Romans 8:18
This chapter has been about the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives
a) 8:1-9 the Holy Spirit empowers the human to overcome the sin nature
b) 8:10-11 the Holy Spirit will resurrect your mortal body
c) 8:15-17 the Holy Spirit testifies to us that we are Sons of God, adopted by God
d) 8:26 the Holy Spirit today intercedes for us
Before Paul begins discussing the final ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives he develops a thought he began in 8:18 – suffering today, glory in the future.
We have been seen as:
a) slaves (to sin)
b) children (adopted by God)
c) an heir
These verse develop what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17
Paul sees himself and believers as caught in the process of the history of salvation.
In a sense saved, but on the other hand waiting. The “now but not yet” view of the Christian life
8:18
The glory will be revealed in us
The Greek begins this with “for” indicating this is an continuation of suffering in 8:17
“consider” is “logizomai” and means to “compute, to calculate, to reason, to consider.”
Paul is saying “after thinking logically and reasoning to a conclusion I have come this conclusion.”
8:19
This glory in us will effect all of creation.
“Eager expectation” This word is only used elsewhere in Phil. 1:20
a) is apokaradokia or apokaradokia and comes from
a. “apo” – meaning “from”
b. “kara” – meaning “the head”
c. “dokein – meaning “to watch”
b) The key to this word is “apo” or “from” Which gives the meaning of some one watching with their head turned away from the obvious and looking at something else.
c) is the picture of leaning forward because of interest, anticipation and desire.
Used of Believers anticipating Christ’s return in:
Gal. 5:5 Phil 3:20 Heb. 9:28
8:20
“Frustration” because the present circumstances of creation is so disappointing because of its existence at a level that is so far below its potential.
“the one who subjected it” – Who is that? All of the below have been suggested:
a) Adam
b) Satan
c) Jesus
God is the one spoken of here when he subjected it to the curse but also as it says in 8:20, God “subjected it in hope”
So God did not cause the fall of man but did take the fall and gave it meaning by cursing it and promising a deliverance.
8:21
Just as death is part of man’s nature since he is in bondage to sin , so nature is in bondage to decay.
Man has been delivered spiritually, but man like nature is waiting for the spiritual reality to break the bondage to sin (man) and decay (nature) totally in the physical world.
8:22
Speaks of the physical creation. Man’s body is mentioned separately in 8:23.
Jesus calls this “the renewal of all things” in Matt. 19:28
a) “renewal” is paliggenesia and means “regeneration, the new world.”
b) The
Jewish belief was that there would be a renewal of the
8:23
Here Paul makes a comparison between the creation and believers:
a) groaning
b) eagerly waiting for this renewal
c) transformation of the earth and the transformation of our bodies
“first fruits of the Spirit”
a) does not mean we will get more of the Spirit
b) refers to the fact that by our having the Spirit given to us at the beginning of the Christian life (the first fruits of God’s plan of redemption) then God is guaranteeing a completion of the process of salvation
The complete work of salvation is the resurrection of the physical body:
a) 1 Corinthians 15:44
b) Philippians 3:20-21
“Adoption” occurs twice:
1) once when we are born again (8:15)
a. Eph. 1:13, 14 -
b. Eph. 4:30 -
2) again when our bodies are resurrected. (8:23)
a. 1 John 3:2 – “now we are sons of God, but what we will be has not yet been made known. . .”
8:24
“In this hope we were saved” – We were saved because we understood that there was going to be a complete deliverance and a complete change.
We are saved spiritually (phases one)
We are experiencing the salvation process of our souls or minds (phase two)
We are waiting for the salvation experience of our bodies (phase three)
We have or are experience phase one and two. We have to wait for phase three.
By experience we know we are still missing something from a complete salvation.
We do not have it but since phase one and two are part of our daily experience we know or have hope that phase three will also occur.
“Who hopes for what he already has?” makes Paul’s point that if you are still looking for something or something is still missing you admit there is something else that is going to occur.
No one looks for something they have. So, there is more to come and it will.
8:25
“patiently” is ‘upomonh and means “patience, patient endurance”
In view of the suffering we are enduring today to get to the
future
In view of God’s promise we are patient and waiting for his time.