The world groans
Romans 8:18-23 - “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”

You can feel the tension in his writing – the sufferings of this present time…anxious longing…waiting eagerly…futility…set free from slavery…creation groans…pains of childbirth…adoption…redemption, etc. You can feel the suffering and you can feel the longing for rescue, the pleas to be adopted, redeemed – the desire of a hostage to be set free by the Great Liberator.

I can feel the tension in this present world. The stress of work, money issues, raising children, health concerns are always there but today, we get this sense that the entire world is simply….groaning. Radicals chant in the street “Death to America” and try to blow up planes on Christmas day, Hollywood has lost its freaking mind, the global economy still shudders from last year’s financial earthquake, our culture is obsessed with not offending anyone at the expense of not standing for anything, the Tiger Woods’ debacle – you just feel the whole world is about to come apart. It is.

The entire creation is in bondage to sin and has been for the whole of history. No place on earth escapes this. One day, creation will be set free – no more depression, heartaches, tumors – but for now and until Christ returns, the world will remain in this bondage.

And the thing about it is -- it is fair. John Piper says of this, “God judicially sentenced the world to this suffering for man’s sin. Adam & Eve did it their way – they shook their fist at God and said, 'We’re going to eat what we want to eat and you can just get out of here with all your rules.' We do the same thing only we are more subtle, more sophisticated. This world seethes with rebellion in nice clean suburban form.”

That’s a good description – the world seethes with rebellion. I surround myself with every comfort I can muster. I’ll get the flat panel TV’s, iPod’s, nice cars, nice clothes and I’ll watch what I want to watch on TV and bunker down in entertainment. I’ll save for retirement and sock away money for later years because…I deserve it. We live in the rampant pursuit of “more” out of a sense of deserving it and it is rebellion against God. The stronger I pursue this, the deeper in bondage I sink. I’m guilty of this. Are you?

So it not an overreaction on God’s part for the world to stay this way until Jesus returns. We experience pain and suffering and bondage because that is just how serious sin is.

But there are great promises in this passage as well. After all of this, we will see the end. Glory will be revealed in us. Why do we desire great things? Why are we captivated by canyons, mountains, skyscrapers and huge stadiums, The Lord of the Rings, Gladiator and Braveheart? Why do we aspire to greatness? That drive to great things is glory and it is in us because we are made in the image of God. That inner greatness will be revealed in each of us one day. Glory will come and we will be like bright shining lights. We’re going to be revealed. We will be titans.

We are here in hope. When life feels futile, remember, we are here in hope. Christ became a curse for us and our death and suffering in this life is no longer God punishing us. God has no wrath for me – He is just purifying me. Preparing me. These pains I feel aren’t pains of death – they are birth pains. Those that believe will be born into a new body, new life and new pleasures. Death has no sting. We have nothing to fear.

There is a saying, “He is so heavenly minded, he is no earthly good.” I’m not so sure about that. Given this truth, given this redemption, adoption and transformation…given the glory about to be revealed in each of us shining brighter than the sun….if we really believe this, how can we not be heavenly minded? If we really believe we’ve been bought, we’ve been redeemed, we’ve been adopted into His family and that one day, we’re going to be glorious and healed….how can we NOT be passionate about spreading His gospel?

So as you start this New Year may you do so with a new passion for the lost and a new gratitude for the salvation that is yours only by the Grace of God, the Great Liberator who came to set the hostages free. Freedom! (Thanks to John Piper for much of the material for this note)

Soar!