Paul told the disciples at Rome they were headed for glory through the resurrection of their bodies. But that’s not all he had to say on the subject. There was something else that was headed for the same glory—creation! Let’s look at his words in Romans 8:18-25.
Creation and humanity have the same origin and destiny. God created the world and man. He created the earth and then made man from the dust of it (Genesis 2:7). Then He placed man in the garden to work the earth (v. 15). So from the beginning, man has had a special relationship with the earth.
When sin entered the world, both humanity and the earth were put under a redemptive curse (Genesis 3). Since we’ve been paired with the earth from the very beginning, it makes sense that in making all things new—the restoration of earth and the bodies that come from earth are inextricably linked together.
In v. 19 Paul begins to talk about creation (which features the earth but shouldn’t be limited to it). He personifies creation and speaks of how it “waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed” (v. 19). Why? Because their destinies are intertwined.
We are all waiting for the freedom and glory of the resurrection. Creation was “subjected to frustration” (v. 20), as humanity was, “in hope” (v. 21) that it “will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (v. 21). They are moving on parallel tracks and those tracks lead to freedom and glory!
He then speaks of how “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth”—just as those “who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly” for the “redemption of our bodies” (v. 23).
God is making all things new. It started with Jesus and His resurrection. It continues through all those who become a new creation through being born again of water and Spirit. It is moving toward a third act when creation and humanity will be liberated into freedom and glory.
This is the context for understanding v. 18. When Paul says, “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” He is not minimizing or trivializing the sufferings experienced by anyone at any time—he’s making a comparison. If suffering is diluted in any way, then so is the glory he is speaking about. Therefore, a proper reading of the text requires us to take an unblinking look at suffering so we can understand that as horrific as suffering has been, it doesn’t begin to compare with the glory that is coming—that is saying something!
The deepest groanings will be lost in the greatest of glory. I’m glad God said these words through someone who had experienced suffering. You remember that God had told Ananias, “I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name” (Acts 9:19). And Paul did suffer (2 Corinthians 11:22-27)! There were undoubtedly some who were hearing these words who in a few years, would suffer under Nero. Paul wanted them and us to know that our deepest groanings will be lost in the greatest of glory. It is a glory that all creation is moving toward.
This gives us the greatest of hope. I don’t think it’s difficult to see that hope is a something we are greatly in need of. Most people hope as far as they can see. That works great on mountain tops and sunny days. When some weather moves in or we’re down in the valley, not so much. We need a hope that shines in the darkest of nights—that warms our hearts, lifts our spirits, and lights our way. This is how the church survived Nero, Domitian, and how it survives today.
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 