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Lesson 9 - The Best Is Yet to Come, Romans 8:18-39
(To help you answer the questions see the Notes below.
Several years ago some commercials summarized a popular attitude: "You only go around once in life, so grab all the gusto you can get." Such an approach may sound attractive, but it isn't real. Ultimately we become frustrated as we find that some pleasures are beyond our reach or fail to live up to our expectations.
The Bible presents a different perspective toward life. The good things we experience now are just a taste of what is to come. And the suffering we see and feel encourages us to live in anticipation of Christ's return.
When you think of life beyond the grave, what comes to mind?
Read Romans 8:18-27. How does Paul describe the suffering that we and the rest of creation experience during the present time (Romans 8:18-25)?
What hope does Paul offer us in the midst of our suffering (Romans 8:18-25)?
How does the hope of future glory encourage you when you are suffering?
Paul speaks of waiting eagerly (Romans 8:19) and waiting patiently (Romans 8:25). How can these two ideas be reconciled?
How does the Spirit help us during our present sufferings, groanings and weakness (Romans 8:26-27)?
Read Romans 8:28-39. What is God's good purpose for us (Romans 8:29-30)?
What steps has God taken in order to fulfill that purpose?
Romans 8:28 is often misread. What is the difference between God working in all things and causing all things for the good of those who love him?
Describe a time when the knowledge of God's loving control was a source of strength and comfort to you.
What guarantee do we have that God will fulfill his promises to us (Romans 8:31-34)?
Notice the dangers Paul says we face in this life (Romans 8:35-39). When have dangers and problems caused you to question God's love?
How do the powerful enemies that threaten us actually reveal the strength and depth of God's love (Romans 8:37-39)?
Take time to thank God for his love, his present help and his promises of future glory.
Romans 8:19-22
8:19-22 Sin has caused all creation to fall from the perfect state in which God created it. So the world is subject to frustration and bondage to decay so that it cannot fulfill its intended purpose. One day all creation will be liberated and transformed. Until that time it waits in eager expectation for the resurrection of God's children.
8:19-22 Christians see the world as it is-physically decaying and spiritually infected with sin. But Christians do not need to be pessimistic, because they have hope for future glory. They look forward to the new heaven and new earth that God has promised, and they wait for God's new order that will free the world of sin, sickness, and evil. In the meantime, Christians go with Christ into the world where they heal people's bodies and souls and fight the evil effects of sin in the world.
Romans 8:23
8:23 We will be resurrected with bodies, glorified bodies like the body Christ now has in heaven (see 1 Cor. 15:25-58). We have the "firstfruits," the first installment or down payment of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our resurrection life (see 2 Cor. 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:5; Ephes. 1:14).
Romans 8:24-25
8:24-25 It is natural for children to trust their parents, even though parents sometimes fail to keep their promises. Our heavenly Father, however, never makes promises he won't keep. Nevertheless, his plan may take more time than we expect. Rather than acting like impatient children as we wait for God's will to unfold, we should place our confidence in God's goodness and wisdom.
8:24-25 In Romans, Paul presents the idea that salvation is past, present, and future. It is past because we were saved the moment we believed in Jesus Christ as Savior (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:1-11; Romans 6:1-11, 22-23); our new life (eternal life) begins at that moment. And it is present because we are being saved; this is the process of sanctification (see the note on § Romans 6:1-8:39). But at the same time, we have not fully received all the benefits and blessings of salvation that will be ours when Christ's new kingdom is completely established. That's our future salvation. While we can be confident of our salvation, we still look ahead with hope and trust toward that complete change of body and personality that lies beyond this life, when we will be like Christ (1 John 3:2).
Romans 8:26-27
8:26-27 As a believer, you are not left to your own resources to cope with problems. Even when you don't know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers. With God helping you pray, you don't need to be afraid to come before him. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you "in accordance with God's will." Then, when you bring your requests to God, trust that he will always do what is best.
Romans 8:28
8:28 God works in "all things"-not just isolated incidents-for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-range good. Note that God is not working to make us happy, but to fulfill his purpose. Note also that this promise is not for everybody. It can be claimed only by those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Those who are "called" are those the Holy Spirit convinces and enables to receive Christ. Such people have a new perspective, a new mind-set on life. They trust in God, not life's treasures; they look for their security in heaven, not on earth; they learn to accept, not resent, pain and persecution because God is with them.
Romans 8:29-30
8:29 God's ultimate goal for us is to make us like Christ (1 John 3:2). As we become more and more like him, we discover our true selves, the persons we were created to be. How can we be conformed to Christ's likeness? By reading and heeding the Word, by studying his life on earth through the Gospels, by being filled with his Spirit, and by doing his work in the world.
8:29-30 Some believe these verses mean that before the beginning of the world, God chose certain people to receive his gift of salvation. They point to verses like Ephes. 1:11 that says we are "predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." Others believe that God foreknew those who would respond to him and upon those he set his mark (predestined). What is clear is that God's purpose for people was not an afterthought; it was settled before the foundation of the world. People are to serve and honor God. If you have believed in Christ, you can rejoice in the fact that God has always known you. God's love is eternal. His wisdom and power are supreme. He will guide and protect you until you one day stand in his presence.
8:30 Called means summoned or invited. For more on justification and glorification, see the chart in Romans 3:25.
Romans 8:31-34
8:31-34 Do you ever think that because you aren't good enough for God, he will not save you? Do you ever feel as if salvation is for everyone else but you? Then these verses are especially for you. If God gave his Son for you, he isn't going to hold back the gift of salvation! If Christ gave his life for you, he isn't going to turn around and condemn you! He will not withhold anything you need to live for him. The book of Romans is more than a theological explanation of God's redeeming grace-it is a letter of comfort and confidence addressed to you.
8:34 Paul says that Jesus is interceding for us in heaven. God has acquitted us and has removed our sin and guilt, so it is Satan, not God, who accuses us. When he does, Jesus, the advocate for our defense, stands at God's right hand to present our case. For more on the concept of Christ as our advocate, see the notes on § Hebrews 4:14; § Hebrews 4:15.
Romans 8:35-39
8:35-36 These words were written to a church that would soon undergo terrible persecution. In just a few years, Paul's hypothetical situations would turn into painful realities. This passage reaffirms God's profound love for his people. No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we can never be lost to his love. Suffering should not drive us away from God, but help us to identify with him further and allow his love to reach us and heal us.
8:35-39 These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scripture. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonment, even death. These could cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of his unconquerable love. Nothing can stop Christ's constant presence with us. God tells us how great his love is so that we will feel totally secure in him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid.
8:38 Powers are unseen forces of evil in the universe, forces like Satan and his fallen angels (see Ephes. 6:12). In Christ we are super-conquerors, and his love will protect us from any such forces.
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