the family.
IV. In This Broken World Of Groaning And Grief – We Are More Than Conquerors: Romans 8:31-39
31 What, then, shall we say in response 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, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.34 Who then is the one who condemns?
No one.
Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered 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 convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• God is for us!!!
• God gave us his son, Jesus to save us from our sins!!!
That’s the biggest “for us” ever!
• God justifies us – we don’t have to “justify ourselves”
• Who can condemn God’s children? – no one
• The crucified and risen Jesus – sits as our intercessor -- *Namely, by his death and resurrection
How sure is this? -- Can all of this fall apart – it is a flimsy faith that we have???
• No!!! – nothing can come between us and our God.
• Nothing – no tragedy… no suffering… no disappointment.
• People of God - You are Safe and secure in Christ
“in all things – we are more than conquerors”!!! (37)
• How can you be “more than a conqueror?”
o Dynasty !
o Not just an occasional win – an undefeated dynasty!
“In Christ” - is used 85 times in Paul’s letters
= united in Christ… joined to him … he is joined to us.
God is … “on the throne”
• God’s kingdom reigns over all other kingdoms
• Psalm __________?
o Sovereign
o Eternal
o Justice and righteousness
o See revelation 22…
V. Application: We can face the future with courage/confidence – in a world of chaos and anxiety (at all time levels)
a. Hope in the face of chaos and uncertainty
b. Think like a conqueror
c. Stand on his word
d. Renew your mind with this truth
e. God is for you – God loves you – God came to redeem you and give you a new way of living… a new way of thinking… a new way of acting….new ambitions… new dreams…to serve him… to live for him – not self
