Suffering And Hope

Suffering and Hope

Roman 8:16-27, 28-39

Believers will suffer in life but compared to the glorious riches in Christ Jesus there is no comparison at all.

Introduction

I don’t think I need to remind anyone this morning that life sometimes stinks. Bad things happen even to good people. Whether it is physical or emotional, injury, pain, grief, and sorrow will come to everyone at some point.

1. Add it up - 18

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

As I look out this morning I see the challenges and suffering you have endured. Life is hard. It shows. I honestly do not know how anyone could cope with the suffering in this world without knowing Jesus Christ and His promises for today and for the future.

Paul tells us to do something simple in the midst of suffering. The Greek word, "logizomai", refers to an actual numerical function. We get the word logic, logical, etc. from this Greek word. We are to consider, count, and logically compare our present sufferings with the rewards of heaven eternal bliss later.

How do you do this? On one side of the paper put your present problems, issues, sufferings and on the other side list the blessings you currently receive and the future blessings from the Lord. They are all listed in His word.

What are some of the future blessings? We receive everlasting life (but not like this life). Everlasting life will be filled with the perfect glory and majesty of God. We will be engulfed by His perfect love.

There will be no more pain, no more sorrow or grief, no mare disease, no more anything but perfect love. Don’t forget, you will receive that resurrection body that will not be crippled or lame. I’m ready, how about you?

2. Global Wearing - 19-22

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons 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 glorious freedom 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.

There is a big debate concerning global warming. Scientists are split on the issue and no one really seems to know what their talking about. I will definitely agree that we need to be the best stewards we can possibly be.

The scripture doesn’t call the current problem global warming but global wearing. Creation, all of God’s creation, has fallen. Our world is aging just like we age.

The sin of Adam and Eve caused several things to happen that were previously non existent. First, the snake would crawl on its belly and eat dust. The devil would one day be defeated, crushed. For Eve, child birth pain would be greatly increased. Adam’s punishment involved the earth itself.

Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

Creation is frustrated and it even groans for the day of redemption. There will come a day when there will be a new heaven and a new earth. On that day everything will be made new. World will be new and it will not be subject to the sin of man.

3. We Wear Down - 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. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

We who know the Lord have tasted the first fruits of our relationship with Him. We have experienced the forgiveness and love of the Lord. We have an everlasting personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We have received the Holy Spirit so that we can obey the Word and say no to sin. We have the fruit of the Spirit available to us in living our life.

We have also become hyper sensitive to sin in the world. Before, we were steeped in sin, a part of it, and powerless to do anything about it. Now, we can no longer tolerate it. It is now repulsive. Now we groan and become frustrated because of evil in the world. We long for the second coming of the Lord to once and for all time rid the world of evil. We long for the time when we will be with our Lord in heaven. We long for the benefits of being fully adopted with all of the blessings realized in us when our bodies will be made new, free of evil and corruption in the presence of the Lord forevermore.