Waiting for Glory
Waiting for Glory
Romans 8:18-25
Francine has been dealing with crippling fatigue for two years. She is a mother of three rambunctious boys who hasn’t even been able to talk a walk with them. Each day, she homeschools her children but has to take a nap after lunch. Each day, she feels guilty when her husband comes home and she hasn’t been able to finish taking care of the home. She often thinks, “Will my life always be this way? Will I ever get better? All I want is a normal life?”
Tom has worked at the same company for twelve years. He faithfully goes to work Monday through Friday, commuting one hour each way. His boss likes him well enough, but Tom has been passed over for a promotion for the last four years. His job feels meaningless. But after refinancing his home to cover unexpected medical expenses for one of his children, he feels stuck. He often thinks, “Is there all there is? How can I do this for another twenty years?”
Edith spends every day at her husband's side. He has been battling Alzheimer’s for more than three years. It started slowly but has progressed rapidly, meaning they have the same conversation about twenty times a day. Edith loves her husband, but she struggles as she watches him slowly lose his mind. She often thinks, “I don’t know how much longer I can handle this. When will it end?”
Francine, Tom, and Edith are suffering. You may not be able to relate to their particular struggles, but we can all imagine how they are feeling. We have felt it: overwhelmed, tired, scared, frustrated, angry, sad. Life in a fallen world is full of suffering. We cannot escape it. Ever since Adam and Eve bit the forbidden fruit, suffering and pain have been our plight. You may not have pain like Francine, frustration like Tom, or emotional agony like Edith, but each of you is a sufferer. To be human is to suffer. If you are not suffering now, you will be soon. All of our bodies will break down, all of us will experience fractured relationships, all of us will be misunderstood, all of us will suffer. Thanks for the encouragement, Pastor! (You’re welcome.) Does this mean we should be hopeless? By no means!
No matter what you are facing today, no matter how intense the suffering, I pray you will leave this gathering with hope. In Romans 5-8, Paul unpacks the glories of justification of faith. He begins,
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:2–5
As Christians, we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God and in our sufferings because we know God will use them to produce hope in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:18, Paul begins to conclude this section on the implications of justification by faith by lifting our eyes to the hope of what is to come. I pray that, over the next few moments, we will be filled with the hope of glory.
Consider Waiting for the Glory of Suffering
In Romans 8, Paul continues the theme of suffering and glory he was addressing in verses 16 and 17,
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
We are children of God, adopted as sons, but we must suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. The cross must come before the crown. Paul continues on this topic in verse 18,
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18
We know he is continuing the same theme because the, “For” in verse 18 is a purpose clause connecting the previous thought. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time.”
Paul does not minimize suffering in this passage. He acknowledges that suffering is a part of life. We are all sufferers. Paul, himself, suffered greatly for the faith. He was repeatedly lashed with a whip, and his scarred back bears testament to the fact that Paul understands and does not minimize suffering. His suffering was great, and yours may be too. How are you suffering? How are others suffering in our Body suffering? As I look at our congregation today, I know the pain of many, but I don’t know all of it. All I know is that your suffering is real and painful.
Consider your sufferings. Do not minimize them. Listen, you have a Savior who understands. Jesus was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. We can go to Jesus, “for because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Heb. 2:18). This passage is not meant to minimize your suffering, but to maximize the glory that will be revealed in you. This is crucial. If our sufferings are great, how much greater is the glory that is coming?
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18
This is not minimizing our suffering; it is maximizing the coming glory. It means that the glory that is coming is so good, so beautiful, so rich, so magnificent, so amazing, so incomparable, that we can endure our suffering now.
Have you ever had a tough week at work that didn’t seem that bad because you were heading out for a vacation on Friday? Have you ever had a really small salad for lunch knowing you were going to have a steak for dinner? Have you walked with a limp for years but finally had a hip replacement surgery? We can suffer in big (and small) ways now because we will glory in big ways in the days ahead. If God has promised us eternity, everlasting life, pleasures at His right hand forevermore, joy forever, we can endure suffering.
Our suffering is not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us. In us? The glory that is coming is not merely being in God’s presence, seeing him face to face, but there is glory that will be revealed in us. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:50–52
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2
We will be fully and finally transformed into the image of Son. This is not meant to dampen our spirits but empower them.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16–18
Our light and momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Weary saint, press on! Our suffering is great, but our glory is greater.
Now, remember this is only for the Christian. If you are not a Christian, and not trusting in Jesus, this verse could be read, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the suffering that is to be revealed for you.”
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31
If you reject Jesus and stay in your sin, you will suffer nothing but wrath and fury and torment forever. John Flavel warns us,
Wrath to come implies both the futurity and perpetuity of this wrath.... Yea, it is not only certainly future, but when it comes it will be abiding wrath, or wrath still coming. When millions of years and ages are past and gone, this will still be wrath to come. Ever coming as a river ever flowing.
Jonathan Edwards offers a similar warning,
Here all judges have a mixture of mercy, but the wrath of God will be poured out upon the wicked without mixture. Imagine yourself to be cast into a fiery oven…and imagine also that your body were to lie there for a quarter of an hour, full of fire, as full within and without as a bright coal fire, all the while full of quick sense; what horror would you feel at the entrance of such a furnace? Oh! Then how would your heart sink if you knew that after millions and millions of ages your torment would be no nearer to an end than ever it was. But your torment in hell will be immensely greater than this illustration represents.
If you are an unbeliever and you think your suffering is bad in this life, I can assure you that it will only get much, much, much worse, and it will never end. We are sufferers in this life, but we are also sinners. Every single person is a sinner who rightly deserves God’s wrath. Have you considered the wrath that is coming?
For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3
Friend, if you are in your sins, you can be forgiven. You can be forgiven today. Turn from your sins and trust in Christ. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you. Believe he was raised from the dead.
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:9–13
Friend, listen to the rest of the sermon but, remember, future glory comes only for the believer. Consider accepting Him as your Savior so that you, too, can wait for the glory of suffering for Jesus Christ.
Creation Waits for the Glory of Deliverance
The Gospel does not merely promise everlasting life in heaven, it promises everlasting life on earth.
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. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. Romans 8:19–22
God brought this world under a curse because of Adam’s sin. Many scholars view Paul’s words here as commentary on Genesis 3,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17–19
Creation longs for the last day when the saints of God will be revealed to rule and reign over the new earth. The “eager longing” Paul mentions in verse 19 is a picture of someone craning their neck to get a better view. Creation is metaphorically looking to get a view of its coming restoration. It is groaning as in the pain of childbirth waiting to be reborn.
Creation has two things: futility and hope. God subjected the world to futility as an act of judgment against man’s sin. This creation is imperfect and ineffective and does not do what it was originally intended to do. Instead of serving man and working with him, it now works against man. The death and destruction of earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes are a sign of the chaos of the world. Like in Exodus, creation acts in chaos to frustrate humanity. Yet its apparent chaos is still under God’s control.
The Lord sent the storm when Jonah was rowing away from Nineveh. Then God appointed a plant to sprout up and sent a worm to cause the plant to wither. Then He appointed an east wind and scorching heat. Each of these acts was intended to reveal Jonah’s angry, bitter heart. Creation is subject to futility, but it is still under God’s control. For the Lord Jesus said to the raging storm, “Peace be still.” The men marveled saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Secondly, creation was given hope. Creation groans and longs with hope for its restoration. The futility is only temporary. We are getting glimpses of that even now as the bare trees that shed their leaves in the winter come to life in their longing for spring and renewal. God built these pictures into our world so we would look to the future with hope. As one author notes, “Creation is like a little child standing on tiptoes beside the street leaning over the rope eagerly waiting for the parade to start.” Creation is waiting to participate in the freedom of the glory of the children of God. It will be free from slavery and bondage to corruption, and it will be restored to its original purpose. It will be redeemed. All Creation will sing,
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.
As a mother waits to hold her child so, too, creation groans waiting for its rebirth.
Christians Wait for the Glory of Adoption
Adoption is one of the glorious realities of the Gospel. Paul has already mentioned adoption in verse 15,
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15
We do not live in fear because we have received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of adoption, who testifies that we are children of God and that, one day, our adoption will finally be complete.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13–14
We are adopted now, but we must wait for full adoption in the redemption of our bodies,
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. Romans 8:23
We groan inwardly because our bodies are wasting away outwardly. Ecclesiastes paints a vivid picture of what happens to our bodies as we age,,
in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, Ecclesiastes 12:3
Our backs will be bent, our teeth will be few, our eyes will darkened, but one day our bodies will be redeemed.
Christianity is not merely a spiritual religion. It is a physical one. We are embodied souls, and we will live in our bodies on the earth. He will transform our lowly and broken bodies to be like His glorious body. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ does not merely promise freedom from the penalty and power of sin in this life, but from its presence in the age to come. We hope for what we do not yet have, but we hope with full confidence knowing that God is fully able to do what He has promised.
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. Romans 8:24–25
In the midst of our sufferings, we hope for what will be. In recent days our congregation has experienced multiple heart surgeries, a mother paralyzed, a premature birth, a repaired shoulder, newly discovered tumors, and digestive blockages. Friends, that was just in the last few weeks.
We groan inwardly in prayer eagerly awaiting the redemption of our bodies on the last day when the Lord returns. A few weeks ago, Simeon shared with our residents about some of Jude’s physical challenges. He hurts and is in pain, but he is unable to clearly communicate what is wrong. He and his family have been through so much already in his young life. Yet, Simeon believes with hope that one day he will see the redemption of Jude’s body. All the brokenness will be gone. His body will be fully restored, and Simeon will be able to look Jude in the eye and speak to him face to face. On that day, in a perfectly restored world with redeemed bodies, we will understand that the sufferings of this present time were worth nothing compared to the glory we get to experience then.
It has been promised, but we do not hold it yet. So we hope. We hope in our salvation, in the promises of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, and we wait with patience. What does it mean to wait with patience? It means that we live in the reality that this world is temporary. We do not put hope in our bodies. We do not live for our bank accounts. We do not live for pleasure. We live for the resurrection. We have the Spirit, and we live in eager expectation of the last day. We are free, knowing that this world is temporary. It is a mist, a vapor. It is here one minute and gone the next. We live for that which is to come. We live for the new heaven and the new earth. We live for the day when the Lord will descend from heaven with a loud voice and will declare from the throne,
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3–4
All the suffering, all the pain, all the tears, all death will cease. We will be perfectly restored and free from the bondage of corruption to live in a free creation that works for us to reveal the glory of God in Jesus Christ in majestic splendor.
Let me conclude with five brief applications as to how we can live heavenly minded in the midst of our suffering.
Spend time in God’s Word and prayer every day - This world trains us to think and live in the now, in all of the pressing concerns of daily life. But the Word of God transcends this world and lifts our gaze to heaven. In reality, we are citizens of the world to come. Daily Bible reading and prayer lifts our gaze and impacts how we live our lives. God, by His Spirit, through his Word, is the way to be heavenly minded.
Take time throughout the day to think of heaven - Sometimes the world feels so overwhelming, and we need to remind ourselves of what is to come. Take a short walk and think about how your present suffering is worth nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in you. Maybe have something physical on your desk to remind you of the “temporariness” of this life. When things become overwhelming, look at that and think of a life without the curse.
Trust the Lord for today’s grace and tomorrow's mercies - One of our members sent me a great sermon this week on trusting in God’s grace for today and His mercy for tomorrow. Even as we think about heaven, our sufferings will still be here. Two texts help us to hold this balance.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22–23
Beloved, God has determined the trouble for each day. He knows what you can handle and has promised to be with you for the troubles of each day. Tomorrow’s troubles will come with tomorrow’s grace. Recently, I had a terrible day, a day full of burdens and pain throughout our church body. I went to bed weary and tired, but I woke up to new mercies. God gave me grace to endure the trouble of that day, and He gave new mercies for the next. Beloved, thinking of heaven does not minimize our current suffering. It merely helps us put it in perspective. We have not been given a spirit of fear, but of adoption. We are sons and daughters, and our heavenly Father will be with us when we need Him and how we need Him.
Make the heavenly community central in your life - We need help to live with heavenly hope, and this is why God gave us the church. We come week in and week out and fix our eyes on the day that is to come.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24–25
We gather as a church to encourage each other to look ahead to that Day that is drawing near. We tell the Francines, “We know it is hard to deal with chronic fatigue, but a day is coming when you will never tire. Believe.” We tell the Toms, “We know It’s hard to labor in this world of thorns and thistles, but a day is coming when this world will be restored. Believe.” We tell the Ediths, “We know it’s hard to see our loved one’s body fail, but a day is coming when disease and death will be destroyed. Believe.”
The church was given to help one another believe. As we live with a heavenly mindset, we encourage others to do the same, and we do this by assembling together. We hear the Word, we think and meditate on the glory that is to come, then we turn to each other and think about how we can stir one another up to love God and love others until that Day comes. We are a community that lives looking forward with hope to our full adoption and the redemption of our bodies.
God has gifted us with a cloud of witnesses in this church to help us look to heaven.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1
The holiness and the joy in this church help us turn from sin and self and run with endurance the race marked out for us. We have our own hall of faith in this church. We have men and women who have lost spouses and continue to believe. We have men and women facing cancer who continue to believe. We have parents of wayward children who continue to believe. We have men and women who have faced the worst of humanity yet continue to believe. Look at them and run with endurance the race marked out for you.
Look to Jesus -
The “great cloud of witnesses” of Hebrews 12 is simply those who looked to Jesus and longed for heaven with hope. In a small way, each of them model the heavenly mind of the Lord Jesus. We must constantly be,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. Hebrews 12:2-4
Jesus lived in hope. He lived for the joy of the cross. He knew that the suffering of the cross was worth nothing compared to the glory that would be revealed in the crowning of the saints. Jesus took the cross so that we would not grow weary and lose heart. Jesus was the Firstfruit of the world to come. He was raised from the dead. He was clothed with immortality, and He has given us the Spirit as a foretaste of our future redemption.
How do the Francines, Toms, and Ediths make it in this life? How do we overcome suffering? We look to Jesus. We look to what He has done and what He has promised. When we look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, we will not lose heart. We see the cross of suffering and the crown of the resurrection, and we press on to the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. We wait with patient hope, knowing that our present suffering is worth nothing compared to glory that will be revealed.