Well, as you can hear, my voice is trying to leave me, so I've been a little under weather, but tonight we're gonna talk about future glory, and I may pass on a present sickness, but that's okay, that's part of the message, to get us longing for heaven. So, we're gonna be in the book of Romans tonight, so while I'm talking, why don't we turn our Bibles to Romans chapter eight, verses 18 to 25. While you turn there, the Book of Romans was written by the Apostle Paul. He was writing to the church in Rome, a church that he did not found, nor did he plan. It was probably planted from those who were at the Day of Pentecost, some Jews that were at the Day of Pentecost, and they went back. to Rome to start this church. And so this meant that the church was heavily Jewish. However, there is evidence in the Letter of Romans that there were Gentiles in this church as well. So the church was made up of Jew and Gentile believers, converse, dwelling together in one house of worship towards our great and glorious God. So Paul wanted to address the issue of how Jew and Gentiles were to relate to one another and as being God's people. Further, he wanted to defend the gospel because there was a rumor that Paul was undermining the law and using grace as a license for sin. And finally, he was calling on them to support his endeavor to travel to Spain doing missionary work. So there are two main themes that runs through the Book of Romans. The first theme is the righteousness of God. And when we talk about the righteousness of God, it's not that, it's talking about the imputed righteousness that we receive from Christ. And Paul drives home the perfect righteousness of God in contrast with the unrighteousness of man, which includes Jew and Gentile. Now the second main theme of Romans is the glory of God, which runs parallel to the first theme of God's righteousness. And the glory that we're talking about is that glory that is intrinsic to who God is and to his person, and the ascribed glory that is due to him from the creature. So these two things run as one throughout the whole of the book. And today we're going to be in Romans 8 verses 18 through 25. And this is our second part in our three part series on renewal. And last time we were together, remember, we talked about God building us up as a spiritual house. And we were concerned then with our last message about the sweet by and by, but tonight we wanna learn what God is gonna do with the nasty here and now. And so the main point of our time tonight of our lesson tonight is our hope and walk in Christ is strengthened and sustained as we focus on future glory. Again, the main point is our hope and walk in Christ is strengthened and sustained as we focus on future glory. All right, so please stand. We're gonna pray and then read God's inerrant and infallible word. Father, thank you. for this day, thank you for another time that we get to exalt Christ. Thank you for the gathering of your people as one, as your people, as the people of God. And Father, we pray that you will open our hearts and minds to your word, illumine your scripture to us, that we may praise you and praise Christ and honor the Holy Spirit in all that he has written. Father, we pray that you would drown me out and that your people will hear you and help me to comfort those who disturbed and helped me to disturb the comfortable tonight. And Father, again, thank you for your word, and please send your Holy Spirit to illuminate it and to exalt Jesus Christ. In your name we pray, Jesus Christ. Amen. All right, so Romans 8, verses 18 through 25. It reads, 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 first fruits of the spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for 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. Brothers and sisters, this is the word of the Lord. Our first point tonight is that God's children will receive future glory. And we're gonna start off in the first two verses when Paul says that he, 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. And the word for connects this passage to the previous passage, the previous passage in Romans 8, which says, the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the 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. And that is Romans 8, 16, 17. And this witness that Paul's referring to is how the Spirit have us to cry out to God as our Father, our Holy Father. And Paul mentions this in Galatians 4, chapter six, verse seven, chapter four, verses six through seven. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God. And a reason for us being heirs is because the righteousness of God being imputed to us and the Spirit of God dwelling in us. The reason we are heirs is because of God's righteousness being imputed to us and the Spirit of God dwelling in us. And we see this in Romans 8.1, Paul writes, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And then in Romans 8.9, you, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. If, in fact, the Spirit of God dwells in you, anyone who does not have the Spirit, have the Spirit of Christ, does not belong to him. So the question we want to ask is what exactly is this inheritance that we have in Christ, where Paul is pointing back to Abraham. In Romans 4, chapter 4, verses 13 to 14, it reads, for the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. So the Abrahamic covenant was a covenant that promised Abraham that nations would come from him, and God would fulfill his covenant with Abraham through making a people for himself for his own possession. And they would dwell in the land where God dwells in an intimate, covenantal, and unique way. When God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans, that was a big deal, right? It's not like our culture. You go off, you leave your parents' house, and you move to whatever state you wanna move to and do whatever you wanna do. In the ancient Near East, you did what your parents did. And the land, you were tied to that land. You didn't just go traveling on picking up that you wanted to be a doctor. Abraham was to do what his dad did, and he was to be the land that he was in is what defined who he was. So when God called Abraham to leave his country, God was essentially saying, leave who you are, leave every bit of security and you follow me. And we see this in Genesis 12, verses one through two. Now the Lord said to Abram, go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you and I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great and you will be a blessing. And Paul says this in Romans 4, three, he says, for what does scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. And Abraham did not, did not just go on a blind wish, hoping all things would work out. When God called Abraham, Abraham, along with those in his time, understood that they were in exile. Abraham was not too far removed from the flood. They were exiled, and Abraham would have understood this, they were exiled from the Garden of Eden, all of humanity, and he was waiting for the day that the seed would come and restore all things. In Genesis 15, when God ratifies his covenant with Abraham, he tells Abraham to look at the stars and the grains of the sand. on the seashore, so shall his descendants be. And surely when Abraham was looking at that, he wasn't thinking that all of his descendants was gonna fit in Palestine. Paul tells us that Abraham understood that the promise was that he and his offspring would inherit the world. All those that are part of the church are heirs with Jesus Christ, who has received the imputed righteousness of God through faith. The inheritance is the fulfillment of the promises of the Abrahamic covenant. And Jesus Christ is the offspring to which God was referring to when he made his promise to Abraham, and Paul affirms this in Galatians. Paul says, now the promise was made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, and to his offsprings, referring to many, but to referring to one, and your offspring, who is Christ. But the scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. So the inheritance, excuse me, the inheritance is tied to a person, and that person is Jesus Christ. Paul is informing the church in Rome that all of the promises are fulfilled in Christ, even the land promise that is tied to the Abrahamic covenant. The inheritance that Abraham was looking for is in Christ. and having a land where God's will was and still is today, the rest that Israel was and is looking for. Still to this day, they're looking for their rest in a land that God has prepared for them where he dwells. And this rest in the land with the presence of God was a big theme in Joshua. By the time of Christ, Israel was occupied by the Romans and everyone knew that they were not in the rest that God had promised. But guess what, Christ comes on the scene and he says this, he says, all things have been handed over to me by my father, and no one knows the son except the father, and no one knows the father except the son, and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him. And then Christ says this, he says, come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. And this is land language. Moses recorded this in Deuteronomy 12. What Christ is doing is proclaiming to Israel. He's saying, your rest is not in Palestine. It's in me. You are waiting on me. Christ was proclaiming Deuteronomy chapter 12 verses eight through 11, which reads, you shall not do according to that all that we were doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes. For you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God has given you. But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land, that the Lord your God has given you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around so that you live in safety, then to the place that the Lord your God will choose to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present in all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord. So Israel understood when Christ said that, that the rest that they had anticipated and received from God as a promise, that Christ was saying, I am your rest. So the inheritance is the restoration of the land where God will dwell with his people that is fulfilled in the person of Christ and consummated in the glorification of God's children by which the redemption of creation shall take place. This inheritance is given to the people of God. I love what Thomas Schreiner said, he says, the hope of future glory and a new creation that belonged to Israel is now pledged to the church of Christ. Paul envisions in this text in Romans, restoration from the fall. And it is this truth Paul conveys to the church in Rome that theirs and our future eternal glory far outweighs any temporal suffering that goes on here. Creation is longing for the revealing and glory of the sons of God. The restoration of all things is waiting on the glorification of the children of God, and creation is eager is standing on his tippy toes for the day when the children of God are glorified with Christ, and this is the glorification, this glorification is likened to when Christ, if you remember, when he showed his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. Remember he was on the Mount, and he pulled his human flesh back, and Peter, James, and John got to see his glory. And that's where we're headed, beloved. In 1 Corinthians 15, 48 through 49, Paul says, as was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust. And as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. Romans 8.30 reads, and those whom he predestined, he also called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified. The children of God will be like their Savior, glorified with him, and this is the next event on the calendar that all creation is waiting for. And that brings us to our next point. God's children and creation groans for future glory. The text reads, 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 of creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. The creation was subjected to futility, to frustration, to emptiness, and it was God who cursed the world, but the curse was given as a judgment for our sin, Creation was cursed not just once, but multiple times for the sin of mankind. The first curse, you're very well aware of, Genesis 3, 17 to 19, when Adam sinned against God and he told Adam, he told Adam, that 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. He says, curse it be 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 and for you are dust and to dust you shall return. And ever since then, mankind has been unable to subdue the earth. Actually, it's reversed, isn't it? The earth is subduing man and swallowing him up in death. God cursed the ground again when Cain killed his brother. God told Cain, you are cursed from the ground. The ground shall no longer yield to you its strength. And again, in Genesis 6, he says, I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth. And you have Pharaoh and his pride who brought about the plagues of God on the land. And this was another curse on creation by God due to sin, due to Pharaoh's sin. When Christ was crucified, darkness covered the earth. And what did you see? You saw earthquakes, rocks splitting. The creation reacts negatively to sin. The problem in our world is not global warming. It's not enough. It's not a lack of green building. It's not the carbon footprint. The problem with our world is sin. Sin is causing all of creation to decay. And the groaning of creation, you see it, don't you? It's the tornadoes, the tsunamis, the earthquakes, the hailstorms, and all these disasters is the groaning of creation because of sin, our sin. The more man keeps sinning, the more the creation groans to be free from the curse of God because of mankind's rebellion. Creation is in the pains of childbirth as we speak, and to back me up on this, Jesus Christ is the person who affirms this. In Matthew 24, in the Olivet Discourse, Christ says this, and you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. And listen to what he says. He says, all these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Next, Paul says that not only creation is groaning, but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. And Paul is not making an equivalent contrast here. He's arguing from the lesser to the greater. The creation groans and is in childbirth pains, but the believer is groaning inwardly, waiting for their adoption and redemption of their bodies. We are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. And until we have the redemption of our bodies, salvation is still not yet complete. The believer's groanings is that on a greater scale than creation. And Paul hinted at this in chapter seven, didn't he? He says, for I delight in the law of God and my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. And listen to this language. It is strong language about sin and his groaning. He says, wretched man that I am, Who will deliver me from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. That is where every Christian should be. Are you groaning? And if your answer is no, why not? Our Lord says, during the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Romans 8, 13 says, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Christians, brothers and sisters, sometimes we find ourselves weary, don't we? And we think the reason for our weariness is our job, It's our children. Sometimes we think the weariness is, oh, we need a bigger house. Sometimes we need a new car. Sometimes we need a new wardrobe. We think that's what's gonna solve our weariness and tiredness. And when those things don't work, we get counseling from people, wise people that we love, and they tell us, you just need to be happy. You just need to cheer up. Rest on the spirit, brother. And when you don't feel that way, you think something's wrong with you, right? You don't feel like, I'm not walking in the power of the spirit. Why do I feel weary and weighed down? So what we do is we start all over again, back at point A. Maybe it's a new job, I need a new job. Maybe it's a new house, maybe it's a new car. But in reality, what we need to do is acknowledge that the weariness we're feeling is the groaning of sin in our bodies. The reason we don't come to that conclusion is because we're often taught not to be outraged at sin. Our culture tells us to laugh at it. It's OK. It's normal. Not to groan over sin. Not don't groan or don't be outraged about sin in us, nor at sin around us. Mourning over sin, let me say this to all of us, mourning over sin, our groaning over sin is just as much the fruit of the Spirit as is gentleness and kindness. We ought to be outraged at sin. So mourn and weep over sin and its effect in our world. And long even above creation for that future glory which is to come when the presence of sin is no more. And the reason creation and God's children groan over sin is because it attacks God. It is inconsistent to say we love God, but we are not offended when he's maligned. When his word is not obeyed and when he is not worshiped correctly and reverently, that should bother us to our core. Creation has enough awareness and sense when it's enough awareness of its creator to groan when he is not reverenced? How much more should we who have his spirit dwelling in us to respond to sin as it maligns and attacks our God? Sin killed Jesus Christ. We ought to be hostile enemies to sin. We shouldn't have sin as a casual acquaintance, nor should sin be our lover. But it's all too normal in Christendom today for Christians to flirt with it, be friends with sin, and not think about it twice. Creation wants to be set free. free from the bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Paul is telling the Roman church that renewal of the cosmos is tied to the glorious revealing of God's people. And this is the theme running through all of scripture. In Isaiah 43, 19 to 21, he says, behold, I'm doing a new thing. Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts will honor me and the jackals and ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the deserts, in the desert to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. And in Hosea chapter two, verses 18 to 20, it reads, and I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beast of the field and with the birds of the heaven and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land. And I will make you lie down in safety and I will betroth to you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and you shall know the Lord." Salvation is not just corporate, it's cosmological. It incorporates the entire creation and the Holy Spirit is the first fruits, the pledge of the harvest to come. The only healing for the nations is the mercy of God bestowing his righteousness to them and their reverence for his glory. All other roads apart from that leads to oblivion. And that is exactly where this planet is headed. And that brings us to our last point. God's children will persevere through the hope of future glory. This is the application part of the sermon. God's children will persevere through the hope of future glory. Paul writes, 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. Paul tells the believers that the gospel is not just the cross and the resurrection, it is also the return of Christ. Romans 5, 9 through 10, it says, since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more now that we are reconciled shall be saved by his life. 2 Timothy 4, 18, Paul writes, the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever, amen. And then 1 John writes this, 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. And everyone, listen to this, and everyone who thus hope in him purifies himself as he is pure. Paul is telling believers that they need, that they and we are to live in eager expectation of this hope. Also, the New Testament hope is not like the world's hope, right? The world's hope is, I hope I get to work on time tomorrow. So that could happen or it could not happen. Oh, I hope I don't have a flat tire tomorrow. I'm not trying to jinx anybody, by the way. But, The New Testament hope is sure, and the reason why the New Testament hope is sure is because it was purchased and accomplished by the life and blood, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. I said this before, but I hope it's in a person. The person of Jesus Christ. It's not in an idea. It's not in a bunch of ideas. This is not just another message. Our hope is in the person of Christ. He was a real person. The Christ event did happen. He did die on a cross. He was raised from the grave. He did ascend into glory. And he is, at the right hand of God, the Father. And he is coming again. That is as sure as you are sitting right there in your story. As a matter of fact, even more sure. And it is this person who has purchased for us salvation. He justified us and that justification is the evidence of our guaranteed future glory for all who believes in him. Romans 8.31 reads, what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all. Who will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died. More than that, who was raised and who was at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Beloved, your worth is not in your job. Your worth is not in your ethnicity. Your worth is not in your salary or how big or small your house may be. Your worth is not in the clothes you wear or who you're married to. Your worth is determined by the blood of Christ shed for you. A true faith manifests itself in a loving obedience to Jesus Christ. We are saved by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone. Faith produces fruit. When it says we wait for that glorious hope with patience, that word in the Greek means the capacity to hold out or to bear up under the face of difficulty. The word could be translated, instead of patience, it could be translated perseverance. So an eager expectation of a future glory is one that awaits future glory, persevering in the faith. And Paul tells us how to do that in Romans 12. He says, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world. This is passing away. If you conform to this world, you're gonna pass away with it. But be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Your devotion to Christ is in your heart, but you gotta get it in your head first before it gets to your heart. So be renewed in your mind so the heart can be flooded with the devotion of Christ. that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. How much more would you change, and how much more would you change, how much would you change about how you feel and what you do if you knew Christ was gonna come back next year at this time? What would you do? How different would your life be? The answer to that question determines whether or not you're a Christian. By the way, Christ can come back any moment. I'm hoping right now. The word for future in verse 18 in the Greek, when we started off, it talked about the future glory. The word for future glory in the Greek carries the meaning of certainty and eminence. That means it's going to happen at any moment. So even though we cannot visually see glory to come, know that it is certain that future glory is coming and it is at any moment. Paul says, live the reality that we profess for the glory of God so his people can see the light and find their way home. Persevere in the hope of future glory, brothers and sisters in Christ. Let's stand and pray. Father, thank you for another day we get to bow our knee before you. And Father, we pray that you would help us, Lord, to live in the eager expectation of your return and help us to remember that we have an inheritance in Christ that will not fade away, that will not perish, and that is protected by faith for us by your power. Father, help us to live in the light of your return. Help us to be reminded that you are on your way back and that this is not the end game. And that you're gonna renew all things for your people and you're gonna dwell with them in a unique covenantal way and we look forward to that day. We look forward to the day where there will be no more crying, no more dying, no more death. It will be the saints in you and righteousness and justice in the land. Father, may we keep that hope, keep that hope burning in our hearts as we go about our daily duties this week. In your name we pray, Jesus Christ. Amen.