Hope in Turbulent Times
Romans 8:18-27New International Version (NIV)Present Suffering and Future Glory18 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[a] 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 heartsknows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
1) Introduction
Christian hope for the glory of God is founded on God's gracious love, & leads to exultation
The vicissitudes of life
-Shakespeare's Hamlet (slings & arrows of outrageous fortune)
-Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach (the turbid's ebb & flow of human misery)
Will we make it?
Romans 8:1-11
Freedom from a Torah hijacked by sin
Through Christ's death & the Spirit work
Romans 8:12-17
Spirit & sonship
In the Old testament- The "Son of God" represent Israel
Moses said to pharaoh "let my son go"
Receiving the spirit means sonship & liberation (exodus)
Romans 8:18-27
New Exodus & the 3 groanings
Scope & divine participation in relation to our hope
Illustration of our Christian life is like we are currently on the Mountain of sonship & heading towards the Mountain of glory (this is our hope). But in between is the Valley of groaning.
2) Affirmation of Sonship (Romans 8:15-17)
a) the spirit bears intimate witness (testifying to our spirits) about our intimate sonship (crying abba father)
"Abba" father & Aramaic word, is a word use for children to parents. It's an intimate term.
This inward spirit in us that we can call God, "abba"
b) Sonship means being heirs, joint-heirs with Christ
Sonship= heirs, joint-heirs with Christ!
C) Sonship doesn't mean no sufferings. Rather, sonship means the transformation of suffering in & through Christ. As we have been grafted into the life & work of the messiah (Romans 6), so should our lives take on this messianic shape, I.e suffering will be part of our vocation.
"...Transformation of suffering into something redemptive"
- Life takes on a Christ-shaped
3)Agony of the cosmos (Romans 8:18-22)
Cosmic futility & frustration
-Part of God's purpose: to bind up the welfare of the cosmos with his children
-Cosmic expectation waiting for the freedom of the glory of the hidden of God= "revelation of the sons of God"
Why revelation & not redemption?
- Not just about our being saved
- but unveiling of our true status in Christ, our having reached the fullest potential= revelation of glory!
E.g parable of the mustard seed. Starts small, but life has been planted, can't see fully at the start, but it will grow.
The spectacular that we will see one day has started in us. Salvation starts now , but the full glory will be fully revealed one day!
"Eternity begins now!"
Hence, eager anticipation (craning of its neck to see of the cosmos)
Cosmic groan
- not fruitless agony
- but that which is likened to childbirth
- great pain but great expectation ahead
4) Agony of the children of God
(Romans 8:23-25)
- We are saved in hope (biblical salvation always has a future tense)
- But presently weak, yet to experience fully what God has in store for us
- first fruits of the spirit, sharpening the sense of yearning
- redemption of our bodies
We are designed by God to be embodied person
Weakness - paul said "we do not know what to pray for? "
Stalemate: creation looks to us but we are weak
Prayer and the advancement of God's Kingdom: "Thy kingdom come!"
In prayer we agree with God. Our heartbeats according to His heart, the Father can act, we can only desire.
The kingdom comes through prayer!
What are we to start a prayer? When we do not know what exactly is the will of our father?
5) Agony of the Holy Spirit
(Romans 8:26-27)
Into this stalemate enters the spirit
- Spirit helps us in our weakness by interceding for you
- This is done through unutterable groaning
- does not refer to glossolalia (speaking in tongues) but deep travail
- but deep groanings, without language = great depth of pathos
- spirit identifications with our pains
There is Perfect Communication between the Father and the Spirit, and hence our Redemption is assured
6)Assurance & Activity
- Our future glory is assured
God knows our heart!
The profound importance of prayer
- indication of our task : ending the circle of suffering , through prayer and intercession
-We tend to pass on suffering (As it moulds us), we suffered it & thus unknowingly carries on to others.
-This is where it must be stop, "commit it to the Lord", trusting the spirit to help us!
- Don't let bad people shape us, it will only magnify the bad
The spirit comes along us to help us no matter how many times we fail.
"The redemption of the entire creation is connected with our revelation and ministry "
HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION, YE SAINTS OF THE LORD
One of the Q & A...
How do we response to suffering?
...We tend to response to many cliche answers...In our quest for answers especially in times of great suffering, we tend to ask many questions. However it is through the journey we realise that we will come back one full circle that we have the answer all along. As we walk with them through the journey, just listen to their heart. Primary role is just being with them.
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