17 and if children, then aheirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, bif indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
From Suffering to Glory
18 For I consider that athe sufferings of this present time are not worthy tobecompared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For athe earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For athe creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of1 corruption into the glorious aliberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation agroans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
23 Not only that, but we also who have athe firstfruits of the Spirit, beven we ourselves groan cwithin ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the dredemption of our body.
24 For we were saved in this hope, but ahope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For awe do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but bthe Spirit Himself makes intercession1 for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now aHe who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints baccording to thewillof God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those awho are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom aHe foreknew, bHe also predestined ctobe conformed to the image of His Son, dthat He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also acalled; whom He called, these He also bjustified; and whom He justified, these He also cglorified.
God’s Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? aIf God is for us, who canbe against us?
32aHe who did not spare His own Son, but bdelivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? aItis God who justifies.
34aWho is he who condemns? Itis Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, bwho is even at the right hand of God, cwho also makes intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: a“For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37aYet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor aprincipalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God's entire creation suffers in grievous bondage what Paul calls the bondage of corruption subjection to decay, devastation, disease, destruction, and degradation because of mankind's sin. The earth and all its creatures wait expectantly for the time when God's sinless children will take over the rule of this world and deliver creation from the curse of sin. Like a human birth, the worst ecological devastation occurs just before and at the delivery of new life, explaining the earth's groaning and laboring as the end nears. God pronounced this curse in hope of the revealing of the sons of God. He designed Adam's curse hard toil, struggle, and eventual death to enhance man's chance to enter His Family after Adam and Eve chose rebellion.
Romans 8:19-22
The apostle says here that God pronounced the curse on the creation "in hope" of "the revealing of the sons of God," which would release it "from the bondage of corruption." God designed the curse on Adam to enhance man's chance to enter His Family! God would rather have done it another way—through His guidance in the Garden of Eden—but since Adam and Eve chose rebellion, He designed Adam's curse to reach the same end by a different means: hard toil, struggle, and eventual death!
God's whole creation is enslaved in grievous bondage! This slavery, called by Paul "the bondage of corruption," is subjection to decay, devastation, disease, destruction, and degradation because of sin—mankind's sin. The earth and all its creatures are expectantly waiting for the time when God's sinless children will take over the rule of this world and deliver creation from the curse of sin! And like a human birth, the worst pains—in this case, the worst ecological devastation—will occur just before and at the delivery of the new life. This explains the earth's groaning and laboring as the end nears.
Notice how he lays the foundation by turning our attention to our hope. He reminds us that God purposefully made life subject to futility. Futility is a frustrating quality that wears away at one's confidence. It can produce a sense of hopelessness that leads us to think that nothing will work out. Sometimes our pilgrimage seems so long and arduous that we take our eyes from our Savior, and hopelessness builds. However, Paul reminds us that God does everything in love and wisdom and for our good. Futility is an obstacle that we must overcome through faith in God. Yet, He has willed that futility be present, intending that we use it as a prod to use our faith in cooperation with Him despite its presence.
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God's entire creation suffers in grievous bondage what Paul calls the bondage of corruption subjection to decay, devastation, disease, destruction, and degradation because of mankind's sin. The earth and all its creatures wait expectantly for the time when God's sinless children will take over the rule of this world and deliver creation from the curse of sin. Like a human birth, the worst ecological devastation occurs just before and at the delivery of new life, explaining the earth's groaning and laboring as the end nears. God pronounced this curse in hope of the revealing of the sons of God. He designed Adam's curse hard toil, struggle, and eventual death to enhance man's chance to enter His Family after Adam and Eve chose rebellion.