Therefore Part Five - Hope in Suffering

This is bad news for you if you were somehow thinking or have been told that if you become a Christian, you’re life is all of the sudden going to be perfect.

That’s not true … throughout the Bible it is abundantly clear that we will suffer as God’s people.

But Paul here is talking about something more that the suffering that fallen people experience in a fallen world.

There would be no reason for him to say what he’s saying here if he was just talking about regular suffering in the world.

And he wouldn’t need to say suffering “with” Christ.

So what’s going on here?

Paul is saying that when we come to be God’s children “in Christ” we will now have a new suffering.—a suffering that did not experience before we were “in Christ”

Paul uses two illustrations here to show this:

Creation Subjected to “futility” (Romans 8:19-21) READ

Romans 8:19–21 ESV

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 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.

Our “regular” suffering takes on new meaning.

Like the creation, we are “subjected” to suffering — and this happens “not willingly”

As God’s adopted Children, we are going to be subjected unwillingly to suffering

But just like creation, it is done so “in hope” — there’s a purpose.

Pains of Childbirth (Romans 8:22) READ

Romans 8:22 ESV

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Here is a different kind of situation—the pain of childbirth is taken on willingly

and I think that is in large part the kind of suffering that Paul is talking about here.

This is suffering taken on, first of all, as we battle the “flesh” — as we battle our selfish autonomy and self-sufficiency we will suffer

Phil. 3:7-10 READ

Philippians 3:7–10 ESV

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Matt 10:38 — take up your cross and die!

Matthew 10:38 ESV

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

It is also suffering we take on for the sake of others.

We suffer “with Christ” — we share in Christ’s sufferings

Jesus showed us this kind of suffering — it is suffering taken on with the direct purpose of helping another.

This is where the analogy of childbirth is clearest — a woman subjects herself to immense pain for the sake of another.

And now as God’s new children, we willingly suffer so that other’s can know Jesus, know his glory.\

Colossians 1:24 ESV

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

So how do we actually get here? Willingly suffering for others?

New Perspective

Very often what we call “suffering” is relative. I was in the ER one time suffering from a pretty serious wound (thinking I was hurting pretty bad), then I looked over and I see a guy who was critically injured and on the edge of life. All of the sudden my “suffering” didn’t seem so bad.

The perspective we have on suffering is crucial. Think about it.

If we have some idea of how our lives should go and it doesn’t happen. We can suffer.

If we compare ourselves to others we can suffer

If we don’t see any purpose, meaning or hope in our suffering—it makes it that much worse.

Paul says that God’s children have another perspective on suffering:

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Paul makes a comparison here. He compares what he calls “light and momentary affliction” in 2 Cor. 4:17 with the “glory that is to be revealed”

Objection: Light and momentary affliction? My struggles and pain are far from “light and momentary”

But if you know about Paul, you’ll see what he’s getting at.

Paul’s sufferings/afflictions:

2 Corinthians 4:8-12

2 Cor. 6:4-5

2 Corinthians 11:23-28

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 ESV

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Paul is saying that these “light and momentary afflictions” cannot even come close to being compared with the glory promised to us in Christ.

It’s like a penny next to millions of dollars

Paul uses the word “consider” = BADG “to determine by mathematical process, reckon, calculate”

Paul is saying that he has changed his perspective by weighing all the suffering that this world can offer against the “glory that is to be revealed in us”

He says it’s not even worth being compared — Ill. a middle school kid playing basket ball vs. Labron James — no comparison. Why would you even make it?

So we are able to suffer with Christ with a new perspective but we also have a new hope.

New Hope

Romans 8:23-25

Romans 8:23–25 ESV

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. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Notice Paul says that we “groan inwardly” = literally describes an internal squeezing and denotes a feeling of sorrow which is internal; to express grief by inarticulate or semi-articulate sounds in expression of anguish due to physical, emotional, or spiritual pain.

So there is a real sense here of pain and suffering of all kinds.

But then he says we “wait eagerly” as we groan. So we suffer while we are eagerly awaiting what he calls “the redemption of our bodies.”

This point to the coming reality that when Jesus returns he is going to restore all things … creation, the universe and us.

This points to a greater hope beyond this present life.

“hope” = not like we normally say.

Illustration: “I hope this sermon will be short so we can get home early” — no chance of that!

The Greek word for hope has more of a sense of confident expectation. A hopeful certainty.

And this expectancy gives us patience. An enduring patience.

Conclusion

Illustration: Kris Evans — endured surgery to help someone by donating kidney — what was he thinking?

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