Three Groans
Romans 8:18-27
A MINISTER WAS CALLED TO THE BEDSIDE OF A DYING MAN. When he arrived at the house, the man’s wife said, “I’m sorry, but you’re too late. He lapsed into unconsciousness and I don’t think he will come around again.” The minister said, “Well, if you don’t mind, I would like to pray beside him.” As the family gathered around the bed, he prayed and to the astonishment of all, the dying man said quite clearly, “Amen.” Then he groaned three times and died.
Three groans! Let me use that scrap of pastoral experience as a mere device for launching into a consideration of the three groans found in Romans 8.
In verse 22 , the whole creation groaned
In verse 23, we ourselves groan within
In verse 26, the Spirit makes intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered.
1. The Groan of Creation
Look at verse 22 again: We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Paul is simply saying that nature groans in the hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage of decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
In Genesis, chapter 3, sin brought about 4 curses: Satan, Adam and Eve, and the earth itself.
Someone has pointed out that all the sounds of nature are in the “minor key.”
❏ Listen to the sighing of the wind
❏ Listen to the roaring of the tide
❏ Even many birds are in the minor key
❏ Listen to the lonely wolf howl in the night air
All nature is singing, but it is a song of bondage. Yet, it sings in hope—looking forward to the day, Paul says, when it shall step into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Is there any doubt as to nature’s groaning?
❏ earthquakes
❏ hurricanes
❏ tornadoes
❏ floods
❏ tidal waves
❏ volcanic erruptions
❏ famine
Our Lord Jesus told us that these things would intensify as His Second Coming draws near. The groaning will become louder and louder.
Human nature is groaning as well. The media is shouting it to us—hatred, prejudice, war, murder, rape, abortion, terrorism and the like are on the rise.
If one has an ear to hear, one can listen to the groaning of the unsaved. Lost and without hope, fearful—don’t know where to turn in times of trouble.
Everything that lives is subject to disease—animals, birds, fish, flowers, trees. Everything living is tainted to some degree. That’s why some folks find it so hard to believe in the love of God. It isn’t easy to connect the diseases and warrings of animals with human sin. And yet we know that because of the Fall, this earth is under a curse from God.
Genesis 3:17: To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it, cursed is the ground because of you, through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.’”
Genesis 4:11: Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
In this Romans passage, Paul sees the entire natural order, cursed because of man’s sin, groaning in birth pangs for the final deliverance which shall come when Christ is revealed. His vision in verses 19-22 is of the “new heavens and the new earth” promised by Isaiah in chapter 66.
2. The Groan of God’s Children
Look at verse 23: Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
When you stop to think about it, our whole life consists of a series of groans. Think about it.
❏ when we get up
❏ when we’re sick
❏ when that unexpected bill comes
❏ when we get a failing grade
❏ when our car breaks down
❏ when our daughter decides to get married
❏ when the sermon is long
❏ when the detist says, “You have a cavity.”
We groan spiritually because of the ravages that sin makes in our lives and in the lives of those we love.
We groan because we see gifted people who are wasting their lives.
We groan for that friend or relative that is unsaved and continues to resist the Lord.
We groan for the believer who is backslidden, whose fellowship with God is broken.
In John 11, it is recorded that Jesus, as He approached the tomb of His dear friend Lazarus, “groaned in His spirit” because of what sin had done to the family of Lazarus. He groaned even though He knew that He would soon raise Lazarus from the dead.
Other groans of the Savior
❏ When He healed the deaf and dumb man (Mark 7)
❏ When He fed the 4,000 (Mark 8) because of their ignorance and lack of faith.
❏ When He approached the city of Jerusalem
❏ In Gethsemane
❏ At Calvary
And we groan in our spirits as well—we groan in disappointment, in bereavement, in sorrow.
But Paul is quick to remind us that we groan in hope because we know that it is only temporary.
We also have the first fruits of the Spirit. He is able to give joy in the midst of turmoil–a calm, restful, peaceful heart is but a foretaste of glory.
2 Cor 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
3. The Groan of the Spirit
Vs.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 with groans that words cannot express.
Did you catch it? This verse says that there is a groan in the heart of God! Whenever you are discouraged, go and look at the cross. See Jesus there, dying to redeem you. That is the God we are dealing with. He is yearning over us all the time—longing, loving, bleeding for us.
There is One who knows all about us and yet still cares for us. And when we don’t know how to pray, He, the Holy Spirit, prays for us. He expresses our feelings for us.
We have two divine intercessors:
❏ Jesus at the right hand of God
❏ The Holy Spirit within us
Let’s face it, there are times when we just don’t know how to pray:
❏ when a dying friend or relative lingers near death
❏ when we’re burdened over the salvation of a loved one
❏ when we’re seeking the Lord’s will in a given situation
❏ when we’re called upon to pray in public
Psalm 139:4: Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
CONCLUSION
Paul wants us to understand that these groanings of nature, of the believer, of the Spirit are one day going to cease. This is what keeps us going—the hope of the resurrection and the deliverance that will accompany it.
God’s last word is not a groan but a shout of victory!
Rev 22:1-7;17
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
