Conclusion (15/15)

Finally, I have reached the conclusion of this ridiculously drawn out Bible study. I do hope that you were challenged by some of the things that we've studied, I know I have been.  Keep persevering through the trials in your lives; there is One who will redeem everything soon than we know.

 I will leave you with a quote from C.S. Lewis, who has written a great many wonderful and insightful things about heaven,

If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.

With much love,

Becca

Practical Application (14/15)

In light of all of this studying our passage of Romans 8:18-25, how should our lives be different? What are some lessons that can be learned and applied?

1)We do not suffer without hope. Christians know that trials will come. We should expect them. However, we do not mourn with the hopelessness of a nonbeliever. Our hope is in Christ. We can be an astounding testimony to those around us through Christ-centered sorrow. Remembering that our lives are not our own but are to be used to honor Christ can help in the ever-present battle to focus on our own misery.

2)Look forward to glorification! We should be making plans for the next life, not trying to make this one perfect. There is a quote that states, "The journey is more important than the destination".  My wise pastor Bob Johnson always said, "It is the destination that gives meaning to the journey." Without the hope of eternity, this life would be meaningless. How thrilling that we have a hope! So let's talk about it! Let's spread the word! Tell your friends!

3) Hope patiently with endurance. Just because you are waiting for something does not mean you cease all activity. As believers, we should be active in our wait.  Ask yourself, "What can I do now to better prepare myself for when he comes?" Be like the bridesmaids who had oil in their lamps! Be actively seeking God now. Pursue ministry! Be faithful to the time that he has laid aside for you here on earth.

What it means to me! (13/15)

Romans 8:18-25 gives me a lot of hope.

You see, I was born with one hand. Congenital defect. Growing up, there were many things that were difficult to do, or took a long time for me to learn how to do: tying my shoes, braiding hair, riding a bike, etc.

While my family never teased me because of it, and I was in a very caring environment, there was always the thought in my head that I was different. I couldn't be like other kids if I had tried.

Children with disabilities often swing to one of two extremes: the I have a disability so I cannot do much and am a victim or the You think I can't do something but I will prove you wrong. I swung towards the latter. It gave me a lot of independence, but also a lot of pride: Pride that my disability was not holding me down. Pride that I could excel despite my deficiencies.

Coming to Moody has helped me have a balanced view of myself and my disability. Yes, it is good that I have been able to overcome a lot of challenges that I have faced. No, I cannot do everything, and that is okay. Yes, I still need help. No, God is not finished with me yet. I am still waiting for "the redemption of our bodies".

I used to try and convince myself that I would not want to have two hands; that I was already whole. However, that is like boy with a broken leg saying, "No, my leg is just fine. This pain is normal. I do not need to have it set, thank you." It is absolutely ludicrous!

I have realized that there is something so much better waiting for me, that this life is not my ultimate reality. When we accept our present reality as good enough, when we make our home in this world, we cheapen the anticipation of the glory to come.  Like someone who is en route to the Bahamas trying to stay in the airport lobby, we have a better future awaiting us. We have Jesus Christ awaiting us! And he is so much better than two hands.

What it meant for the Roman church. (12/15)

What did Romans 8:18-25 mean to the Roman church?  Paul was not naive enough to think that the church did not have troubles. He knew very well that they were going through much persecution, and were not even allowed in Rome at some points. They were Christians who were fed to lions for entertainment, esteemed as naught.

Even amidst the strife of these trials, Paul spoke hope. There was a place where they would not fear for their lives anymore. There was a Father who would welcome his children home. Paul encouraged the Roman believers to look forward to that day.

Verses 24-25 (11/15)

24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

In what hope were we saved? In the hope of adoption! In the hope of redemption! In the hope that these trials that we go through presently will be replaced by something so SO SO much better.

 Have we seen what this hope will look like yet? Nope! That is why Paul says that it is not something seen. I cannot hope that my name is Rebecca Langer. I know that it is. I can hope that one day I will change my name when I marry a man. That is something possible to hope for.

How should I hope? Patiently. The Greek word here ὑπομονή could also be translated steadfastness, constancy, or endurance.

I am currently training for my first marathon. The most that I have ever run has been 13.1 Miles, and in October I will attempt to run 26.2 miles. It astounds me what the human body can do when you just decide to do something and don't stop. On the long runs, however, when I become accustomed to running and my breath evens, I am surprised at my own need to simply be patient. The miles will take care of themselves if I just endure and put one foot in front of the other. It definitely is not easy, but in one sense, all you need is the steadfastness to say, "I will be there soon. I am not there yet. I just need to keep going".

In our Christian journey, we need to walk in the Spirit and just keep going. The power that we are sustained by is not our's but the Lord's. Stay steadfast during the trials and the marathons of our lives. Be patient; it will be worth it. When we cross the finish line, there will be a lot more waiting for us than a gold medal.

Verses 22-23 (10/15)

 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.


Continuing the thought from the last section, Paul personifies "creation" as a woman in labor. I have never been in labor, but I am sure that if I were, I would want it to be over very soon. I would be excited to see my child, but I would be wishing the time would come soon and that my pain be over. The earth awaits the Lord's coming, and so should we.

 Paul acknowledges that humans understand that there is something better waiting for us. We have tasted the grace of God. We have seen answered prayer, and the awesome power of the body of Christ working together. When worshiping, we can feel the presence of God. All these are mere foretastes of the Spirit.

I can't help to but bring to mind Joni Eareckson Tada who lost the use of all four of her limbs at the age of 18 due to a freak accident. All of the hopes and dreams she had were dashed as she watched her independence sink and her problems increase. She was depressed and suicidal at times because she could not fathom why the Lord would put her in this position. Over time, she accepted His will, and began to paint with her teeth and speak on behalf of disability ministries. The Lord has done so much through Joni, and created beauty where the world would have only seen pain.  However, Joni still looks forward to the redemption of her body. No matter how much good the Lord has done through her, she still yearns for the time when she can run and jump again.  We all like Joni have much to be redeemed.

Verses 18-21 (9/15)

Let's take a closer look at some of the passage:

"18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 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." 

Paul did not think that the sufferings of his present time were much compared to the future glory in store from him. What were these sufferings? He gives a short account of a few of them in II Corinthians 11:

24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Plus, let's not forget the "thorn in the flesh" that he suffered from for years. If anyone had claim to suffer it was Paul, but I understood better than most the hope that lies in the revealing of our glorification. Verse 19 shows that we already are sons of God, but that our true nature has yet to be revealed. It is an "already but not yet" reality. The earth did not want to be cursed by God, but it was only because man chose to disobey that it was now corrupted. The weeds, earthquakes, tsunamis, and bloodshed that are a part of the world that we live in are not something that will continue forever. They are only here until man is physically redeemed. Man came from the dust (Genesis 2:7) and the dust of the Earth is tied to him.  The Lord will renew the whole Earth when he gives humans our new bodies.

First fruits Word Study (8/15)

ἀπαρχή

The word above means "firstfruits", a word not popular in modern American culture. In Jewish culture, it was a word that meant the first or the best of something.  Strongs defines aparche as, " a beginning of sacrifice, that is, the (Jewish) first fruit (figuratively): - first-fruits."*

Thayer's Definition is...

1. to offer firstlings or firstfruits
2. to take away the firstfruits of the productions of the earth which was offered to God. The first portion of the dough, from which sacred loaves were to be prepared. Hence term used of persons consecrated to God for all time.
3. persons superior in excellence to others of the same class

Romans 8:23  probably uses the second definition, "And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."

In the Mosaic covenant, the Jewish people would offer the first of their crops to the Lord and the best of their flocks.  The firstfruits were the beginning of great things to come. They were a sign of thanksgiving to the One who gives all good things. Christ is referred to as the firstfruit of those who are sleeping (I Cor. 15:20) since he is the first of many who will be resurrected from the dead. 

In our verse, the "firstfruits of the Spirit" means that we have already begun to experience the effects of the Spirit in our lives. We have been united with Christ, and it changes how we live. However, the work of the Spirit is not done: it has only begun working. We cannot now imagine how great we will become when the Spirit is finished with our sanctification. We have experienced a small taste of the glory to come. Be excited!!

*"Old & New Testament Greek." StudyLight.org. Studylight.org, n.d. Web. 16 July 2013. <http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/gwview.cgi?n=536>.

Creation Word Study (7/15)

κτίσις

In Romans 8:18-25, ktisis, the word translated "creation" is used 4 times. It is in verses 19, 20, 21, and 22. In 23, it is referred to, but not in the inherent text.

By the Strong's definition, it is defined as, "original formation (properly the act; by implication the thing, literally or figuratively): - building, creation, creature, ordinance." The Thayer's Lexicon defines ktisis as, "the act of founding, establishing, building; the act of creating, creation."*

The word is used nineteen times in the New Testament, and seven of those times are in Romans. That's more than one third. Four of those times in Romans are in our passage! 

The two other times that Paul uses ktisis in Romans are in Romans 1:20, referring to when the world was created "since the creation of the world", and in Romans 1:25, where Paul is talking about the idolatry of some on the church, "For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator". The latter example is explaining that they could be worshiping anything that God created, but not Him.

Paul uses the word more than any other New Testament writer. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, he writes,

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away behold, new things have come." This follows quite nicely with our text, but emphasizes that the change to the creation is has already happened. It is not looking forward to the future (like our text emphasizes) but as believers, we ARE new creations. In addition, this verse refers to believers as creation, where Romans 8 primarily refers to the created things besides humans when it uses ktisis. 

Galatians 6:15 also uses the Greek word:

"For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation."

This use of ktisis is in the context of an argument about what are the necessary components to being saved. Paul believed that the sign of circumcision was not necessary for salvation. 

So, what does this all mean? Is it all Greek to you? How does this help our study?

In a nutshell, God created everything, but in the Romans 8, the word creation is a personification of everything in the world that God created besides humans: rocks, plants, soil, birds, lions, you name it. It all yearns for the King to return to His Kingdom. And if the rest of his kingdom is eagerly awaiting His return, then should not we?

*"Old & New Testament Greek." StudyLight.org. Studylight.org, n.d. Web. 16 July 2013. <http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/gwview.cgi?n=2937>.

The Central Message (6/15)

The central message of Romans 8:18-25 is this:

The sufferings in this life are paltry compared to the glory we will have as adopted children of God, so we wait patiently for the physical manifestation of the spiritual reality.

We all have hard times and difficult situations that we go through as humans, but as believers,  we have an incredible hope in Christ. We are not orphaned and rejected anymore... we are children that will be soon coming home! We have a Father who will kiss our wounds and wipe our tears...
It might seem far away, but compared to eternity, our trials are a drop in an ocean.

Be patient...

....this is not the end.

Paul's Teaching on Sanctification in Romans 8:18-25 (5/15)

One of the main topics that Paul addresses in the letter of Romans is sanctification (it means the process by which a person is made holy).  In our passage that we are studying of Romans 8:18-25, Paul talks about what happens at the end of sanctification, that is, glorification.  The fact that we are still yearning for a future deliverance shows how we have sanctification left to go. Paul recognizes that in this world we have a long way to go before we are perfected in Christ, because "we wait for eager longing" (18) for our glorification.

We have the "firstfruits" of the Spirit who is the one who works in us for our sanctification. Sanctification is shown to be a process. We are already sanctified in one sense that it will ultimately be completed and is seen as completed positionally in God's eyes, but we also are not without sin and are still being transformed into the image of Christ.

We are "groaning together in the pangs of childbirth" (22) because we look forward to what we will be, but the process of getting there is not always pretty. The Holy Spirit is the divine person who enables us to get through the labor.  The process of sanctification can be painful like childbirth, as the Spirit uncovers areas of sin that we did not even know existed. Collective sanctification through the body of Christ can also be a frustrating blessing as we work together  in love to keep each other accountable to Christ in our daily lives. Confronting a sister or brother in sin is never an easy task, but it is one of the tools the Holy Spirit uses to work in believers' lives.

Though the body of Christ is not perfect now, it is getting closer and closer and will one day be presented as a spotless bride before her King. How we await the day!

Flow of the Passage (4/15)

Dear Fellow Sojourners of the Faith,

One of the best ways to analyze a passage is to see how the phrases and sentences interact with one another. In our study of Romans 8:18-25, it would be beneficial to see how Paul develops his thought in his letter. I will go through our passage verse-by-verse and then proceed to talk about what is grammatically going on in each one.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

From the beginning of the sentence, Paul is trying to support an statement that he made previously in Romans 8:16-17 where he says, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." He is explaining that even though the trials the church is going through are difficult, the promise of Sonship makes everything worth it.

19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

Paul strengthens his argument by giving more grounds for his claim: all of creation is just chomping at the bit to see the revelation of what we will be like. This is how big God's plan is. God has such a grand plan for His people that everything He created (not just humans) is anxious for it to come. 

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 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.

Why does creation wait for the revealing of the sons of God? All other areas of creation have been cursed when man was judged to be sinful.  Paul is giving grounds for his previous points and giving a reason for the anticipation. Every area of creation: animals, land forms, weather, plants, etc. is now a twisted form of itself east of Eden. When humans are fully glorified, all of creation will follow. Creation will be free to be what it was intended to be.

 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Paul calls forth his audience's previous knowledge to aid his argument as he explains how the whole earth is obviously not as it should be. He uses imagery of a woman in childbirth to describe how the Earth is now in the hard part of it's life, but that there is something much better coming. Jesus himself used this imagery to describe his second coming in John 16:21. It is certainly language that the church would have been familiar with.

23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Paul uses a progression of thought to explain that believers also are in need of full redemption as we wait for the full effects of our sanctification to take place.  He clarifies what he means by adoption by  mentioning the renewing of our bodies.

24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 

Paul supports his argument for our adoption by stating that this "hope" of adoption is into what we were saved. It was to be relationally rejoined with the Father through Christ and to come fully into the role as His children. He proceeds to clarify what he means by "hope" even more by explaining that hope cannot be     obviously seen by the eyes or by concrete events. He asks a rhetorical question to drive his point home that if something was seen, that it would not have been something hoped for.

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

He finishes his this section of the letter by giving instructions on how to hope: with patience. He is contrasting the ones who do not hope well with advice on how to hope correctly.

Overall, this section of Paul's letter flows quite smoothly from one verse to the next. Paul unfolds his argument for what adoption looks like in the Spirit and why believers should be anticipating glorification. 

In Christ,
Becca

Outline of Romans 8:18-25 (3/15)

In the broader spectrum of Romans 8 (which is all about assurance of the eternal like in the Spirit), our passage is fleshing our what it means to have the Spirit of glory (Moo 29*).

The passage is filled with the word gar which is translated "for" in English. I have divided the passage by the uses of the word, because I think that it lends to the furthering of the points in Paul's argument.

1.  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.19
2.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 
3. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 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. 
4. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 
5. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope.
6.  For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

The first verse makes the statement that this present time of suffering will not be much in relation to the glory in the future. The second verse shows that creation waits for our glorification as well. Numbers three and four shed light on the hope of glorification that we have, and the last two numbers talk about how we can wait for this hope.

In the next blog post, I will go through the text and show how the sentence structure can help us get meaning from the passage.

















*Moo, Douglas J. Romans. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000. Print. The NIV Application Commentary.

What's the Context of all this? (2/15)

The book of Romans was a letter written by the apostle Paul to the church in Rome in the middle of the first century A.D. The emperor Nero was a harsh dictator who despised Christians. He had the Christians evicted from Rome a couple years before the letter was written, and they had since been able to come back to Rome. However, during this time, the church had become led by Gentiles, and the Jews and Gentiles were having significant struggle figuring out what it looked like to work together as one body. Most of the church was probably slaves and lower class. They seem to have gone through many trials in their walk of faith. Colin Kruse's commentary on Romans Paul's Letter to the Romans talks about their living conditions, "a small number lived in the better parts, especially those who were slaves in well-to-do households. Those in the poorer parts lived in insulae, flimsy, overcrowded, apartment blocks often of wooden construction and therefore terrible firetraps" (3). They certainly were not living the high life.

Though the purpose of Romans is debated, Paul was probably writing to encourage the Roman believers in the true meaning of the Gospel and to sort out some problems that the church had been having. Paul was planning on visiting Rome soon, so he was writing to get prayer support for his trip and to let them know that he had not forgotten about them.

In the letter to the Romans, Paul talks a lot about salvation, and what it means to the believer to be united with Christ. In chapter 8 specifically, he talks about the believer's new life in the Spirit, and what that should look like fleshed out.  "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death" (v2). Believers are inherently different than the non-believing human. We are adopted into the family of God (v14) and are sons and daughters of the King.  That means that Christ's future is also our future. Gives you hope for tomorrow, right?

Introduction (1/15)

Life is absolutely chalk-full of times that want to make us rip our hair out. There are times that make us weep with the sorrow of broken dreams and unrealized potential:

 Cancer

 bankruptcy

 death 

rent relationships

murder

divorce

There is the unspoken agreement through all creation that 

this was not the way it was supposed to be... 

 But what hope is there? 

What is the future for the people of God, and for the whole earth? 

When everything around us looks desolate and bleak, what do we tell ourselves?

Romans 8: 18-25 speaks to these questions: 

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."  (ESV)

I intend to spend the next fourteen posts to try and shed some light on what this passage was trying to tell the Roman church in the first century and what it has to do with 21st century Christians today.

Join me as I delve into the hope that the Lord has promised each and every one of  His children!