Don't Be Fickle!
Romans 8:18-25
I want to return to our study in Romans this morning and this evening and look at some verses that may be a bit difficult to understand. But what we will see this morning and this evening is that these verses house some incredible motivation for us to not be fickle in our commitment to Christ, rather, living life fully committed to Him. How is it that will happen? That's a great question, and we'll see how Paul answers it in the verses that we read.
I want you to know that this is an incredibly relevant topic and it something that definitely needs to be addressed. How amazing it is at the fickle commitments that are present today. It seems that many just don't want to be committed to anything or anyone these days. Many have defaulted on payments and will choose to never catch up - and it's largely due to a lack of commitment. "Oh well, that's just the way it goes." Many don't want to marry because they are afraid of that commitment, but don't have a problem living together. Many will say that they don't want to serve in a local church for fear that it may tie them down and keep them from fulfilling something that "may" come up. Many would never think of missing the weekly Bunko game or other activity, but just can't seem to work in that daily 15 minute quiet time. And many choose to hop from church to church rather than plug in just in case the preacher says something that makes them mad.
So how is it that we move away from this fickle state and live in that state of a total and excited commitment for the Lord Jesus Christ? I believe that the answer is found in one word - hope. A few weeks ago we talked about the power, person and presence of hope from Peter's letter. This morning, we'll see what Paul says about hope.
Romans 8:18-25
8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope;
8:21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
8:23 Not only [that,] but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
8:24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for [it] with perseverance.
Three ways that hope impacts and keeps us from that fickle state. It gives us,
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Perspective on suffering v 18
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Paul's statement shows that he had the right perspective on the tough and unfair times of life. Please notice again that we are never promised an easy life when we come to Christ. We may wish for it, and quite frankly, I believe that life is easy for the typical Christian in America. In fact, it may be too easy. That leads to a fickle state as well. But Paul here helps us to see that hope puts suffering in the right perspective. What is the right perspective?
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Any present suffering does not even begin to offset the glory that is come. I want you to picture an old scale - where there are two pans in which to place a substance. On one side picture yourself placing all of the suffering you have ever experienced. Or better yet, picture Paul placing all of the suffering that he ever experienced. Listen to what Paul suffered as a result of the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:24-28), "From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness - besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches."
Elsewhere Paul speaks of our present sufferings as light afflictions which are only for a moment, but he describes the glory as an exceeding and eternal weight (2 Corinthians 4:17). Picture these sufferings being placed on this scale. It may weigh it down a great deal or immensely. But then on the other side of the scale is another object - it's the glory of God. At first glance one may think that God's glory is nice and neat, but can it really outweigh the sufferings and dilemmas we experienced because of living for Christ. But there is something that we quickly understand - God's glory far outweighs every bit of suffering that we ever faced! In fact, when all is said and done, it's as if there was never anything on the side of the scale where we had placed all of our sufferings! Why? The angels declared in Isaiah's day that the whole earth is filled with the glory of God! John said that when Jesus walked this earth that he beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father!
Friend, I want you to understand that the glory to come is infinitely greater than we can imagine and anything we may face this side of heaven is trite compared to the eternal glory that we will experience and enjoy! Therefore, hope gives us the right perspective on suffering.
I want to read to you a quote from a man named Nate Saint. Many are not familiar with him, but we are familiar with the man Jim Elliot. Jim was a missionary to the Waorani Indians (also known as the Auca Indians of Ecuador) and lost his life along with some other men as they went to reach out to these people in order to share the gospel. It was Jim Elliot that wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Nate Saint was one of the men with Jim, and I want you to hear what he wrote, "If God would grant us the vision, the word "sacrifice" would disappear from our lips and thoughts. We would hate the things that seem now so dear to us. Our lives would suddenly be too short. We would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ."
There's another part of this perspective I want you to understand,
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Many may say that they don't have it "in them" to endure hardships and sufferings. But Paul says that there will be a greater "revealing" within us - God's glory! How prone we are to simply look at the now and now and give little or no thought to the future. But Paul says that there is a trade off coming that is out of this world and that we need to understand. The trade off of the glory of God revealed in us can't even be compared with the struggles. I know that there are some of you this morning that are going through the ringer because of your faith in Christ. You may have a spouse or a parent or some relatives or friends that have castigated you and called you every name under the sun. In fact, there may be some that lost a nice promotion because you weren't willing to play the game and go along with the crowd that could care less about the cause of Christ. And you may feel like you don't have it in you to endure. Listen, stay at it. Don't you dare bend or give in. Student, when some at school would like to use you as the brunt of the jokes, stay at it. One day - and that day will last forever - one day, it will be worth it all.
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May I ask sir and ma'am what your perspective is driven by? Is it the now and now? Is it the opinions of others? Is it self? Is it the bottom line? Is it being "happy"? I'm telling you that there is something far more important than all of these. It is the hope that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ - and what will last all throughout eternity. Perspective on suffering will keep us from being fickle, but also notice that hope gives us,
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Persistence in striving vv 19-23
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Hope does not overlook reality. And a reality check that Paul brings out in these verses is that all of creation groans. Why? The short answer is sin. "When God finished His Creation, it was a good Creation (Genesis 1:31); but today it is a groaning Creation. There is suffering and death; there is pain, all of which is, of course, the result of Adam's sin. It is not the fault of creation. Note the words that Paul used to describe the plight of creation: suffering (v 18), vanity (v 20), bondage (v 21), decay (v 21), and pain (v 22)."1
So often we focus on sin as solely something that affects individuals. But Paul helps us to realize that we live in a world that has been impacted by sin as well. Tsunami's, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, floods - it's a groaning creation because of sin!
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But hope doesn't focus solely on reality. Hope leads to a persistent striving of what has been promised - a new creation! Notice the example that Paul uses in verse 22. "Paul compared it to a woman in travail. There is pain, but the pain will end when the child is delivered. One day creation will be delivered, and the groaning creation will become a glorious creation! The believer does not focus on today's sufferings; he looks forward to tomorrow's glory (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:15-18). Today's groaning bondage will be exchanged for tomorrow's glorious liberty!"2
Scripture teaches us that there is coming a new heaven and a new earth. At the end when time is no more, our Lord has promised that for all eternity we will enjoy a new heaven and new earth - free from the effects of sin! It will no longer be just a garden that was perfect, it will be a whole world and heaven that will be the believer's to enjoy forever and ever!
But there's another part of this new creation. It's the believer that has become a new creation! I love verse 23 (read). Do you know what this means? When a person trusts Christ as Savior, we have become a son through adoption. We learned that last time. But Paul also says that we have the firstfruits of the Spirit. What does that mean? That means that every person that knows Jesus Christ as Savior has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him/her. That means that we have experienced Him as the Scripture teaches us - Comforter, Convictor, Helper, Teacher. That's great and wonderful, but it also does something else within us - it causes us to groan. "This makes us want to see the Lord, receive a new body, and live with Him and serve Him forever. [Have we experienced adoption? Certainly, but not in its totality.] We are waiting for "the adoption," which is the redemption of the body when Christ returns (Philippians 3:20-21). This is the thrilling climax to "the adoption" that took place at conversion when "the Spirit of adoption" gave us an adult standing in God's family. When Christ returns, we shall enter into our full inheritance."3
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Let me put it to you like this, Church Family - the best is still yet to come! So what should that cause us to do or be? Even amidst the groans within our spirit and in creation, there should be a persistence in striving till He comes. If we know and are convinced the best is yet to come, are we staying at it in our walk with Christ? Even when we experience something in this life - be it from others, or maybe even in this groaning creation - is there still a commitment to stay at it? Anybody can be happy and cheerful when things are great. But how will you be and what will be said of your commitment when you're going through the muck and mire of life?
I want to say to you again that there is more to life than just this life. Believer, we've not yet received the whole of our salvation or redemption as Paul puts it here. But because we have experienced God's Spirit working in our lives (and He is the promise of what is to come according to Ephesians 1), then may we strive with all we've got come what may!
I want you to see another point that will keep a Christian from being fickle. We understand that we have a,
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Purpose in staying put vv 24-25
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Hope sees what the eyes cannot see v 24. Paul now addresses hope and simply reminds his readers that hope is not necessary if you can see what it is that you have waited for. Oftentimes, people give up and are discouraged because they don't see anything. Some of you have been praying for the salvation of a spouse - and you just don't see anything happening. Some of you have prayed for your marriage to improve, but you just don't see anything happening. Some of you have prayed for work, but you just don't see anything happening. You know the Scripture that if God sees the sparrow and provides for them, then how much more will He take care of us that are made in His image - yet, it's discouraging to go day after day with no work in sight. Some of you have dreams and aspirations of your future - and you're convinced that God is in that dream and aspiration - but it just seems that nothing is happening to get you closer to fulfilling that dream. Discouragement can easily set in, and when we allow discouragement to rule our minds and hearts it won't be long before we set out for a purpose that's not from God.
I've got a word for some of you this morning - stay put in God's purpose for your life! Don't abandon ship. Don't settle for something less because you just don't think it's going to come through. Be patient. One of the worst things to take place in our day and age is that so many things are instant. And that attitude moves over into our spiritual lives. We think God's will should be instant as well.
It didn't happen that way with Noah. 100 years passed from the time he started building the ark to when he finished it and the rain came. It didn't happen that way with Moses. He spent 40 years on the backside of the desert before God used him to deliver his people - and then it was another 40 years wandering in the wilderness. It didn't happen that way for the coming of the Savior. The prophets declared the Messiah was coming, but for most of them, it would be hundreds of years after they died before Jesus came. There is no such thing as overnight spiritual maturity. Mushrooms come up overnight, but not oak trees. So what's the answer?
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Stay put with eager expectation v 25. In verse 25, we see for the third time in this passage the phrase, "eagerly waits." It is used a total of seven times in Scripture and each time it is used it is in reference to Christ's return. Notice what he says here - there is an eager waiting with perseverance for the blessed return of our Lord. Wow! Can that be said of you? "Why is that a big deal, preacher?" Well, first, we're commanded to wait for our Lord. Second, there's an eternal benefit for eagerly waiting. Paul said to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:8), "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." There's a crown awaiting the "eagerly-waiting-with-perseverance" believer!
Church Family, what motivates you to keep pressing on? Is it a blessing that you may get today? Is it a word of encouragement that you may get from someone else? Is it a position that you serve in? Those are fine and good, but they are temporary and will one day not happen. Then what are you going to do? Paul reminds us of the greatest and best motivation - hope (a confident expectation) in the return of our Lord for His own. Think about it - there will be no worry again about cancer, no fear of joblessness, no worries about wayward children, no frustrations over aging, no stock market fluctuations or crazy gas prices! It will be a real place called heaven in absolute beauty and perfection and it will be forever!
What is to come has a direct bearing on what we are to be and do today. Believer, don't you get despondent. There's no need to - the best is yet to come. Don't throw in the towel. There's no need to - the best is yet to come. Don't shortcut God's will. There's no need to - the best is yet to come. Don't sit back or lay out. There's no need to - the best is yet to come.
But what is the basis of our hope? I want to quote that old hymn again, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' Name." The basis of our hope is a relationship with the resurrected Jesus Christ. Do you know Him? Can you say with absolute certainty that you know Him? Anything less than absolute certainty will keep you from the hope and eager waiting with perseverance that Paul spoke of here. Do you know Him?