Rom 8:15-39
“Crucify him!”
The crowd that only days before had been shouting his praises were now baying for his blood.
“Crucify him! Kill him! Away with this pretender!”
Faces filled with hatred, they cheered as he was beaten, they spat at him as he carried his cross, they mocked him as his hands and feet were nailed to the cross and as he hung there dying.
Christ suffered for our sake.
Why do we think that we will not suffer for his?
For Jesus, the path to glory was through suffering, through the cross, through death to self – why do we think it will be any different for us?
Suffering. It is the big problem of the 21st century Westerner. It is a problem for the atheist who has no answers. “Oh well, that’s the way things are. Hope it doesn’t happen to you!” It is a problem for well-meaning Christians who twist themselves in all sorts of knots trying to push the blame away from God.
And it is a problem for us who know the Bible, but have sneaking doubts. Does God really love me? Do I really belong to God? What’s the point? Why am I suffering?
That is what tonight passage answers. Suffering for the Christian is not meaningless – it is the road to glory. It is the birth pangs of glory.
Tonight I want to change your perspective on suffering. Because the way we view suffering depends on what it produces. And for the Christian it produces endurance, strength of character, and a confident hope of salvation.
Suffering does not mean we do not belong to God, no it is a sign that we are his because we experience the Spirit helping us in our weakness as he cries out to God for us.
And suffering does not mean that God does not love us. Instead we are more than conquerors because even in the darkest moment, in the foulest dungeon, in the deepest pit, we experience God’s love. Nothing can separate us from God’s love.
1. The birth pangs of suffering are… good?
2. We belong to God
3. We are loved by God
1. The birth pangs of suffering are… good?
17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
Suffering. It is a word we hate. It is wrong. Morally wrong, says our society. But is it?
Whether we view suffering as good or bad depends strongly on the outcome we want to achieve. For example, lifting heavy weights at the gym is a form of suffering! Sweating and grunting and shouting rrargh! But the outcome is strength and health. That’s worthwhile suffering.
We all “suffer” at work. We do things we don’t want to do because the outcome is worthwhile. Money!
When I broke my wrist I had to work hard to rehabilitate it. I suffered greatly! Sweat was pouring down my face and I was in extreme pain as I tried get my wrist to rotate. But the goal was full functionality, which I achieved. The suffering was worth it.
See, there is good suffering and bad suffering – depends on the outcome. And for the Christian all suffering is good – because God is able to turn it to our good, to make us more like Jesus.
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
All creation is groaning. When we (mankind, Adam and Eve) fell, all creation fell. When we sinned God’s curse affected all of creation. And so creation is angry with us. Earthquakes and storms and floods and drought are all of a creation that is angry that we sinned, angry that it is bound, subjected to God’s curse. But it is eagerly looking forward to our day – Christians – when we are redeemed, transformed, and all creation with it. Can you imagine that day? Not only us being transformed, but everything. Renewed. Re-forged. This world as it’s truly meant to be. Wow! It will be amazing!
That’s why the picture of childbirth is used here with regard to suffering now. Because I remember when Debby was in extreme pain and I was extremely happy! And so was she! Why? Because they were birth pangs – and those painful contractions meant that our baby was on her way! Every stab of pain was a promise of the happiness to come that was just around the corner. Every stab of pain was a promise of the happiness to come.
And that’s the perspective we should have with suffering. Every time we suffer it is not without hope, it’s not meaningless, it is a reminder of the glory that lies ahead. It reminds us that this is not our home. It reminds us of the inheritance that we have, the glory that is ours in Christ.
Suffering reminds us of the joy to come. The birth pangs of suffering are good.
By the way, this is why the prosperity preachers are so wrong. it’s not content but timing. We will have perfect health and wealth – then. Not now. We’re not promised that now. In fact, what are we promised? V17 suffering!
Why? Because the birth pangs reminding us of what is to come. That’s where our focus must be. That’s where we draw strength from.
But the prosperity gospel, name it and claim it, health and wealth is focused… where? Here. It is dumb and it is wrong.
For example, my dad is not healed. Prosperity gospel says “lack of faith”. How stupid can you get?
The Bible says “it’s a reminder of true treasure in heaven. Look ahead to perfect hearing and no dizziness.”
One thing I’ve noticed about prosperity preachers: they all get sick, they all get old, and they all die. Kenneth Copeland is old. Bill Johnson wears glasses for goodness sake! He’s wrong. They’re all wrong. Their theology is wrong. It is greed and worldliness dressed up in Church language, and we like it because it tells us what we want to hear. But it’s a lie.
This is the truth. There is suffering. We know that. We live in a world under judgement (Romans 1). But as Christians our suffering is not wasted. No-one rejoices over a headache. But everyone is excited when the birth pangs come! Even though birth pangs are much worse pain than a headache - we rejoice! Why ? Because of hope. That sure hope of the promise that’s to come. That new life. A son or daughter in your arms. And for us who belong to Jesus we have a glorious hope that we will see him face to face. And suffering reminds us of that hope.
Suffering reminds us of the joy to come. The birth pangs of suffering are good.
2. We belong to God
22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Suffering does not mean we don’t belong to God because God has never promised that we won’t suffer in this life. In fact, he’s promised that we will! But we look forward to a secure future where all suffering is no more. It’s now-not yet.
We are saved – it happened;
we are being saved, as we are changed by the Spirit from the inside out to be more like Jesus;
we are going to be saved, when we are finally released from sin and suffering. What a great day that will be!
That’s why v 23 says we have a foretaste (or “firstfruits” in some translations) of the glory that is to come in the Holy Spirit. We experience His power within us – especially when we are suffering.
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
We are weak. We cry out to God. And God hears us. How can this be? How can our prayers be suitable for the King of heaven? Because of the Spirit, who takes our prayers and makes them suitable! He intercedes for us in our weakness. He prays for us, even groaning for us, perfectly in our weakness, and the Father hears the prayers of the Spirit on our behalf. Amazing. So we can pray with great freedom, knowing that the Spirit takes our prayers and makes them righteous, and we pray in Jesus name to our “Abba, father” so we know he hears us, even if our prayers are incoherent, groans, moans or even wrong! He hears us. And answers correctly, according to His own Spirit. So pray in great confidence.
In our weakness we experience the Holy Spirit helping us. But not just in prayer. In all things. Look at these amazing verses:
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
Everything. God causes everything to work together for good. Man, that doesn’t make sense unless you see suffering in its proper light. I mean, how can God make my illness work for good. Illness is bad, right? But God causes everything to work together for good. Maybe you’ve been mistreated, abused. I know people even in this church who have been abused physically and sexually. And people who’ve sinned against others in this way.
Can God really use that for good?
Well, what does it say in v28? And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
How? Because he is in control. But his goal with us is not our comfort or our happiness – at least not immediately. His goal is v29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
His goal is to make us like Jesus. Everything that happens in your life is to make you more like him. Now that leads to ultimate happiness, but may not lead to happiness in the moment! As Jesus himself prayed “Abba, father, take this cup of suffering from me. But not my will but yours be done.” That is the goal for our life.
As we said a few weeks ago the chief end of man, the reason why we were created is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Who did that more than Jesus?
It’s like being a top athlete. Whatever it takes to get to the top. Wake early, watch your diet, - suffering. But the reward is the glory. Now that glory fades and is fleeting and there is no guarantee that you’ll even make it – most don’t. But this! This is guaranteed. We will be glorified! We will be like Christ. Therefore these really are light and momentary sacrifices – even jail, even being tortured for your faith – compared to the glory awaiting us.
Now we are not even close to that level of suffering. How easy it should be for us to rejoice in our light suffering, our light burden. But I find the opposite. We struggle more it seems because we have more to lose. Because we are so comfortable. Prosperity is dangerous for us. It is no coincidence that the rapid decline in the church in Norway happened when we became stinking rich.
We need to put suffering in its right perspective. We need these reminders that this world is not our home otherwise we will be tempted! We will go off the path and follow it. We need these reminders so that we will keep our eyes on the glory to come.
I said last week that I wished I had known that Debby was in my future. Because it would have been so much easier to avoid and ignore other temptations that came my way. Why play around with rubbish when pure gold awaits?
That is where we are. Don’t play with rubbish when glory is just around the corner. And suffering reminds us of this. We are chosen by God, loved by God. We have the Spirit of God in us, praying for us, giving us strength when we are weak. And it is when we are weak and suffering that we really experience the power of the Spirit to carry us through. Everything works together to make us more like Christ Jesus. Everything. We belong to God. Chosen by him to become like his Son. And nothing can stop that.
3. We are loved by God
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
Brothers and sisters we are chosen by God, in His great mercy. We are not chosen because we are better, but because he is better. And Christ is now at God’s right hand pleading for us! We are secure! No condemnation. No one can stand against us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
Why? Because we will be glorified. Because in our weakness he is strong. Because when we are battered the Spirit lifts us up.
You know, I struggle to see suffering as anything positive. But reading this chapter has rattled me. It has shifted my perspective. It has been like a hammer blow to my way of thinking and I hope it is to yours too. Birth pangs! I remember how excited that pain made us. Because of the joy set before us the pain seemed light. Or at least bearable!
Sufferings as birth pangs which remind us of the joy to come. So as we suffer, perhaps we can get excited about the world to come? As my toe is in pain where I injured it 3 years ago and it still hurts. Or my C7 vertebrae in my neck which is degenerating or my asthma is acting up – all reminders that this world is not my home. 18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
And then I’m reminded that my times of greatest growth have come in my times of greatest suffering. My deepest experiences of God have come in those times of darkness and storm, and I would not swap them for anything. Because in my weakness and helplessness when I was not able to do anything for God, when I was angry and rude with God – I experienced his love.
Just one final note: this is only for Christians. If you’re not a Christian, your suffering is a waste. There is no glory but only terror and pain in your future. So ask God to have mercy. Otherwise.. this is as good as it gets. But for us in Christ – this is the worst it gets!
The birth pangs of suffering are… good?
We belong to God
We are loved by God
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
Let’s take a moment now to think through what we are suffering with and bring that to God in prayer.
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