SESSION 2 Well, I want to take you to a passage in the New Testament that is a treatise on suffering. And not just the experience of suffering, but how God meets us in our suffering. It's Romans 8. And I want to read for you verses 18 through 25 of Romans 8. That's the wrong passage up there. There you go. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:18–25 is in the Bible because God loves us, and he does not want us to live with unrealistic expectations. For the rest of the day, we're going to talk about God's grace. In Romans 18:25, we have his preparing grace, preparing grace. God wants us to be prepared for the life that he has chosen for us between the already of our conversion and the not yet of our home going. And if you notice the beginning of the passage, Paul assumes the universality of suffering. Let me say that again. He assumes the universality of suffering. If you're not suffering now, you will someday. And if you're not suffering now, you're near someone who is. Suffering is a universal human experience. Now, that's very, very important. That means your suffering is not an indication that God is punishing you for your sin. Suffering is not God's punishment of you because the gospel says that Jesus on the cross took every aspect of your punishment. You stand before your Lord debt-free. And so suffering is not his punishment. Suffering is not God lacking power. Suffering is not God ignoring you. Suffering is universal because of the world that we live in. God has chosen between the already of your conversion, the not yet of your home going to keep you in a world that is dramatically broken, dysfunctional. In case you haven't realized it, this world doesn't now function the way God originally intended. Let me say that again. This world no longer functions the way God originally intended. And you have some provocative descriptions of the world that we live in in this passage. It says it's been subjected to futility. Think about that. There is no futility in the garden. We face futility all the time. You've said to yourself, what difference does it make? I do and I do and I do and I still get this stuff. You've been frustrated. Of course, you have. Why isn't marriage endlessly beautiful? You look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about. Why does that person that I married whose voice I used to hear and my heart would lift, why does that person now have a deep abiding ability to irritate me? Why do I have to get sick? Why do I face painful experiences? It's because of your address. It says this world is groaning as if in pains of childbirth, that acute pain. There are moments when it's not just frustrating. There are acute moments of pain where you cry out, where you weep. And the reason we groan is because the world itself is groaning. Do you know what this passage says? It's not just us waiting for redemption. The created world is waiting for redemption because it's breaking under its bondage. Right now creation is crying out for release, that the creator would finally enter in and finally create a new heavens and a new earth. Creation groans for release. The creation that is your present address. Another phrase, in bondage to corruption. I actually think a better translation there is bondage to decay. That's what it's talking about. You know the shocking reality of life is right now, that everything that is alive is in
Transcript: Session 2
GOSPEL HOPE
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