Suffering and Glory

[Read Romans 8:18-25]

We have an interesting tendency as humans. It’s something I first began to think about in middle school. In middle school, I decided to try out track and field. However, my build and body type definitely limits my involvement in track. So, I threw things—discuss and shot put, to be exact—and I was pretty good at it. Yet, there was one guy that beat me every single track meet. I would throw my personal best, then he would throw his personal best. This happened every single track meet. Eventually, I became frustrated. As I expressed that frustration with my mom she gave me some advice to help me throw further. I needed to grunt when I threw. As a middle schooler, who was extremely self-conscious about everything, that was not an exciting option. But, I wanted to beat that guy so I grunted the next time I threw—just a little at first (trying not to embarrass myself too much)—and I threw a little further. So, I did it again, a little more the next throw, and I threw further again. Although, the other guys started grunting too, so I still didn’t beat him. 

Here’s the interesting thing. We have a tendency to grunt and groan when things get tough. So, when I was throwing a heavy ball of metal, I needed to grunt or groan to get the job done. When we lift something really heavy, we need to grunt and groan to get the job done. As we get older, and everything becomes difficult, we grunt and groan when we get up from a chair or just bend over—just because we need to get the job done. 

That translates over into life in general. I think we’ve all had one of those days—or weeks, or months—when the only way we were going to make it through is by groaning. We don’t even think about it, it just happens as the weight of life begins to pile up on us. Sometimes it comes out quietly—more like a big sigh. The weight of the day—or of life—builds up inside you to the point where the release valve breaks open and you heave a big sigh into the world. Some days, that happens over and over and over again. Then there are those days when the pressure becomes so much, and the weight so heavy, when the release valve opens, it’s not a sigh that comes out, but a long groan. 

Our passage this morning talks about that feeling. It says, “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly…” (Romans 8:23, ESV). And, although this passage talks about groaning inwardly, we all know that that inward groaning eventually makes its way outside of us through sighs and outward groaning. Life can be very difficult and heavy. There are points in this life when we will really suffer and groan. 

We’ve already talked about one of the reasons life is difficult and heavy—one of the reasons behind our groaning and suffering in this life. It’s our sinful nature. We have this sinful nature inside us that is leading us down a path of death and destruction, and, obviously, the path of death and destruction is a path of groaning and suffering. This may be a little crass, but I had a friend growing up who liked to say, “Make stupid choices, get stupid prizes.” The same is true with following our sinful nature down the path of death and destruction—it will only lead you down a path of suffering and groaning. 

Then, to make things worse, we are surrounded by other people who have this same sinful nature and many of them aren’t even fighting against it. They’re walking down the path of death and destruction and causing problems all along the way. This also causes suffering and groaning because our sinful actions not only hurt us, but they hurt everyone around us. The same is true of everyone else. So, the sinful actions of other people can also cause suffering and groaning in our lives—can cause the weight and burden of life to pile on our shoulders. 

We may think that as a Christian things will be better, right? A couple weeks ago we talked about how we have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us—enabling us to wage war with the sin inside us, allowing us to have peace and patience in the midst of adversity. That should make things better, right? The answer is Yes, of course, and No, not yet. One commentator pointed out that this passage could be translated a little differently: “We ourselves, BECAUSE WE have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly…” (Romans 8:23, ESV). Here’s what that means. Because we have the Holy Spirit in us, pointing us to Jesus Christ, we become painfully aware of how far we fall short of who we’ve been called to be. Right? The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the reality of our situation—and the reality of our situation is that our lives and our attitudes aren’t even close to looking like Jesus. So, what happens? We groan because we long to be more like Jesus, but realize we’re not there yet. 

Yet, in contrast to that, we also groan because we are children of God. There’s suffering that comes with being children of God. That was in our passage from a couple weeks ago. I waited to point it out until this message. It said, “…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.” (Romans 8:17, ESV). If children of God, we are heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him. There is a suffering that comes with being a child of God in the world. Here’s the tension. The Spirit is at work in you, convicting you of the sin in your life, pointing out how far you fall short of God’s glory. However, on the other hand, the Spirit is at work in you, empowering you to kill sin in your life, and changing your heart and your actions. So, now your life looks different from the rest of the world because you are a child of God and have committed to following him. And when your life looks different from the rest of the world, suffering and groaning comes. You will be mocked for it and persecuted for it and even worse at times. 

And because, as they say, misery loves company, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we’re not the only ones groaning and suffering. All of creation is groaning and suffering: “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.” (Romans 8:20–22, ESV). The whole creation has been groaning since Adam and Eve’s sin—since it was subjected to futility. And the groaning pains are so severe that we’re told that it’s like creation is in labor—groaning because of the pain and difficulty that is placed upon it. 

John Calvin talks about this pretty powerfully. He said, “Thus the condemnation of mankind is imprinted on the heavens, and on the earth, and on all creatures.” (305). That’s a pretty startling reality. The curse of sin has infected not only every human heart, but every aspect of creation. Right now, creation isn’t working the way God designed it to work. It’s groaning and suffering because it’s been infected by sin. 

On the one hand, I think we realize that, as we see tornadoes wiping out towns and earthquakes taking down buildings. We look at those things and say, “Yeah, creation is groaning under the weight of sin.” Yet, on the other hand, I’m one of those people who loves everything outdoors. I love the peacefulness and the order and the beauty of creation. Yet, this passage reminds us that creation is not fully what it was meant to be. This beautiful, awe-inspiring creation is groaning under the weight of sin and death. 

And that makes me long for the day when it will be fully redeemed. If creation is this beautiful and awe-inspiring now, how much more will it be when it is set free from the weight of sin and death—when it is no longer groaning in suffering, but singing in glory? And here’s the beautiful thing, creation is longing for that day as well. We read, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God…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.” (Romans 8:19–21, ESV). All of creation is eagerly waiting to be freed from its bondage and corruption. All of creation is eagerly waiting—on the edge of its seat—for the freedom and glory that will come to it because of the redemption through Jesus Christ. 

And here’s the beautiful contrast to all of this. Yes, every square inch of creation has been weighed down and groaning because of sin, but Abraham Kuyper reminds us that every square inch of creation has also been claimed by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ says, “Mine” over every square inch of this groaning creation, and promises redemption and restoration and freedom and glory. So, creation waits in hope for that day, eagerly longing to be set free and rest in glory. 

That same promise rests on those who are children of God—who have grabbed hold of Jesus by faith. Yes, we live our lives weighed down by sin and difficulty and persecution. Yes, we suffer and sigh and groan. But, when you’ve placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, he looks at your life and says, “Mine!” over every square inch of your life—promising to bring restoration and redemption and freedom and glory to every square inch of your life. Those things don’t happen immediately—often they happen slower than we’d like—so, like the rest of creation, we wait in hope, with an eager longing to be set free and rest in glory. That’s why we read, “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.” (Romans 8:23, ESV). Yes, we are already adopted children of God, but we long for the day when we will experience it in all its fullness and  glory. Yes, we’ve been redeemed by Jesus Christ, but we long for the day when we will experience that redemption in all its fullness and glory. It’s not here now, but it’s coming because our faithful Savior has promised it. So, we wait in hope. 

And that changes everything. We read this powerful passage, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18, ESV). This is a powerful passage, but one we need to understand rightly. People are often afraid to use this verse—or quote this verse—because they don’t want to seem like they are downplaying someone’s suffering. Yet, this passage isn’t downplaying the suffering at all. This passage isn’t trying to ignore the difficulty of this life—the suffering and groaning of this life. That’s real and it’s hard. But, here’s the powerful thing. The glory that is on the horizon—the freedom and glory and redemption of Jesus Christ—is that much greater. It’s so great that it makes the extremely difficult aspects of this life, look like nothing. So, we’re called to look beyond our present struggles and difficulties—our present suffering and groaning—to see the glory on the horizon. It’s there. Jesus has promised it. So, we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and the glory he has promised for us, and we keep pressing on in the midst of suffering and groaning. 

This past week I read about Ernest Shackleton’s attempt to recruit men for his journey to the South Pole. Here’s the ad he placed in the newspaper: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in event of success.” Sign me up, right!?! He was looking for 26 people. Guess how many applications he received? I don’t remember the exact number, but it was close to 5,000 applicants. Why? Why would so many people sign up for such an unappealing task? Why would people endure a hazardous journey, low wages, bitter cold, complete darkness, with little chance of survival? Glory. That’s why. They are willing to endure all of that for the possible glory at the end. That’s what they kept their eyes on throughout the journey and the misery. They kept their eyes on a possible glory at the end. 

Yet, it’s different for us. Our glory isn’t just possible—it’s promised. So, how can we make it through those days and weeks and months of difficulty? We keep our eyes on the glory that has been promised to us. How do we keep going in the midst of hazards and low wages and cold and darkness, wondering if we’ll ever make it through? We keep our eyes on the glory that has been promised to us by Jesus Christ—a glory that makes all the difficulties of this life seem like nothing. We keep our eyes on that glory, and eagerly wait for it in hope. 

Yet, don’t forget that our hope is different from the hope of the world. The world’s hope is only a possibility. They hope because they are uncertain. Yet, for Christians—for God’s children—our hope rests firmly in our trustworthy God. Our hope is not some possibility. Our hope is firmly and securely rooted in the promises of God. So, when we eagerly wait in hope of a future glory, we are waiting in confident assurance of that future glory because we have a confident assurance in our God. That’s what faith is, remember: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV).

And I want to encourage you in this. There will be days when it will be very difficult to see that future glory with the eyes of our faith. There will be days when we are so burdened by our own sin and failures, days when we are so burdened by the suffering in this world, days when we are tired of being persecuted for being a child of God, that we cannot even bring ourselves to look beyond our current situation to the glory that is coming. We just can’t bring ourselves to see it. In those moments, I encourage you to stop trying to look forward, and look backward. Look back to the life and death of Jesus Christ. Remember that he lived every second of every moment of every day so that you could be brought from groaning into glory. Remember that he endured suffering and beating and mocking and hung on that cross so that you could be brought from groaning into glory. He accomplished that work for you in the past, you can be absolutely certain he will accomplish that work for you in the future. He will bring you through the suffering of this life, into a glory that is beyond our comprehension. So we keep moving forward, as we wait for that glory with a confident hope in our faithful Savior.