#3 HCBC 9-16-07 AM
Present Suffering Produces Future Glory
Romans 8:18-25
We have all come to the worship service today with difficulties!
Each of us has a different set of circumstances that includes great joy as well as suffering!
Our lives are a mixture of pleasure and pain!
And pain comes in a variety of ways.
Some of us daily experience the suffering that comes with the aging process!
Many of us deal with the suffering of chronic disease!
Most of us have felt the suffering that comes with the death of loved ones!
All of us have known some form of the tribulation of suffering!
Last week we said that because Spirit-led people are sons of God, the Spirit lives in us.
And the Spirit testifies with our spirit
that we are God’s children
that we are heirs with Christ
So: we share in Christ’s sufferings AND we share in Christ’s glory!
We now come to the next passage (8:18 – 25) where Paul looks at our present sufferings and our future glory and compares and contrasts the two.
Paul’s purpose in writing these verses is to explain and illustrate:
The power of the gospel in sustaining the soul in trials!
The highway to glory is paved with suffering!
In Rom 5:1-5 Paul talks about one of the results of salvations being joy!
We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God –
the confident expectation of seeing and experiencing God’s glory!
We rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces:
perseverance, character and hope!
So, in Rom 8:18-25 Paul talks about our present suffering and our future glory!
The Passage:
18 No comparison between present suffering and future glory.
19-21 Creation awaits this revealing of glory in us.
Creation was curse at the Fall.
Creation will be liberated from the Fall.
22-23 Creation groans as it waits.
We groan as we wait.
24-25 Salvation includes the certain hope of glory.
Our hope is in what is unseen.
The Point:
Our present suffering cannot be compared with our future glory!
What is the suffering?
A. Suffering in the Fall: For all mankind.
Gen 3:17-19
The very creation, because of the sin of man, has been subjected to the curse,
and has become “vain” or useless in regard to the original design of it.
All of creation is interested in the future glory of the sons of God,
and is anxiously waiting for it!
Since the Fall, we experience suffering in a physical way.
As a result of the sin of our first ancestors, we all get to experience the
hardship of physical suffering!
But we know, from the teaching of Scripture, that God has a purpose in our
suffering!
What purpose(s) does God have for you and me in this suffering?
2 Corinthians 12:1-10
1. God uses suffering to reveal our spiritual condition. (5-6)
Jas 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds,
Mk 7:21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil
thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
2. God uses suffering to humble us. (7)
1 Pet 5:1-5 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a
witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the
glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under
your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but
because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for
money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to
you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief
Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
3. God uses suffering to draw us to himself. (8)
Jas 4:1-10
Ps 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey
your word.
Ps 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn
your decrees.
Ps 119:92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have
perished in my affliction.
4. God uses suffering to display his grace. (9)
Rom 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
5. God uses suffering to strengthen us. (10)
Rom 5:1-5
God uses suffering for our good and His glory.
Rom 8:28-29
Gen 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to
accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
B. Suffering in the Flesh: For Christians growing in Christ.
Rom 5:1-5 Suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope!
Rom 6:1-2 Shall we go on sinning? By no means!!
Rom 7:14-25 Struggling to good brings suffering!
Rom 8:12-13 Mortifying the flesh involves suffering.
C. Suffering in the Follower: For Christians Living for Christ.
Mt 10:21-22 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child;
children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end
will be saved.
Jn 15:18-20 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If
you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do
not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is
why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No
servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will
persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours
also.
Acts 14:21-22 They preached the good news in that city and won a large
number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,
22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to
the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.
Php 1:27-29 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the
gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about
you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit,
contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being
frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them
that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God.
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe
on him, but also to suffer for him,
1 Pet 4:12-16
The one who does not believe that present suffering produces future glory:
…lives for the moment because the future is chaos.
…rejects pain or discomfort because there is no purpose in it.
…frets about relationships and worries about success.
…has goals that focus on comfort and wealth.
…sees world events as random and without purpose.
…has a desire for heaven after death, but has no assurance that he will get there.
The one who does believe that present suffering produces future glory:
…has the sense that his life is leading somewhere and that God is in control.
…makes decisions today knowing that God will give him perfect things in His time.
…is less likely to pursue immediate please over future benefits.
…knows that God will bring good out of painful events for the sake of the kingdom.
…trusts that God will provide all his needs.
…sees world events as leading to a final redemption by Christ.
…has confidence that his eternal life is secure in Christ.