Friday, March 13, 2009

Future Glory! Creation's Birth!

Romans 8: 19-39
19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21thati]">[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

I love reading Romans 8. There is so much about it that is applicable as well as encouraging for me today. First off, I often wonder why God's creation exists in the first place. I often say to myself 'if things were so great in Heaven why did God create us?" That isn't to say that I don't think Heaven isn't an idyllic place. It is just to say that I wonder WHY???? Why do we exist on this creepy place called earth? In fact, so many times i feel that I am an alien here waiting to go back home to Heaven. Still in the scripture it says that 'creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice..." Creation itself was frustrated by the separation from God while waiting post birth to its decay(death or death of itself) until it can experience "glorious freedom of the children of God" It waits until the sons of God are revealed. In other words, is it possible to interpret the scripture to mean that creation itself experienced a birthing process in obedience to the creator although it wasn't by "its own choice". Perhaps creation itself had to suspend its own will in order to be obedient to the Father.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

So, "the whole creation groans in childbirth". There is a natural desire to find and be whole again once our salvation is birthed through the son of God and we are then redeemed. And key to all of this is the knowing and understanding that there is life that exists inside of us that is mysterious but nevertheless connected to our eternal Father. Embracing and connecting with that Holy Spirit is so key because we can truly communicate with our Father in a language and understanding that is even beyond us as we reside in this unfamiliar home.

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,j]">[j] whok]">[k] have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

God knew all of us and predestined us to be His before birth and He called us and Justified us....

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."l]">[l] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

I honestly don't know how any of us can travel past our sins without the Lord. There is no condemnation with Jesus. There is in fact intercession and we are connected back to our true home via the Holy Spirit. We struggle here today with tough economy, difficulties paying our mortgages, unsure of our jobs, not knowing what the future holds for us. Will the world leave us destitute? Will our worldly situations leave us jobless and hopeless and feeling helpless? With the one who delivers creation from bondage into eternal life we are 'more than conquerers" from the decay that is occuring all around us. There have been times recently that I haven't even known how to pray. I simply have to say "Lord, i need you." He tells us that He works for those who love Him. I guess my prayer and hearts desire is to know how to love Him enough to just only long for union with Him and forget and suspend any kind of belief in this worldly so called reality. Through His love we can conquer it all...My prayer is to long for Him alone and be so focused on Him and believe in what I cannot see more than what I can....And truly believe in the promises of this scripture..

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,m]">[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


1 comments:

Angela said...

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,m]">[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

amen amen amen