From Suffering to Glory
Romans 8:16-18
Children of God are saved to be glorified together with Christ.
#suffering
#Christ
Published May 1st, 2017
Phrase 16-18
Notes 16-18
Phrase 16-18
NT
Romans 8:16-18
nkjv
The Spirit Himself bears witness
Ground
with our spirit
Accompaniment
that we are children
Content
of God,
Possessiv
and if children,
Condition #1
then heirs— heirs
Advantage #1
of God
Possessive
and joint heirs
Advantage #2
with Christ,
if indeed we suffer
Condition #2
with Him,
that we may also be glorified
For I consider
that the sufferings ... are not worthy
of this ... time
present
Temporal
to be compared
Standard
with the glory
which shall be revealed
in us.
Destination
If I'm a heir of God and a joint heir with Christ, I don't need the riches of this world. Riches may come or not, it really doesn't matter. God is the Maker and Sustainer of all. God is the richest being that exist. Now, having His riches guarantied with Christ, I can freely give away the riches I have here and now. Honor, comfort, or success may come in this world but it doesn't have to. With Christ all is mine already in the presence of the Being that really matters above all.
The following verses explain the sufferings: Nature suffers and groans. Nature is subject to decay. The repetitiveness of this world is empty and meaningless apart from God as Solomon describes well in Ecclesiastes. Christians groan and suffer because of the weakness of their body. Christians are spiritual poor, needy and vulnerable. The Spirit of God upholds him and intercedes for him. Then Paul teaches that even suffering is working for our good. God knows how to work everything for our good. Our good is to be more like Christ. God is glorified as Christ takes form in our being. God the Father lovingly disciplines us through stress and the difficulties of life (Heb 12:6). Just as a father lets his son go through some pain to teach him life lessons and form character in him.
To be a child of God as well as to suffer with Him are conditions for the heritage of God.
The Spirit confirms of what we know already to be true: I'm a child of God because of what God has done for me in the Lord Jesus Christ.
To describe the Christians glorification is difficult because it will yet happen. I also lack much insight of this glorious subject. We have some foretastes in this world which only faintly compare to what is to come. Worshiping God for who He is, is the sweetest fortaste of glory I've ever had.
As difficult the sufferings may be, they cannot compare to the glory that will be revealed in us.
phrasing
Notes 16-18
Children of God A child of God is someone who realized his sin and received the gift of God by faith. Among others, Paul describes in this letter of Romans that this person is called, justified, reconciled and accepted (no condemnation) in Christ. These are tremendous spiritual blessings. The Spirit of God witnesses theses truth to the child of God. A clear evidence of the children of God is that they are drawn by the Spirit of God to the Word of God to enter into theses blessings. Glorification and Suffering One day every Christian will be glorified which means that he will enter into the perfect state which is promised and kept for him in Christ. In the mean time, God has committed to start glorifying him while he is in the weakness of this body. The apostles teach that our glorification is closely linked with suffering (Rm 5:3-5; Eph 3:13; Jam 1:2-4; 1 Pt 4:13) . Surprisingly, they all teach that suffering and joy occurs at the same time. The joy of our glorification exceeds the sorrow of suffering. Paul laid a very firm foundation to get to this teaching. The child of God has to stand firm in its position and identification with Christ. God the Father disciplines His children in love to work Christ-likeness in them. This is often through high-stress and difficult situations. He'll show things that are not Christ-like in us, so that through truth and grace we reckon them dead and devot ourselves to God. If a child of God is not firm in Christ, the enemy can take advantage of the situation to condemn him in pointing to "old self" and accusing him like: "Ha! you and a child of God! You must be kidding!"
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