Romans chapter 8 As we come to verse 18 this morning we're getting into a new section a new paragraph at least But the theme is still the same all through Romans 8 Paul is giving assurance to believers that of their salvation so I want to read again to get us started verses 12 through 17 we've been in these verses for a while let me read them again 12 through 17 so then brothers we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh for if you live according to the flesh you will die but if by this spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live for all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God 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. 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. What assurance we find in these verses as Paul talks about the witness of the spirit working in us, and as we think on the truth that we are sons and daughters of God. But Paul is aware that some people probably say, but we're still right in the midst of suffering, and that bothers us. And Paul says, no, that shouldn't be a troubling fact. That should be an assuring truth. We don't just suffer, but notice in 17, we suffer with him. Literally, we suffer together. Why? So that we may be glorified together. Paul longed to know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings because he knew that would bring him to know Christ more deeply. So as we suffer together with our Lord, we have confidence that we will be glorified together as well. Now you remember the two great truths from verse 17. we suffer with him and the idea is since we suffer with him we will be glorified with him that's assurance because we suffer with him it shows us that we belong to him but the other thing is notice that little phrase in order that suffering together with him is preparing us for being glorified together with him we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified together with him now Today, we come to verse 18, and we're not going to get through all of this, obviously, but I want to read verses 18 through 25. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 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, and not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the Spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for the 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. Let's pray. Father, this morning as we consider again this concept of suffering and the reality of it. I pray that you would work in us deeply, that we would not resent suffering, but we would realize that it has great purpose, just like we looked at in verse 17. Continue to teach us, Lord, and oh Lord, set our eyes on the glory that is to be revealed. We'll give you the glory in Jesus' name, amen. So, when we come to verses 18 through 25, what we just read, you can see that Paul is still talking about suffering. The basic truth is in verse 18. I'm gonna read it again, and I'm going to be saying it again, quoting it again, reading again, over and over and over again this morning. When you leave here, I hope that 18 is screaming at you. That's going to be our text this morning. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time Not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us and then in the rest of the passage Which we're going to begin to look at next week. He's going to give reasons for the truth of verse 18 so We're gonna move into 18, but I want to mention just how Paul kind of transitions. He's been talking in 17 about these great truths of being children of God, heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ, but then you notice how he brings in suffering, provided we suffer with him or suffer together. This suffering isn't new. Way back in 5.3, he says, Not only do we rejoice, but we suffer with him as well. So it's not new. He understands that some of his readers may be questioning, if this is so great that we're children of God and we're gonna be glorified, why do we have to go through this suffering? And Paul is explaining this in verse 17. Verse 17 grammatically goes with the paragraph before, with verses 12. Through 16, but is so closely linked to verse 18 that some translations actually put verse 17 in the paragraph after it It's just tied together, and that's the way Paul does things over and over and over again now I need to mention at the end of verse 18 he talks about the glory of that is to be revealed to us. Now, if you're reading a different translation, I don't know if anybody is, it may say the glory revealed in us. Several years ago, there were a couple of men that came by to do some things and one of the men, he noticed that we had the ESV translation and he challenged me on that and he said, I want you to pick that up and I want you to turn to Romans 8, 18. He says, now, I'm gonna read it out of my translation, and I knew what he was gonna read because I'd memorized this verse decades ago, and I memorized it out of King James. It was long before the ESV was conceived, and so he read it out of the King James. For I reckon that the present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that shall be revealed in us. He said, now read your ESV, and of course it says, reveal to us. And he went on about how he didn't like the fact that the ESV changed it. So what is it? Is it reveal in us or reveal to us? Well, it depends on what translation you're reading. The little word that is in question, it's the little Greek three-letter word, is, and it's used over 1,750 times in the New Testament. Now that might give you a clue that it's probably translated a number of different ways depending on the context. Let me just read you a few ways that it's translated in the New Testament. In, into, to, unto, toward, for, in order to. So I'm not sure it's possible to come up with a dogmatic conclusion whether it should be in or to. Tend to favor reveal to us, and I'll tell you why because there is a Little Greek preposition that clearly means in and it seems to me if that would have been what he meant He would have used that particular, but I'm not I'm not going to quibble over it the fact is both are true The glory will be revealed in and through us, but the glory will also be revealed to us. So you take it either way you like. Either way will work fine. Now notice what he says, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. The sufferings of this present time. I want us to be absolutely sure that we understand the certainty of suffering. Think about those sufferings. First of all, let us not be surprised when sufferings come to us. We shouldn't be surprised. Jesus never expressed surprise when he had to suffer. nor did he express surprise that his followers would suffer what did he say blessed are those who are persecuted for my name's sake jesus expected that would happen when paul He went out, and on his first missionary journey, he started a number of churches, and when he went back through to check on those churches, this is what he said. Through much tribulation, that's the squeeze word, through much tribulation, we must enter into the kingdom. Perhaps Peter says it best. We read it earlier. Let me just read it again to you, 1 Peter 4.12. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you. as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. Doesn't it sound a lot like Romans 8, 18? It's because the Holy Spirit inspired him, just like he did Paul in Romans 8, 18. Don't be surprised when sufferings come. Notice also that Paul doesn't say anything about our sufferings being eased, being lessened in this life. You won't find it in Paul or anywhere else. The natural thing for us, we're supernatural, we're not natural anymore. I mean, we're living in the supernatural, so God is working in us. He's transforming us by renewing our minds. But the natural man thinks like this. However, I can get out of suffering. I'm gonna do it because I don't want to suffer I want to ease the pain any way I can I want to avoid it But if it comes I want to find a way to ease the pain Paul does not promise us that our sufferings in this world will ever be lessened Instead he tells the Thessalonians you are destined to for tribulation, that is to be squeezed by the sufferings of this world. No hint it will be any different. So don't expect it. Now, that's not the end of the story. We're coming there in a minute. One other thing that Paul does not say, he does not say anything about trying to change our sufferings. to change our circumstances when we encounter sufferings. Now, think about this with me. Rather, he's told us in 17, suffering assures us that we belong to him. Suffering is preparing us for glory, and these sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us. That's what he says. But he doesn't say, try to fix it so that you don't have to suffer as much. Change your circumstances. If you'd like to turn to 1 Corinthians 7, this is the only hint that I find where Paul talks about changing your circumstances. 1 Corinthians chapter 7, and I'm gonna begin reading in verse 17. 1 Corinthians 7, 17. Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision, for neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price. Do not become bondservants of men. So brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God. Now you'll notice he says, it's in parenthesis in the ESV, at the end of verse 21, but if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. So he talks about gaining your freedom. But notice, he does not say, look for a way to gain your freedom. He says, if the opportunity presents itself, then go ahead and gain your freedom. But the point of the whole paragraph is, be content with the condition in which you find yourself. That is the whole focus. So what I'm saying is, Paul does not tell us that we're to try to change circumstances now this doesn't play very well in our day in even in Christian circles so let me give you an example we know that very soon we're going to have a big election and a lot of people will say to Christians you need to get out and vote it's your responsibility to vote and then comes a list of logical reasons that if you will get out and vote we will have a better country now My only question to that is, where can you find that in the New Testament? Show me that in the New Testament. Now, I am not saying that Christians should not be politically active. I'm not telling you you don't need to vote. I am aware that Jesus said, love your neighbor. And if my neighbor is being mistreated, I should seek justice for my neighbor. And that may happen through Government interaction and voting can certainly influence that but. Much of the Christian political activism in our day it's not about loving neighbor it's about loving self and trying to achieve a more comfortable life. Even if we want justice for our neighbor and we want to love our neighbor what is the greatest way we can love our neighbor. Tell them the truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ, above everything else. I'm not trying to minimize everything else, but I'm just saying, don't make it your life goal to try to make things better, whether it's our country, our state, or your family situation or wherever. The writers of the New Testament, whether it be Paul or Peter or whether it's the Lord himself teaching, they do not tell us to try to change our circumstances so we suffer less for Christ. That is not the goal. Remember what Paul prayed, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. Now, now I wanna zero in on verse 18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us. Do you agree with that? Do you believe that's true? Well, of course we believe it's true. It's in the word. God says it. So it's true. We don't have to question that. Okay, Rhonda's honest, but some days. So I want to ask again. Do we really believe it? Do we think that the suffering we're experiencing is worth the glory that will be revealed. You can't compare them. The glory is so great. Now think about it. Think of the things that you're dreading a little bit in the future if these things were to happen. You were to lose a loved one. You have to repair broken relationships. Maybe it's financial insecurity. Straying children and grandchildren roll them all up into one big ball And it weighs on you when you consider all those things can you say? But the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us We say yes We believe it So let me ask you, why is the suffering worth it? How do you know that the suffering is worth it? And again, we say, well, God says it. Yes, he does. But he answers the question in verse 18. Look at it again. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Now, I want you to notice, Paul does not say The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. He doesn't say that. What he says is, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Don't leave out the words, for I consider. Okay, now I want you to think with me, because we're gonna delve into this. For I consider. That word consider, just a minute. Most translations read consider. Some of the older translation follow the King James and use the word reckon. I grew up memorizing it with the word reckon. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present world. If you go to an English dictionary, it seems that consider is a very good word here. It's defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary in this way, to think about carefully, to take into account, to gaze on steadily or reflectively. Yeah, that's good. We rarely hear the word reckon used in the English language. When my grandpa used the word reckon, he'd say, Now, I reckon that we're going to go to town in a while. I mean, it didn't have a whole lot of meaning. It was just kind of a filler. But this word, the Greek word that's translated either consider or reckon or some other way, it's basically an accounting word. It has an exactness about it. One defined it like this. It means that you arrive at a conclusion, at a deduction by a process of logical thinking and reasoning. The reason I'm emphasizing this is when Paul says, for I consider, I don't think we give that word as much meaning, consider. I like reckon, but you like consider, give it its full meaning. So if you go back to Romans 6-11, you might wanna just flip back there. 6-11, this same word is used. So you also must consider Yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus the King James Likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed to sin and alive to God So you'll notice in verse 11 6 11 so you also he's pointing back well somebody else yeah verse 10 for he's talking about Jesus for the death he died he died to sin once for all but of the life he lived he lives to God if you go back before that it's all about our union with Christ so when when it says in verse 11 you must also consider yourselves to be dead to sin he says you've got to think about this you've got to think about what you've just read you got to think about what Christ did and your union with Christ your relationship to him that's the only way that you can truly consider yourself to be dead to sin now I remind you he does not say pretend that you're dead to sin. That is not what he means at all. He's saying, consider this carefully in light of what you've just read in the verses before this, and now consider that it's true that you're dead to sin. Why? Because it is true. If you're in Christ, you are dead to sin and alive to God, so consider it that way. Reckon it to be that way. So I would say, back in Romans 8, 18, After calculating carefully all the facts, Paul came to the conclusion that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us. Now, Paul considered, what was it that he considered in Romans 8.18? What are the things that he brought to mind, that he thought about, that he calculated on? Well, I'm gonna tell you everything that he's written up to this point in Romans. After considering all these things that I've been talking to you about all this time, and I'm gonna go through, Paul is saying something like this, when I think about the fact that God revealed his wrath from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness. When I consider that all people are without excuse because although they knew about God, they refused to glorify God as God and give Him thanks. We read it in our catechism this morning. When I consider that every human being is without excuse, when I reckon that all are unto sin, that no one understands and no one seeks for God, When I understand that everyone deserves a wrath of God because we have fallen short of His glory, then when I realize that in spite of all this, God's righteousness has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. When I marvel at the fact that God put Jesus forth as a wrath-bearing substitute to die on the cross for those who would put their faith in Him. When I recognize that we who have been justified have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When I see that we not only rejoice and hope with the glory of God, but also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering brings endurance and endurance produces character. And character leads to hope, which does not put us to shame. When I reckon that I am no longer in Adam, but now in Christ Jesus. When I realize that where my sin increased, grace abounded all the more. When I consider the truth that I have been united with Christ in a death and resurrection like His, When I finally come to grips with the truth that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, when I meditate on being a son of God and having the witness of the Spirit that as a child of God I'm also an heir of God and fellow heir of Christ, when I consider all these things to be true, I reckon, I calculate, I conclude that the sufferings of this present life are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. Do you see it? Let me spell it out. The conclusion that the glory will eclipse this present suffering is not a human assessment. If we go by our feelings or like the world thinks, we will not come to this conclusion. Now, what we're doing again is we're coming back to doctrine. Here we go again. Doctrine is vitally important. What is doctrine? It's teaching. It's a truth of the word. And it is vitally important. Paul is not expressing an opinion here. He is basing what he says on all of these truths that he has meditated on, he's gone over them again and again and again. Many will say, well, the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us, but it is just a shallow opinion. Paul worked through the great truths of the faith, and through that, he came to this subtle conclusion. That's the only reason that he could write things like what he writes in 2 Corinthians 4. I won't get it exactly right, so I'm gonna read it to you. It's out of this same spirit that he writes this, 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. Now let me tell you something, DePaul, who wrote this, the present sufferings Paul knew about suffering I would say he knows as much about suffering as any person in this room and far more than most of us know about suffering let me read you one passage after comparing himself to the false teachers in 2nd Corinthians 11 this is what he says are they servants of Christ I am a better one I'm 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 farty 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 the 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 a daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches." Now, I don't have a list like that one. Paul knew about suffering, and when he calculated all of that with the truths, the truths of the gospel, he could say, I conclude, that the sufferings of this present life are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us. Did you catch that in 2 Corinthians 4 when he talks about this light momentary affliction? Now, read that in light of what I just read about all his list of sufferings. He called them light momentary afflictions. The key is the word momentary. Because Paul recognized that the sufferings of this present time are short in light of eternity, it took the sting out of the suffering because he realized they were momentary. We must realize that. The sufferings of this present time will be over in the blink of an eye. Now, as Rhonda says, but some days, it seems like they will never ever end. They will. We don't trust our feelings. We trust what God says in his word. We conclude that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us. And we've been talking about that glory. We suffer together, that is together with him because we will be glorified together. It was Paul's deep understanding of the truths of God that he was able to reach this conclusion and it be a settled conclusion in him. Couple Wednesday nights ago we were talking about God's faithfulness especially his faithfulness to his promises, so we asked the question do we really believe? That God will be faithful to all his promises again. We can say we believe Yeah, but do we really believe so I'm asking you again this morning Do you really believe? What he says here in verse 18? Realizing that your dearest friend could turn on you your finances could dry up you could lose your spouse Your family could disown you Do you still have the subtle conclusion all of that? Can't be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us If you'd like to turn there turn to Jude chapter 3 Verse 3 there's only one chapter verse 3. It's an It's the next to the last book before Revelation. It's when we sink our roots down deep into the truths that God gives us, particularly the gospel truths, that's when we'll be able to stand, no matter what suffering comes our way. In Jude, verse three. Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. So Jude is appealing to them to contend for the faith. Now, on this occasion, I don't wanna talk much about the contending. I wanna talk about what they were contending for, the faith. Now get that phrase in your mind, the faith. What is the faith? Now, when we think of faith, we normally think of trust. Of course, the word faith and believe, to have faith, to believe, it's the same thing. One is a noun, one's a verb. And that's what we think about. We know it's not just mental, it's deeper than that. It's a deep, heartfelt trust in God. But this isn't the same. This doesn't say faith, that we have faith. It says the faith, contending for the faith. What is the faith? Well, you can check it out in the rest of the New Testament. The faith is basically all the truths of Christianity. The truths that God gives us centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's what the faith is. He was to contend for truth, for gospel truth. That is what Jude is appealing to him to contend for. The faith so so think about that The faith it's the content of what God's people have believed down through the centuries It's interesting here in Jude 1 3 if you were to read it literally Contend for the once for all delivered to the Saints faith. That's the way he modifies it and This is not some fly-by-night thing. It's not some fad that we see in Christian circles. This is the faith that was delivered once for all to the saints back there. Who was it delivered by? Primarily by our Lord Jesus, and then those who were witnesses to the truth that he gave. Brothers and sisters, our lives must be anchored in those truths. If we wanna stand in trials, and when I say stand, Paul does not conceive of, well, I'm gonna get through this. I'll make it. That's not his attitude. James, are you familiar with James 1? Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Now he doesn't say it is joy, he doesn't say trials are joy, but he tells us, count it all joy, consider it all joy when you fall into various trials. How, why? Because, he goes right on to say, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. That steadfast endurance, it's the same word that's in Romans 5. It's translated endurance there. Same thing, Paul gives it more depth in Roman 5. But he says, count it joy when you fall into these various trials because you know God is gonna use this to develop steadfast endurance in you. But let it have its perfect work. Don't try to lessen it. Let it have its perfect work so you will be perfect and complete. That's the idea. So, somehow, God has to renew our minds. This is the way, Romans 12 to, we'll get there. This is the way he transforms us, by renewing our minds, by changing our patterns of thinking. So all of us grew up with the pattern of thinking, I don't wanna suffer, I hate suffering, and I'll do anything I can to avoid suffering, and if it comes, I'm gonna make it less. Our mind has to be renewed so that we realize, I may not like suffering, but I do realize that when God brings it into my life, it's for a purpose. And even then, it's not even worth comparing with the glory that's gonna be revealed. So because of that, it is a light affliction that's gonna be gone like this. Understand? Now, I realize it's easier to understand it than to live it, but we'll never live it until we come to this subtle, calculated conclusion. That's why I spent all the time this morning on those simple words, for, I, consider. We need to do a lot of considering, brothers and sisters, a lot of reckoning. The time that you spend in the word of God, you may say, well, I didn't run into anything today where it helped me, what I read this morning. Don't look at it that way. We're in it for the long haul. And as we digest and meditate on the word of God, we will come to this subtle conclusion. It doesn't matter what comes our way. It's gonna be short, and God is gonna use it, and you can't compare it with the glory that's gonna be ours. Let's pray. Father, thank you. that you have so designed it so that even the worst suffering we face, we don't have to just endure it in a worldly sense. By the work of your Holy Spirit, we can even count it joy when suffering comes our way. And Lord, we just admit, in ourselves, we're not capable of doing that. But praise your name, we're not left to ourselves. Your spirit works in us, and one of the primary ways is driving home the truths of your word. So Father, I pray that Romans 8, 18 will become more and more a vital part of our thinking. And let's think on it right now. Let's just pause and have some time of silence. Father, I'm well aware this morning that there are people right here in this room who are facing the kind of suffering that I've never faced. And Lord, we acknowledge that some things are deep and difficult, but thank you that when you gave us these truths, you understood that. And you tell us in your word that your son, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and he is now at your right hand. Thank you that as you saw Jesus through, you'll do the same in us. Give us a deep trust in you. and give us the grace to receive, understand, meditate on, and apply all the great truths of the faith, particularly those that are in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your faithfulness, in Jesus' name, amen. I should say one other thing. When I talked about changing circumstances, it's a little different when we're talking about someone else's circumstances. We read in the book of Acts that when those saints were suffering, they took up an offering in the other churches to relieve some of that suffering. But I'm talking primarily about personally.