Hope (18–25). We are not frustrated by the suffering we experience or see in our world because we have hope. When Jesus returns, we will enter into glorious liberty! The Spirit is the beginning of the harvest and assures us that the best is yet to come.
Romans 8:22-25 deepens the discussion on suffering, hope, and redemption, focusing on the groaning of creation and the believers’ anticipation of future glory. This passage is rich with themes of:
- endurance
- faith
- eschatological hope
- The understanding of death, the Judgement, and final destiny of the soul.
The Message
Groaning of Creation (Verse 22)
Romans 8:22 NIV We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
The World’s Brokenness
- Practical Insight: Just like we observe in nature—natural disasters, environmental degradation, and the extinction of species—there’s a sense that things are not as they should be. Paul likens this to “groaning,” as if creation itself is longing for a change or a return to its original, unmarred state.
- Everyday Application: This perspective encourages us to recognize and engage with the world’s suffering, not as passive observers but as active participants seeking restoration, whether through environmental stewardship, social justice, or other means of caring for creation.
Cross-reference: Isaiah 65:17 – “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”
- Insight: Paul uses the metaphor of creation groaning as in childbirth to describe the present state of the world. This imagery captures both the pain and the anticipation of new life, reflecting the tension between the current reality of suffering and the future hope of redemption. Creation’s groan is not just a sign of suffering but also a longing for transformation.
Believers’ Groaning and Hope (Verses 23-24)
Romans 8:23-24 NIV Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. [24] For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
Our Inner Longing for Change
- Practical Insight:We, too, feel a deep-seated desire for things to be different, not just externally in the world, but also internally within ourselves. Whether it’s physical ailments, emotional wounds, or relational fractures, there’s an inward groaning for healing, wholeness, and redemption.
- Everyday Application: This insight invites us to be honest about our own areas of brokenness and to seek healing and transformation, not in isolation, but within the context of community and faith, recognizing that this process is part of a larger story of redemption.
Cross-references:
- 2 Corinthians 5:2 – “For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
- Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, [25] not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
- Insight: Not only does creation groan, but believers also groan inwardly as they await their adoption as sons, the redemption of their bodies. This groaning signifies a deep spiritual longing for the fulfillment of God’s promises. The hope of resurrection and the completion of our adoption as God’s children are central to the Christian faith, a hope that is certain yet unseen.
Hope and Patience (Verse 25)
Romans 8:25 NIV But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
The Role of Hope
- Practical Insight: Hope, in this passage, is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation based on God’s promises. It’s the assurance that despite the current reality of suffering and longing, there is a future where all things are made new and restored.
- Everyday Application: Cultivating hope means actively reminding ourselves of God’s promises and allowing them to shape our perspective and response to life’s challenges. It involves patience and perseverance, trusting that God is at work even when we don’t see immediate results.
Cross-reference: Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
- Insight: The nature of Christian hope is that it is for something not yet seen. True hope requires patience, the ability to wait with expectation for God’s promises to be fulfilled. This patience is not passive but is an active, faith-filled waiting that shapes how believers live in the present.
Patience in the Process
- Practical Insight: The passage suggests that waiting is an integral part of the Christian experience. This waiting isn’t passive but is characterized by patience and active anticipation of what God will do.
- Everyday Application:Practicing patience involves embracing the present moment with all its imperfections, engaging in acts of love and service even when they seem small or insignificant, and trusting that these efforts contribute to the larger narrative of God’s redemptive work.
Theological and Practical Implications
- Eschatological Perspective: Romans 8:22-25 provides a vital eschatological perspective, reminding believers that the present age is marked by suffering and groaning but is moving towards a glorious completion in God’s redemptive plan.
- Spiritual Longing: The passage validates the believers’ experience of longing and groaning for the completion of redemption as a natural response to the already-not-yet tension of God’s kingdom.
- Active Hope: The hope described in this passage is not passive but actively influences how believers engage with the world, endure suffering, and anticipate the future.
- Communal and Cosmic Redemption: The interconnectedness of creation’s groaning with the believers’ anticipation of redemption underscores the comprehensive scope of God’s salvation plan, which includes both the natural world and humanity.
In summary, Romans 8:22-25 eloquently speaks to the tension between current suffering and future glory, encouraging believers to embrace a hope that is both assured by faith and yet unseen, fostering patience and endurance as they await the full realization of their adoption as children of God and the redemption of creation.