As we delve deeper into the scriptural insights, we discuss the eager expectation embedded within creation itself, awaiting the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. The narrative challenges the listener to shift from a logic of fear and despair to a mindset of faith and hope. Listen as we unpack how faith defies logical explanations, reinterprets suffering, and anticipates the wondrous reality that lies ahead. Discover how believers are called to embrace a transformative groaning, an introspective yearning for adoption and ultimate freedom.
When you keep studying the gospel in detail and get into it over the years and years, you begin to realize something quite remarkable. And that is that everything that appears to be as it is, is the very opposite of what it is. That the gospel is a reverse order of what the world seems to be. I mean, that is just remarkable and is revealed so clearly. Well, I won’t say clearly, because it takes time for it to dawn. But Romans 8, for instance, what we’re looking about now, life in the kingdom of grace, life in the kingdom of Christ’s resurrection, life in the kingdom of the Spirit— This chapter, this particular passage we’re looking at now, really talks about this reverse order of things. I mean, let me give you this example. In Romans 8, verse 22 says, For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Well, we talked a bit about this yesterday, but I want to explain another thing about it. You see, if you look at creation, if you look at the world, if you look at the catastrophes, the tsunamis, the earthquakes, the hurricanes, the tornadoes, the floods, the famines, and all the rest of it, it seems that the world is dying. It seems that the world is in such a terrible chaos, and it is indeed. From one point of view, it appears to be dying, and from one point of view, it is in chaos. And mankind is in terrible jeopardy in relation to natural forces that seem to be beating man down. But then we look at the gospel, and we see this statement. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. And so all the chaos and the mess and the catastrophes and the tragedies, which are seemingly disastrous, are actually groanings of… like a woman in childbirth, about to give birth. I mean that is just astonishing, isn’t it? It means that God’s plan is nearer and nearer than ever to being worked out. When Jesus was asked, when shall these things be? And when shall be your coming and the end of the world? Jesus described things in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 and Mark 13, I think it is. And he said, all these are the beginnings of sorrows. But the word sorrows in the Greek is birth pangs. Isn’t that remarkable? Don’t you find that exhilarating, tremendously exciting, hopeful? The birth pangs of the world are taking place, and this means that something is going to come to birth, and what is it? The new earth, the kingdom of Christ, the second coming of Jesus. when all these things will be destroyed and a new kingdom will be set up. It’s just astonishing. I want to read this passage to you further so that you can get the full content of it. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us. There’s a reversal right there. The very opposite of what appears to be suffering is suffering, and it’s awful and terrible. But when it is compared with the glory that is to come, it just seems to fade away. For the earnest expectation of creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Now, what in the world is that all about? Well, we talked about it the other day. Creation is expecting something. There is something in the inanimate and animate world around us and in people themselves in the hearts and the anxieties and worries of people that if we could help them to understand it is not a state of anxiety, that it need not be a state of anxiety, it’s a state of expectation. a creation eagerly waiting. Waiting for what? For the revealing of the sons and daughters of God because God has to bring his glory into the world through his people. The glory not of perfection, let’s not get into perfectionism and legalism, but the glory of his mercy upon all sinners and so that they are full of joy and gratitude and thankfulness that they serve and turn to God. You see, creation is eagerly expecting something. Now, why is it? What’s the other reason for its eager expectation? Because it was subjected to futility. Who subjected it and when? At the fall of Adam, at the fall of the first parents, at the fall of the world. God put the world under a curse, and yet… In the gospel, the curse is a blessing because the creation is waiting for something far better to be revealed. The creation was subjected to futility, not of its own choice, not willingly, it says, but because of him who subjected it in hope, not in despair, not in judgment that ends in destruction, but in judgment that ends in hope. You see, everything is the opposite. If you are looking logically at your Christian life and the kingdom of God, stop it. You cannot look logically. The mind does not speak or think correctly in its logical terms about the kingdom. The life of faith is opposite from logic. It is opposite from all that we think is happening around us. because the creation in verse 21 itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. This is where Paul is speaking of the universal salvation of all mankind. The creation itself, all of it, will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The liberty will first be seen in God’s people who believe now, and then through the judgment, the final judgment, it will be revealed to all and in all the world because the world will want what the Christians or the believers have. That’s what Paul teaches very clearly in Romans chapter 11, verses 30 to 32. The creation also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. Now look, the world doesn’t see it that way. The world talks about global warming. The world talks about destruction. The world thinks that everything’s coming to an end. Some of the most popular movies are about the end of the world or the final catastrophe or Armageddon or something. Some incredible crisis that will be totally global. And I’m not denying that there will be global crises in the end, that’s clearly revealed in the book of Revelation, but they will be for the purpose of ultimately revealing the glory of God to the world and the salvation of all mankind. The creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. All around we see corruption. I was just looking at BBC Earth the other day online and realizing what a terrible cruelty there is in nature as one animal stalks another and rips it apart for food. Yes, it’s part of the natural world at the moment, but it will not always be. The lion shall dwell with the lamb. Creation will be delivered from this kind of bondage. And then verse 22, for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. You see, intuitively, the creation, either people or inanimate objects or animate objects, in some way sense or know that what they are going through, a seeming death, is not right. It’s not correct. It’s not the proper interpretation. because the proper interpretation is that we are groaning towards life, because God has intuitively placed in humanity this sense that there is a life to be, a life to come, and we get it all screwed up with our idolatry, of course, but the kingdom of God revealed through Jesus Christ shows us what it is. We know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now, and you may be part of it. Well, you are, because it says in verse 22, 23 rather, the next verse, not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves. Wow, look at that. We who have the firstfruits of the Spirit. You know, there are some perfectionistic Christians that believe that nobody should be groaning and struggling in pain and agony in this world, that if you’re a Christian, you should have faith, and all your sicknesses will be healed, and everybody will be cured, and all the rest of it, and the dead will be raised, and cancer will be eliminated, and what have you. It is so utterly false and wrong and the false teaching. Yes, God heals some people, but most He does not. The ones He heals, He wishes to be examples of what shall come, when all will be healed and there shall be no more pain. But in the meantime, we groan inwardly, even we who have the Holy Spirit. There are some people who think that if we groan inwardly, well, that’s because we don’t have the Spirit, or they don’t have the Spirit. No, no, no. We groan inwardly. But notice what the groaning is all about. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption. You see, our groaning is not as the world groans. It is not a groaning unto death. It is not a groaning that seems to suggest that the world is disintegrating and collapsing. It is a groaning that is waiting, that cannot wait. You know how people say, oh, I can’t wait for this or that to happen. That’s the groaning that we have. Praise God for the kind of groaning that Christians experience. And it is necessary as a result to reinterpret what we’re going through, isn’t it? Don’t let yourself groan in the depressed way of the world. Oh Lord, it’s painful. Oh Lord, this is hard going through, but I thank you that this is a groaning, waiting eagerly for my adoption. You see, we are already adopted, according to Paul in this same chapter, verse 18, rather verse 16 and 17. Let’s get this right, 15, 16, and 17. But that is an adoption by faith. Then the reality comes when Jesus returns and we are adopted fully into his family as children. What an amazing thing this is. Do you see then the reverse order of things? If you are thinking in the logic of your mind, you’re thinking wrongly. If you are thinking in the logic of faith, which is the opposite of the way the world thinks and your mind thinks, then you are thinking rightly. If you are seeing a disaster in front of you, then you say in faith, no, Lord, this is not a disaster. You are with me, and you are going to bring me through this, and I thank you for it. That’s the reverse order of things, isn’t it? That’s how things are by faith. That’s why faith seems so crazy, but it is so exhilarating. Well, thank you for joining me today. Colin Cook here, and this is How It Happens. This is a broadcast that is listener-supported radio. In other words, you, the dear listener, sends a donation maybe once in a while or once a month, just to keep the broadcast on the air. It’s now in its 27th year, and each broadcast costs $39 per 15 minutes. 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